Pauly Denetclaw
ICT
It’s one year into President Donald J. Trump’s second term. The year has been mired in political upheaval, and legal battles. Trump has pushed his “America First” agenda forward with a slew of executive orders, and pushed the legal boundaries of executive power.
“I know President Trump is fired up to speak to the American people,” Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Cherokee, said in a statement to ICT. “I expect the president will lay out how he’s delivered on the promises he made on the campaign trail and outline his plan for the rest of 2026. President Trump has been laser focused on the economy and moving us in the direction: from bringing in new investments and tackling energy prices to making goods more affordable and lowering interest rates.”
During Trump’s first State of the Union address as the 47th president, he is likely to defend his last year of leadership, highlight the wins, and set his agenda for the coming year. This is America’s 250th year of existence, and the midterm elections, which historically has seen the president’s party lose majority in Congress.
It is likely that the Native American Republican members of Congress, Sen. Mullin, Oklahoma Reps. Tom Cole, Chickasaw, and Josh Brecheen, Choctaw, will be in attendance. Only Sen. Mullin confirmed his attendance. Requests for comments to Cole, and Brecheen’s offices, respectively, went unanswered by the time this story was published.
A small minority of Democrats are boycotting the State of the Union Address.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, Ho-Chunk, confirmed on social media that she will be in attendance. She is bringing Nick Levendofsky, who is executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union, that works to protect and enhance the interests of family farms and ranches in Kansas.
One must be invited by the president, first lady, speaker of the House or a member of Congress to attend the State of the Union address. Each member of Congress can bring one guest. Guests often represent an issue that politicians want to highlight. Other times, a family member or significant other is invited to attend.
For example, during the 2023 address, then President Joe Biden invited Lynette Bonar, Navajo, a pioneer in cancer care for Indigenous communities. During his speech, Biden highlighted his commitment to reducing cancer rates.
Davids is running for reelection in Kansas. On her campaign website, she has agriculture as one of her priorities. She has committed to supporting farmers and ranchers to ensure they are successful for generations to come.
“He’s a strong voice for Kansas producers and will also be in D.C. next week for the key Farm Bill hearing,” Davids said in a social media post of Levendofsky.
A request for comment to Davids’ office went unanswered.
Across the nation, Indigenous people feared being detained by ICE, and many tribal nations responded by encouraging their citizens to carry their tribal IDs.
“President Trump is proud of his record of delivering the most secure border in American history, deporting violent criminals, and supporting law enforcement to bring down crime rates,” Mullin, who represents Oklahoma, said.
Tribal programs that rely on federal grants worry about future funding, and what would happen without those grants. Some elected tribal officials are afraid of speaking out about the Trump administration for fear of retaliation. With federal cuts being proposed, many worry about the future of Indian Health Services, Bureau of Indian Education, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Trump did select Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy and his late father, Robert F. Kennedy Sr. have been outspoken supporters of Native nations.
Last year, Kennedy halted the mass layoff of IHS employees.
“There’s no doubt [President Trump has] been a fighter for tribal self-determination and sovereignty — recently signing The Lumbee Fairness Act into law, which granted full recognition for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina,” Mullin said. “On the world stage, he wants to keep putting America First and stop foreign conflicts as a matter of national security. I’m sure it’ll be a speech full of victories, with a hopeful and patriotic vision for the next three years. I look forward to attending tonight’s historic event with my wife, Christie.”
Last December, Trump signed the Lumbee Fairness Act, which affirmed the Lumbee Tribe’s status as a federally-recognized tribe, delivering on a promise he made during his first presidential term. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joseph R. Biden had also committed to recognizing the Lumbee Tribe but it never came to fruition under their respective administrations.
Trump is delivering the speech, but his audience sitting in the House chamber has a big role, too. When Trump delivered his 2020 State of the Union, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi theatrically ripped up a copy of the speech afterward, overshadowing much of what Trump said.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York has said in a letter to colleagues “it is important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber,” indicating some members might choose not to attend in protest to Trump. But there’s also the possibility of Democrats razzing Trump as Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, did in 2025, leading him to be removed from the chamber.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week, just months after resoundingly winning an office previously held by a Republican.
Spanberger, who served three terms in the U.S. House, became Virginia’s first female governor earlier this year. She won by a double-digit margin, campaigning on affordability and lowering costs for families — a message Democrats are now elevating as they seek to win back the House and Senate in this year’s midterm elections.
The annual address is mandated by the U.S. Constitution though it can take many forms, some presidents have done written reports but most commonly a speech. By invitation from the House Speaker, a president is invited to address Congress in the People’s House. It’s one of the few times that both chambers of Congress convene together.
Leaders from all three branches of government are present — congressional members, Supreme Court justices, cabinet members and the president are all in one place. One cabinet member will not be in attendance and is the designated survivor.
The State of the Union address will be Tuesday, February 24 at 9 p.m. EST.
C-SPAN will livestream the speech on YouTube.