By Nandita Bose, Bo Erickson and Joseph Ax
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the traditional State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday at a fraught moment for his presidency, with his approval ratings slumping, anxieties rising over Iran and Americans struggling with the cost of living as the November midterm election nears.
The televised prime-time speech to Congress, his second in the 13 months since returning to the White House, offers Trump a chance to persuade voters to keep Republicans in power. But it comes as he faces stiff political headwinds at home and abroad.
The appearance follows a turbulent few days for his administration, including a Supreme Court decision invalidating his global tariff regime and new data showing the economy slowed more than expected while inflation accelerated.
The Department of Homeland Security is mostly shut down due to a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over the administration's aggressive immigration tactics, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, Trump has struggled to turn the page on the scandal surrounding the government's release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump, who has openly coveted the Nobel Peace Prize and set up his own "Board of Peace," appears to be inching closer to a military conflict with Iran over its nuclear program, moving warships to the Middle East and developing plans that could include a change of government, according to U.S. officials.
A PUBLIC CASE AGAINST IRAN
Tuesday's speech could offer Trump a chance to mount for the first time a public case for military intervention in Iran.
Two White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump will discuss his plans for Iran but did not offer details.
He will also tout his record of brokering peace deals, they said. He will be speaking on the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a reminder that he has yet to resolve the war he once said he could end "in 24 hours."
The president is expected to address the Supreme Court's decision on tariffs, arguing that the court erred and outlining alternative laws he can use to reconstitute most of the levies.
Trump reacted with fury to the ruling last week, targeting several justices with personal attacks. A repeat performance on Tuesday could make for some awkward moments; at least some of the court's nine justices are expected to attend.
White House aides and Republican campaign advisers, eyeing a challenging congressional midterm election, have urged Trump to focus on Americans' economic worries. Trump's victory in the 2024 election was based in large part on his promises to ease the cost of living, but opinion polls show voters are unconvinced by his efforts so far.
Trump has struggled to stay on message, straying in public speeches from the economy to his long list of grievances while at other times declaring he has already solved the problem.
One of the White House officials said Trump will "claim victory on the economy," a message Republican lawmakers running for reelection are unlikely to welcome. He will argue that he inherited a poor economy from Democratic predecessor Joe Biden and that Democrats have overstated affordability concerns, both officials said.
Trump will point to stock market gains, private-sector investments and his tax cut legislation as evidence that he has helped the economy, the officials said. The president will also tout his tough border policies and his deportation campaign, despite polls showing most Americans believe his administration has gone too far in rounding up undocumented immigrants.
"This is the one opportunity the president has where the whole world is looking at what he has to say, and this is his opportunity to summarize everything that he’s done and not go off script," said Amanda Makki, a Republican strategist and former Florida congressional candidate.
Trump, who has a propensity for ad-libbing, said on Monday his address would be lengthy. His 100-minute speech last March - technically not a State of the Union speech, but otherwise similar - was the longest presidential address to Congress in modern history.
The White House officials said this year's edition was crafted with room for unscripted moments.
"We are planning around it," one official said.
SOME DEMOCRATS OPTING OUT
Last year, some Democrats interrupted Trump's speech with jeers before walking out in protest. This time around, more than 20 Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate plan to skip the speech altogether in favor of an outdoor rally on the National Mall.
Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, one of those Democrats, told reporters on Monday the event would offer a more "honest description" of Trump's record, rather than the "propaganda push" of the speech.
Virginia Governor Abby Spanberger, whose decisive victory in November was seen as an early midterms warning sign for Republicans, will deliver the official Democratic response to the speech.
Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California, who was shoved to the ground and handcuffed last year after attempting to ask a question of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference, will give the Spanish-language rebuttal.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Bo Erickson in Washington; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Howard Goller)
