SUMMARY

On March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered his first address to Congress of his second term. While similar to a State of the Union address, a president's first speech in front of Congress after election is not considered a State of the Union address (you can learn more about why that is here).

The entire address is available at this link, or you can watch the highlight clips at the top of this post. You can also read and respond to this story on takeaways from the speech.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. How did Trump frame or summarize the impact of his return to the White House?
2. Why was Democratic Congress member Al Green removed from the audience for Trump's speech?
3. What did President Trump want from Democrats in the audience?
4. Who did Trump blame for the current state of the economy, and why?
5. Where did Trump suggest a peace deal might be imminent?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What specific plans offered in the clips above caught your attention? Do you think President Trump offered a realistic plan or path to accomplishing his goals? Which do you think might have the biggest impact on the future of the U.S. and the world?

Media literacy: How can you find out how the public reacted to Trump's address to Congress?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to find out more about?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Whenever the president addresses Congress, there is a tradition of the opposition party choosing a representative to give a response. This year, that response was given by Democratic Michigan senator Elise Slotkin. You can watch her response below.

After watching some or all of the response, discuss — how does Slotkin's speech show a contrasting vision of the future of the country from President Trump's? Are there any points of agreement?

Students might also want to watch this fact check on some of Trump's claims.

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