State of the Union offers Trump a chance for a reset

On Capitol Hill, GOP leaders have been playing defense on Trump’s tariffs, health insurance costs and the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents.

The biggest sales pitch right now for Republicans is still last year’s tax cut and spending package that Trump dubbed the “big, beautiful bill.”

“Tax season is here, and Republicans are delivering,” said U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta.

But when Allen and Republicans talk about the “big, beautiful bill,” they now call it by a new name — the “Working Families Tax Cut.”

That rebranding is a sure indication that the GOP sales pitch has been struggling.

So, what about this year’s agenda? The White House and GOP leaders in Congress aren’t on the same page.

Many Republicans want to pass another big package of tax and spending changes — a “reconciliation” bill — which can be approved without the threat of a U.S. Senate filibuster.

But Trump has already rejected the idea, leaving the GOP agenda adrift.

You will likely hear Trump call for passage of a GOP bill that requires citizenship checks for voter registration plus photo ID at the polls on Election Day. But that doesn’t do anything about higher grocery prices.

And that has some Republicans worried.

“Pretty please, with sugar on top,” said U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., “bring as many bills to the floor as possible to address the cost of living — and let’s use reconciliation to do it.”

For U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee, that would be a perfect way to address health care costs, especially on prescription drugs.

“It’s the biggest cost to taxpayers,” said McCormick, “and the second-largest inflationary cost to Americans.”

As for Democrats in Congress, many will either boycott Trump’s speech or walk out before it ends. But their leaders don’t want a scene like last year, when one Texas Democrat started yelling and waving his cane at Trump from the House floor.

“The two options that are in front of us,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, “is to either attend with silent defiance — or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump.”

The State of the Union is always an important night. And that’s especially true for Trump in 2026.