President Donald Trump and members of Congress are continuing a long-standing State of the Union tradition on Tuesday by inviting guests whose stories reflect their political priorities and causes.
While the White House has not released a complete list of invitees, President Trump has confirmed that Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will attend the address. He has also invited the gold-medal-winning US men’s and women’s hockey teams. Following the men’s victory, during a locker room discussion, Trump offered the invitation and joked that he would have to invite the women’s team as well, or face impeachment, the New York Times reported.
The women’s team later turned down the invitation due to scheduling conflicts, although some members of the men’s team did visit the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
Members of Congress are also using guest lists as political statements. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, has invited four individuals who have been impacted by the administration’s immigration enforcement policies to attend the event in Minneapolis. Her guests include Aliya Rahman, a US citizen who was detained by federal agents; Mary Granlund, a local school board chair; Mubashir Hussen, who claims to have been arrested despite being a US citizen; and Gerardo Orozco Guzman, whose father was detained and relocated to New Mexico.
{This is a developing story. Please stay tuned with us for the latest updates.}
