President Donald Trump will speak live from the Oval Office today, according to the White House. They have not shared exactly what he will talk about, but the announcement comes after he held meetings with several world leaders to try to find a way to end the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
The address is set for noon Eastern Time. Oval Office speeches are rare and usually happen during very serious times, which makes this speech especially important.
Last weekend, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House. They did not reach a peace deal, but the talks helped set up a future meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump met with Putin at a military base in Alaska on Friday. Trump said he has managed to resolve seven wars in the past but called this one the hardest.
Another topic he may talk about is his recent trade decisions. The U.S. has signed trade deals with the European Union, Japan, and Vietnam. However, India has faced heavy new tariffs because of its closer ties with Russia. Starting August 7, Indian goods faced a 25 percent tariff, and on August 27, another 25 percent tariff was added on Indian oil imports from Russia. India has refused to back down, creating a big divide between the two nations.
Trump may also address his recent decision to take over control of Washington, D.C.’s police force. Earlier this month, he declared a “crime emergency” and used a special law to put the city’s police under federal control for the first time ever. He sent about 800 National Guard troops, plus reinforcements from six Republican-led states, and added more than 2,000 federal and state forces, including FBI, DEA, and ICE agents.
Trump said this was to fight rising crime, but official numbers show violent crime in D.C. has actually dropped by 26 percent compared to last year and is now at its lowest point in 30 years. Critics say this move is more about politics than safety. The city’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit calling the takeover illegal and unconstitutional, and many residents say it violates their rights and local control.
Trump’s speech later today is expected to touch on these key issues, but no full details have been released yet.
