Trump teases 'really big news' ahead of Thursday night address

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President Donald Trump plans to have "really big news" when he addresses the nation Thursday night. However, the purpose of his upcoming speech remains ambiguous. While the president did not give a specific reason when asked by reporters, he did offer clues as to what he may be talking about. 

What we know:

Trump announced the primetime address on Monday in a brief social media post. In it, he stated the speech would start at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, but offered no other details. The president later told reporters, "It’s going to be a very big announcement."

What we don't know:

Beyond Trump’s near-silence about what he intends to say, the White House has also been mum on the intended topic. The president may go beyond any central theme, though, and weigh in on multiple issues. In addition to his statement about a major announcement, he added, "We’ll be discussing other things, too."

Big picture view:

On Tuesday, the president did not provide much more detail when asked for a preview of the speech, but he did move on to a comment about election security. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump hinted that what he would reveal, "doesn’t get any bigger, because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country."

Dig deeper:

Since returning to office, Trump has made tightening federal rules around voting, a central theme of his administration. With the 2026 midterm elections right around the corner, he has pushed Congress to pass the White House-backed SAVE Act, going so far as to refuse to sign a bipartisan housing bill unless it also backed the election legislation. 

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The president also recently ousted all remaining members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission after the panel did not back his drive to require would-be voters to document their U.S. citizenship before registering.

While the president has teased speaking about elections, a host of other issues remain on the table that he may discuss, either instead of or in addition to voting. Among those are the resumption of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, his administration’s attempt to get the Supreme Court to rehear its ruling on birthright citizenship, and ongoing controversies surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration policies. 

PoliticsDonald J. Trump