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US senators back Ukraine ahead of major Trump speech, text shows

By Patricia Zengerle
February 24, 2026 7:03 PM UTC Updated 51 mins ago

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Item 1 of 2 A woman reacts as she sits in front of a grave at a local cemetery, decorated with flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine, on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, in Chernihiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

[1/2]A woman reacts as she sits in front of a grave at a local cemetery, decorated with flowers to pay tribute to the victims of the Russian attack on Ukraine, on the day marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, in Chernihiv, Ukraine. REUTERS/Maksym Kishka

• Summary

• Trump speech comes on fourth anniversary of Ukraine conflict
• Resolution supported by group of Republicans and Democrats
• Measure meant to illustrate support in Congress for Kyiv

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) – A group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators will introduce a resolution on Tuesday supporting Ukraine as it battles Russian invaders, hours before President Donald Trump was due to make his nationally televised State of the Union address to the nation.

The resolution was led by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, who are co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group. It had at least 26 other co-sponsors, about evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, according to an early copy of the resolution seen by Reuters.

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Other provisions include condolences for the loss of Ukrainian lives, commendation of Ukrainians’ bravery, encouragement of strong cooperation among NATO allies and a call for any negotiated settlement to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and “include Ukraine as the central party to discussions regarding its future.”

The resolution comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government faces mounting U.S. pressure to secure a peace deal. Although it does not have the force of law, it illustrates the strong support for the government in Kyiv from many in Washington, and its release on Tuesday sends a signal that lawmakers want more support for Ukraine from Trump.

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Trump’s Tuesday night speech coincides with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a reminder of a conflict that the Republican president has yet to end despite his past vow that he could stop it “in 24 hours.”

Members of Congress, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have urged him to do more to help Zelenskiy’s government, including sending all of the financial and military aid they have authorized over the past several years.

Tuesday’s resolution was co-sponsored by Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Democratic Senators Michael Bennet, Richard Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Tim Kaine.

Republican co-sponsors include former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Tillis, John Curtis, Chuck Grassley, Roger Wicker, Jerry Moran, Dave McCormick and Susan Collins.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Don Durfee, Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief top congressional leaders on rising tensions in Iran on Tuesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s annual State of the Union address.

Ratcliffe and Rubio, who also serves as Trump’s national security advisor, will brief the so-called “Gang of Eight,” congressional leadership as well as top lawmakers on the Intelligence committees, from the White House Tuesday at 3 p.m.

The closed-door session comes as the administration weighs next steps in the escalating standoff with the Islamic Republic. Talks with Iran, where the U.S. is pushing for full denuclearization and a limit on its ballistic missile program, are scheduled to resume on Thursday. White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led talks last week with Iran that did not result in a tangible deal.

The White House has made clear that diplomacy is Trump’s first priority, but the Middle East has seen the largest U.S. military buildup in decades: one carrier strike group under the USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region and another under the USS Gerald R. Ford is heading that way.

Meanwhile, Iran is digging in. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X Tuesday: “Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.”

In a message directed at the American side, he added: “A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”

The U.S. has insisted Iran cannot have any nuclear enrichment capacity, even for energy purposes.

Araghchi said last week that the two sides had come to a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks.

Meanwhile, reports have swirled that Trump is considering a “limited” strike on Iran aimed at pressuring its leaders into acquiescing to a deal.

Rubio’s classified briefing comes at a pivotal moment — just hours before Trump steps to the podium for his State of the Union address. The timing suggests the administration wants congressional leaders fully briefed on Iran’s nuclear posture, U.S. intelligence assessments and potential next steps before the president publicly lays out his strategy to the nation.

By meeting with the “Gang of Eight” ahead of the speech, the White House is also locking in oversight consultation before Trump speaks. That gives top lawmakers the same classified context the president is working from — and makes it harder for critics to argue they were blindsided if Trump signals tougher action, new diplomatic parameters or a shift in posture toward Tehran during his address.

Trump plans to honor 100-year-old veteran during State of the Union, sources say

Updated on: February 24, 2026 / 12:06 PM EST / CBS News

President Trump is planning to honor a 100-year-old veteran Tuesday night by awarding E. Royce Williams the Medal of Honor for his actions in a secret mission during the Korean War, sources with knowledge of the matter told CBS News.

This would mark the first time that a president has awarded the medal, the U.S. military’s highest honor for valor in combat, during a State of the Union address.

White House spokespeople didn’t respond to requests for comment. The plan, which has not previously been reported, could change.

Williams, a retired Navy captain, was part of the longest aerial engagement in U.S. Navy history when he fought seven Soviet MiG fighter jets, shooting down four, during a half-hour dogfight in 1952.

Soviet involvement was top secret at the time, so the records of the event were classified for decades. At the height of the Korean War, Williams and another American pilot were flying off the coast of the Korean Peninsula when they encountered seven Soviet miG-15 fighter jets. The Soviet aircraft opened fire, he would later recall: “Since they started the fight, he said, “I shot back.”

Williams struck one of the MiGs, and his fellow American pilot pursued it. Then, flying alone, he engaged the remaining aircraft, downing three more Soviet planes while maneuvering through what military accounts later described as hundreds of rounds of incoming fire. In recent years, the U.S. military has published detailed descriptions of the encounter, portraying it as one of the most intense aerial engagements of the war.

“In the moment I was a fighter pilot doing my job,” Williams told news outlet Task & Purpose in a 2022 interview. “I was only shooting what I had.”

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams receives a Navy Cross for his actions during the Korean War Jan. 20, 2023. US Navy / Petty Officer 2nd Class T. Logan

After his aircraft was struck, Williams turned back toward an American aircraft carrier, guiding the damaged plane in for a landing at high speed. He later said he had considered ejecting but concluded that the frigid conditions over the water made such a decision perilous.

Williams has said that he was instructed to keep the airborne clash a secret — a rare and politically fraught confrontation between American and Soviet forces at a moment when the two Cold War adversaries were intent on avoiding open war. For decades, he spoke of it to no one, not even his wife.

Details of the operations surfaced only years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as archival records and military histories were made public. Three years ago, Williams was awarded the Navy Cross, the highest combat award that can be given to a service member of either the Navy or Marine Corps for valor in combat.

Republican Rep. Darell Issa of California, whose San Diego-area district includes Williams home, pressed for the retired Navy pilot to receive the Medal of Honor. Last year, lawmakers authorized the president to bestow the decoration, waiving the longstanding requirement that it be awarded within five years of the act of valor.

“The heroism and valor he demonstrated for more than 35 harrowing minutes almost 70 years ago in the skies over the North Pacific and the coast of North Korea unquestionably saved the lives of his fellow pilots, shipmates, and crew,” Issa wrote in a statement earlier this month.

Mr. Trump called Williams earlier this month.

The timing of the medal presentation is notable as Mr. Trump is set to award the Medal of Honor to a veteran recognized for killing Russian pilots decades ago, on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago —a conflict now shadowed by negotiations in which Kyiv has faced pressure to consider ceding territory seized by Moscow.

Democratic Senator: We are skipping ‘very divisive & exhausting’ address to tell the story of a ‘rough year’ for Americans

By Manu Raju, CNN
Published 1:49 PM EST, Tue February 24, 2026

Minnesota Senator Tina Smith joins Inside Politics to weigh in on her and her colleagues’ plans to skip President Trump’s State of the Union address, in favor of an alternate event “The People’s State of the Union”. Senator Smith argues, “This is not about just a president that we don’t like, this is about a president who has imposed illegal tariffs that have cost Americans billions of dollars. It’s about a president who is seeking to overturn our elections by demanding voter files… this is about what is a lawless administration.”

6:39 • Source: CNN

U.S. Attorney’s Office drops effort to indict 6 Democratic lawmakers who posted video on illegal orders, sources say

February 24, 2026 / 11:30 AM EST / CBS News

Washington— The top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. has decided to table efforts to try to indict six Democratic lawmakers for posting a video urging military members not to follow orders they believe are illegal, sources told CBS News on Tuesday.

The decision by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to end the case comes after a grand jury in Washington, D.C. earlier this month refused to return an indictment, CBS News previously reported.

It was not yet clear whether the Justice Department could still explore pursuing other venues for the case, one of the sources cautioned. It was unlikely, another source said.

A spokesman for Pirro declined to comment. The decision to table the case in Washington, D.C., was reported earlier by NBC News.

The grand jury’s rejection of the charges is historically rare, but is becoming more commonplace in Washington and other federal districts as grand jurors are seemingly becoming more concerned about whether some of the cases are politicized and designed to exact retribution against President Trump’s enemies.

Several politically-hired attorneys who work with Pirro were assigned to the case against the lawmakers, sources told CBS News, and they tried to indict the six under a criminal statute known as 18 U.S.C. § 2387.

That law threatens a 10-year maximum prison sentence for anybody who “advises, counsels, urges, or in any manner causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military.”

After presenting the case to the grand jury, several sources told CBS that the grand jurors unanimously rejected the indictment, which is even more unusual.

All six Democrats later publicly condemned the move and applauded the grand jury.

After the rejection of the case became public, Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, wrote a letter to Pirro telling her that he was putting her and her office “on notice of the legal ramification” if they continue to pursue charges.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/democrat-illegal-orders-video-court-battle-isnt-over-grand-jury-tosses-charges/

Erika Kirk to be Trump’s guest at State of the Union

Erika Kirk’s attendance comes months after her husband was killed at Utah Valley University and posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom

By Rachel Wolf
Fox News
Published February 24, 2026 2:29pm EST

[Erika Kirk], widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will be President [Donald Trump]’s guest at Tuesday night’s State of the Union.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Kirk’s attendance as “one of President Trump’s special guests” in a post on X that included the Daily Wire article first reporting the announcement.

During his speech, the president will reportedly affirm that America is “one nation under God” and will call on Congress to “firmly reject [political violence] against our fellow citizens,” the Daily Wire reported on Tuesday. The Daily Wire said the call comes after years of political violence, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Trump is no stranger to this wave of political violence, as he was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July 2024.

Erika Kirk, wife of slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, receives the Medal of Freedom posthumously awarded to Charlie Kirk by U.S. President Donald Trump during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2025.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Trump administration officials rallied around Erika Kirk after her husband’s assassination in September during a debate event at Utah Valley University. Charlie Kirk’s casket was flown from Utah to his home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two and Vice President [JD Vance] escorted the casket as it was carried onto the plane. Later, second lady Usha Vance was seen holding Erika’s hand as they departed Air Force Two.

Several members of the Trump administration, including the president and vice president, took part in a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sept. 21, 2025, just 11 days after the outspoken conservative icon was killed. During his address at the memorial service, Trump called Charlie Kirk a “martyr for American freedom.”

President Donald Trump joined Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, on stage at the Turning Point USA founder’s memorial service in Arizona on Sept. 21, 2025.(Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

[HILLSDALE LAUNCHES ‘LEARN LIKE CHARLIE’ CAMPAIGN TO URGE AMERICANS TO STUDY THE BIBLE, CONSTITUTION]

A little more than a month after his assassination, Charlie Kirk was posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Erika Kirk accepted the medal from Trump on behalf of her late husband. She said that in awarding Charlie with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the president had given her late husband “the best birthday gift he could ever have.”

“Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom, and that’s something that both of you shared. So thank you,” Erika Kirk said to Trump during the event. “Your support of our family and the work that Charlie devoted his life to will be something I cherish forever.”

With supporters gathered along the route, Erika Kirk waves as a motorcade brings the body of her husband, Charlie Kirk, to Hansen Mortuary Chapel in Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025.(Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

Erika Kirk also thanked the vice president and second lady, saying that their friendship had been an “unbelievable encouragement.”

Charlie Kirk was 31 when he was killed and left behind his wife and two young children — a son and a daughter.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

Johnson calls it “detestable” that some Democrats are boycotting Trump’s State of the Union

Updated on: February 24, 2026 / 2:09 PM EST / CBS News

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he thinks it’s “detestable” that some Democrats are boycotting President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, adding that “we’re all for America.”

“I think it’s detestable that members would boycott the speech,” Johnson told “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil in an exclusive interview ahead of the speech. “We’ve never done that. It doesn’t matter if there’s a Democrat president, you go and respect the office, you respect the decorum, the institution, the tradition of having had this speech made.”

Johnson called it “sad” that some Democrats are “choosing to opt out of that.”

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers said they will not be attending Mr. Trump’s annual address, after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said last week his caucus could choose to either “attend with silent defiance or to not attend, and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion.”

Some Democrats plan instead to go to the “People’s State of the Union,” which will take place at the National Mall at the same time as the president’s address. Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland night plan to attend, along with Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Becca Balint of Vermont and Greg Casar of Texas. Others plan just to skip the address.

There have been a number of outbursts in recent years from members of both parties. In 2024, former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted “liar” at former President Joe Biden. Johnson insisted Tuesday that “at every turn, I have encouraged my colleagues to maintain decorum and the dignity of the office.”

Johnson said he urged his Republican colleagues at their weekly conference meeting to put on display “what the USA hockey teams did in the Olympics.” Both the men’s and women’s U.S. teams won the gold medal in Milan.

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“We play for one team,” Johnson said. “We’re all for America.”

Johnson told CBS News on Tuesday that the men’s hockey team will attend the speech. Mr. Trump, who spoke with them after their victory, invited them.

Watch more of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s exclusive interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Kaia Hubbard contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/johnson-on-democrats-boycott-trump-state-of-the-union/

Kash Patel’s use of the FBI jet sparks outrage. Here’s why he couldn’t travel to the Olympics any other way

PUBLISHED Feb 24, 2026, 1:14 PM ET | CNN Politics

By [Evan Perez]

1 hr 47 min ago

Top officials at FBI headquarters were tracking the outbreak of violence in Mexico on Sunday after its military killed a drug cartel boss when social media erupted with viral images of Director Kash Patel chugging beer in the locker room celebration of the Olympic gold medal-winning US men’s hockey team.

The FBI for days fought off criticism of the hockey-loving Patel’s trip on the agency plane to Italy for what the bureau said was long-planned official business, which coincided with the medal round of play for Team USA.

Much of the criticism centers on Patel’s use of an FBI Gulfstream jet for personal travel since taking office. It’s a criticism that has also dogged previous FBI directors, and earlier, attorneys general. And Patel himself, before becoming FBI director, criticized the use of the FBI plane by his predecessor Christopher Wray, suggesting it should be grounded.

“Chris Wray doesn’t need a government-funded G-5 jet to go to vacation,” Patel said when appearing on Glenn Beck’s podcast in 2024. “Maybe we ground that plane — $15,000 every time it takes off.

But just like it wasn’t up to Wray then, Patel doesn’t have a choice in how he travels.

A post 9/11 government regulation requires the attorney general, and since 2011, the FBI director, to use government aircraft for all travel, including personal trips. The reason for the policy, according to the Justice Department, is that the president and other top officials must always have secure communications available with the FBI director and attorney general, in case of national security or other emergencies.

Since becoming director a year ago, Patel’s trips to Nashville and other locations to visit his girlfriend, a golfing destination with friends and to attend hockey games have prompted criticism from Democrats who have demanded the FBI provide information about the use of resources.

“Mr. Patel, these planes are not yours. They are the property of the U.S. Government and are paid for by the American people,” Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin and California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, wrote in a letter to Patel in December.

https://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/politics/2026/02/24/kash-patel-hockey-celebration-vrtl-vpx.cnn.m3u8

Patel and the FBI have defended the use of FBI aircraft, saying that he is complying with federal law that requires reimbursing the government the cost of commercial airline tickets for his personal travel. Critics note that the cost of operating the FBI aircraft costs tens of thousands of dollars, far exceeding a commercial ticket reimbursement.

For his visit to Italy for the Olympics last week, the FBI disputed a CBS News report that Patel was traveling to cheer on the men’s hockey team and cited numerous meetings he was scheduled to have.

A person briefed on the trip told CNN said the visit to Italy included law enforcement meetings and official agreement signings, and had been long planned, well before the US hockey team had made it to the final round of competition.

In past years, the FBI has dispatched agents to observe Olympics security preparations. Recent FBI directors haven’t personally traveled for those preparations.

Still, when Patel surfaced at the men’s hockey final, there was little surprise. Patel has played hockey for years and is known to be a fan. He turned up with hockey great Wayne Gretzky for games where Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin tied and surpassed Gretzky’s all-time goals record.

Inside the FBI, Patel’s conduct has divided some employees. Some applaud Patel’s embrace of bro culture, and his frequent rallying and boosting of their work. Others criticize the director’s wearing of an FBI badge, despite the fact he’s not an agent, and have found it embarrassing to see their leader swigging beer and using curse words in a viral hockey celebration video Sunday. Some are circulating AI-generated Youtube videos of Patel’s Olympics trip, including one where a fictionalized version of the FBI director is seen dancing and spraying Champagne around the locker room.

The video of Patel’s actual visit to the locker room, though, surfaced during in the hours after the game, as top officials were still working to assess safety issues for Americans in parts of Mexico, where cartel gunmen were roaming the streets setting fires to vehicles and buildings, according to a person briefed on the matter.

A senior FBI official says the director was receiving regular updates Sunday about the situation unfolding in Mexico and the FBI has continued to provide necessary support.

The FBI last year sought to obtain a new long-distance aircraft, according to government bidding proposal records.

The proposal said the FBI required an “ultra-long-range business jet to enable rapid, global transport of Department of Justice personnel in support of counterterrorism efforts, high-risk operations, and other sensitive missions.”

The request came amid a push by Dan Bongino, the former deputy FBI director, to also access to government aircraft because of security concerns. Typically, deputy FBI directors don’t automatically qualify for private plane travel.

Amid criticism over use of the jets, the Justice Department withdrew the request for proposals for a new plane about a month after it was issued. An FBI spokesman at the time said Bongino’s travel wasn’t the reason for the jet proposal.

Personal travel on the FBI jet is often met with criticism

Sen. Chuck Grassley for years has been a critic on the issue of using government jets for personal travel. The Iowa Republican wrote letters and excoriated former Attorney General Eric Holder and Wray for their use of the FBI aircraft. But at a hearing last fall where Democrats raised questions about Patel’s use of the plane, he took aim at Patel’s critics.

“I find it interesting that my Democratic colleagues seem to bring up your use of the Justice Department planes, yet my Democratic colleagues didn’t seem too interested about my oversight of Wray’s use of the plane,” he said. “I didn’t hear a peep. So, my Democratic colleagues need to be consistent.”

Holder, the former attorney general who was the subject of criticism from Grassley and other Republicans, says he is struck by the silence from the same Republicans on Patel’s travel. Holder says he still believes there’s a legitimate need for FBI directors to travel on government aircraft for emergency secure communications reasons. But he believes Patel is abusing the privilege.

Holder told CNN in an interview that during his time as attorney general he replaced his family trips abroad to go to Martha’s Vineyard instead.

“Can you imagine the clamor from Republicans if I used a government plane like Patel? All we get now is silence from them,” Holder said.

Federal agencies Olympics

Trump administration considers action requiring banks to collect citizenship info, WSJ reports

By Reuters
February 24, 2026 6:30 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks during a press briefing at the White House, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Feb 24 (Reuters) – The Trump administration is weighing a possible executive order or other action that would require banks to collect citizenship information from customers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

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Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru

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U.S. men’s hockey team to appear at Trump’s State of the Union with their gold medals, Johnson says

Updated on: February 24, 2026 / 2:54 PM EST / CBS News

Washington — The gold-medal winning U.S. men’s hockey team is expected to appear at President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, House Speaker Mike Johnson said ahead of the speech.

In an exclusive interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil, Johnson said the team “will be there with their gold medals.”

“Logistics were a bit of a challenge last minute, but I think we’ll get that done,” Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said.

The team visited the White House ahead of Mr. Trump’s speech, according to social media posts from White House aides.

Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff, saidTeam USA was in the West Wing “with patriotic music blaring out of the Roosevelt Room,” and Margo Martin, special assistant to the president, shared a photo of the team standing on the South Lawn and a video of players walking down the colonnade.

Matthew Tkachuk, a forward on the men’s team, shared a photo to Instagram on Tuesday of him and other players standing outside a government plane.

Mr. Trump invited the men’s and women’s hockey teams to his speech after the men defeated Canada 2-1 in the championship game at the Winter Olympics Sunday in Milan to secure gold. The U.S. women’s team alsobeat their Canadian rivals 2-1last week to win Olympic gold.

The women’s team declined Mr. Trump’s invitation to attend the State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts.

“Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate,” a USA Hockey spokesperson said in a statement. “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”

The president spoke with the men’s team by phone shortly after the championship game and said he would send a “military plane or something” to Miami to pick them up and bring them to Washington for the speech.

Mr. Trump’s invitation to the hockey teams set off some logistical scrambling. Johnson said earlier Tuesday that while the State of the Union is a “very well-attended event” and the gallery in the House chamber is “already full,” he would figure out a way for the team to attend.

“Somehow, some way, we’ll squeeze in the hockey players tonight, and it’ll be a great moment for America, and it really is a symbol to all of us that we all play for America’s team, and I hope everybody will remember that tonight,” he said.

Watch more of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s exclusive interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET. CBS New s[coverage of the State of the Union address]begins at 9 p.m. ET.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/dc-gears-up-for-trumps-state-of-the-union/