President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address with special guests including Claire Lai, daughter of imprisoned Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai, and Erika Kirk, widow of assassinated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. The event highlights issues of international human rights and domestic political violence. Attendees underscore themes of freedom, faith, and security.
President Donald Trump is set to address Congress during the State of the Union on Tuesday evening, with Claire Lai and Erika Kirk as special guests in the audience.
Claire Lai's attendance serves as a reminder of her father Jimmy Lai's situation. Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong democracy advocate and British citizen, received a near-life sentence earlier this month. Born in mainland China, Lai immigrated to British Hong Kong at age 12 and built a billionaire career in the garment industry. He founded the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and participated in Tiananmen Square Massacre memorials. Arrested in 2020 under Hong Kong's National Security Law for alleged collusion with foreign forces, Lai remains imprisoned. The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has expressed opposition to his detention but has not secured his release. A Chinese government spokesman described criticism of the conviction as interference in internal affairs. Britain holds treaty obligations under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration to ensure Hong Kong's autonomy. Starmer raised Lai's case during a recent Beijing visit focused on trade and tourism.
Erika Kirk attends to honor her late husband, Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, assassinated on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. Gunman Tyler Robinson, charged with the shooting, lived with partner Lance Twiggs. Trump plans to mention the Kirks, noting a 'tremendous revival of faith, Christianity, and belief in God' since the event, and affirm America as 'one nation under God.' He will urge Congress to 'firmly reject political violence against our fellow citizens.' At a September memorial in Arizona attended by 100,000, Erika Kirk forgave the killer, stating, 'That young man... I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate... is love and always love.' Trump called her response 'beautiful' and 'strong,' and later awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. Erika Kirk now leads Turning Point USA, which has seen growth including an 'All-American Halftime show' with over 50 million viewers and an ambitious tour season. Spokesman Matt Shupe said, 'Erika has risen to the occasion with grace, dignity, and a lot of hard work... she is an inspiration.'
The address occurs amid recent political violence, including attempts on Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania; Florida; and at Mar-a-Lago. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted the Secret Service's response to the Mar-a-Lago intruder, criticizing Democrats for actions affecting the Department of Homeland Security. Other incidents mentioned include shootings by individuals identifying as transgender in Minneapolis, Nashville, British Columbia, and Rhode Island.
