It’s become tradition — one almost as storied as the address itself — for lawmakers to bring guests who reflect the political climate.

President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address is likely to be a test run of the message that Republicans will give to voters in November’s elections for control of the House and the Senate.

Feb 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. women's ice hockey team that beat rivals Canada for gold at the Milano Cortina Olympics have declined an invitation to attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in Washington this week citing schedule conflicts,

Today, 65 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, and 57 percent disapprove of his handling of the economy.

The State of the Union offers President Donald Trump a chance to make the case for his foreign policy efforts to Americans who are increasingly demonstrating uneasiness about his priorities.

Every member of Congress is allowed to invite a guest, with the president and first lady typically bringing around two dozen people to the annual event.

President Trump also extended an invitation to the men's team, which has not yet publicly indicated how it will respond.

Ahead of the State of the Union, here’s a look at U.S. public opinion on key policy issues, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys.