DOGE, Riley Gaines, Silk Road: Trump address to Congress, who is coming?
Former NCAA athlete Riley Gaines, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, and a state-level DOGE official are just a few of the notable guests who will be in attendance at President Donald Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress for his second term. Members of Congress shared insights with Fox News Digital about the individuals they have invited to the event.
Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks of Iowa extended an invitation to Riley Gaines following their attendance at a White House event where Trump signed an executive order focused on limiting transgender athletes’ participation in school sports. This issue was particularly significant for Miller-Meeks during her closely contested House race in 2024.
On the other hand, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky will be accompanied by Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the darkweb platform Silk Road. Ulbricht’s involvement in the platform, which facilitated the trafficking of firearms and narcotics, led to his arrest by the FBI and a sentence of double life imprisonment without parole. Trump later granted Ulbricht a pardon, characterizing him as a victim of government overreach.
Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa will be attending the speech with Emily Schmitt, the chair of Iowa’s DOGE task force and chief administrative officer and general counsel for Sukup grain manufacturing company. Schmitt was appointed to her position by Governor Kim Reynolds in response to Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts, spearheaded by Elon Musk. Hinson herself is a member of the House DOGE Caucus.
Additionally, guests of House GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota include U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame honorees Buzz Schneider and Rob McClanahan, who were part of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team that won a Gold Medal. Their victory over the Soviet Union that year inspired the iconic sports film, “Miracle on Ice.”
Representatives Chip Roy of Texas and Dusty Johnson of South Dakota have invited guests that symbolize their support for law enforcement. Roy’s guest is Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez, while Johnson is bringing Meade County Sheriff Pat West, who played a crucial role in solving a sex trafficking case involving a 13-year-old girl abducted by a 33-year-old male sex offender.
The issue of the border remains a central concern for Republicans, as demonstrated by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa’s choice to invite the father of Sarah Root, an Iowa native who was killed by an illegal immigrant. The legislation known as “Sarah’s Law” was included in the Laken Riley Act, the first bill signed by Trump upon his return to office.
On the Democratic side, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, and Representative April McClain Delaney of Maryland are using their guest tickets to highlight the impact of Trump and Musk’s DOGE efforts on former federal workers who lost their jobs. Senator Warner is bringing a laid-off park ranger from the Fredericksburg national battlefield, who is a cancer survivor without health insurance.
In contrast, Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia will be attending with Al Lipphardt, commander in chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), from Stone Mountain. The event promises to be a diverse gathering of individuals representing various perspectives and priorities on both sides of the political spectrum.
