President Donald Trump spoke Tuesday evening before a joint session of Congress, highlighting the steps taken by his administration to cut bureaucracy, impose high tariffs on America’s closest trading partners, and exert pressure on Ukraine to end the war against Russian aggression.
This was the first time President Trump had spoken before a joint session of Congress since beginning his second term on January 20.
“The strength of America is back. Its spirit is back. Our pride and confidence are back. And the American Dream is greater and more glorious than ever before,” Trump declared.
The President’s speech comes six weeks after his return to the White House, which has been accompanied by tensions with American allies, shifts in foreign policy, and reforms in the U.S. government.
The speech was met with cheers from Republican lawmakers.
The address comes as the United States imposed a 25% tariff on exports from Canada and Mexico, its two largest trade partners. Washington also doubled a previous 10% tariff on Chinese imports. China ranks third in trade relations with the United States.
Stock markets in the U.S. saw a significant decline, while all three countries have stated they will retaliate, raising concerns about a broader trade war.
“There will be some volatility, but we’ll be fine. It won’t last long,” Trump said.
President Trump defended the new tariffs on U.S. trade partners and pledged to increase them.
“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn,” Trump said in his first speech to lawmakers since taking office for his second term.
The President said that starting on April 2, the United States would begin imposing reciprocal tariffs on all countries with which it engages in trade.
“Any tariff they put on us, we’ll put a tariff on them. If they tax us, we’ll tax them,” Trump said.
The U.S. leader also mentioned that he would impose a 25% tariff on imports of aluminum, copper, lumber, and steel.
“Six weeks ago, under the Capitol dome, I declared the dawn of the ‘Golden Age of America.’ Since that moment, it has been nothing but swift and uninterrupted action to bring about the most prosperous and successful era in our country’s history,” President Trump said.
The American leader claimed that his administration “has achieved more in 43 days than most administrations do in four or eight years, and we’ve only just begun.” To date, President Trump has signed nearly 80 executive orders, some of which are being challenged in court.
The President defended his declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and the deployment of U.S. military and law enforcement to “repel the invasion of our country,” as he put it.
He said his administration has launched “the most comprehensive crackdown on illegal immigration and border crossings in U.S. history.” Trump repeated the claim that 21 million people entered the United States illegally during President Biden’s four years in office, a claim rejected by the previous administration.
In his speech, Trump also emphasized a recent executive order that bans transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Regarding government shrinkage, President Trump ordered a freeze on hiring in the federal government. He praised the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by well-known entrepreneur Elon Musk, which has led to the firing of tens of thousands of federal employees.
President Trump said his administration “will take back power from the irresponsible bureaucracy and restore true democracy in America.” He added that any government employee who “resists this change” will be “immediately fired from their job.”
“Any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be immediately fired because we are fighting corruption,” Trump said.
Democratic lawmakers, as well as some Republicans, criticized the firings. Republican lawmakers’ support was evident during President Trump’s speech, while Democratic lawmakers expressed their protests in various ways.
Just minutes into the speech, President Trump was interrupted by noise and shouts from Democratic lawmakers. House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the removal of Democratic Representative Al Green from Texas. President Trump continued his speech after Green was escorted out.
Several Democratic women wore pink attire in protest of Trump’s policies, which they argue harm women. Some Democratic lawmakers did not attend, while others left the room during the speech.
Senator Elissa Slotkin spoke on behalf of the Democrats as a counter-response to the President’s speech, as is tradition. She urged voters to engage more in politics.
“It’s easy to be tired, but America needs you now more than ever. If previous generations had not fought for this democracy, where would we be today?” said the Michigan senator.
The Democratic lawmaker also criticized the government cuts.
“You want to cut abuses? We agree. But change shouldn’t be chaotic or make us less secure. Firing people who protect our nuclear weapons, prevent plane crashes, and try to find a cure for cancer—only to rehire them two days later… any business leader would lose their job for such actions,” she said.
On the foreign policy front, President Trump pointed out that he had pulled the United States out of several international organizations and agreements. He also said he immediately froze aid to foreign countries and withdrew the U.S. from what he called the “unfair” Paris Climate Agreement, the “corrupt” World Health Organization, and the “anti-American” UN Human Rights Council.
President Trump said he was working to end the war in Ukraine, which began more than three years ago after Russia launched a large-scale attack.
“It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to stop the killings. It’s time to end this senseless war,” he said.
The President’s comments came one day after the United States halted military aid to Ukraine and just days after a heated exchange in the Oval Office with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who left the White House without signing an agreement.
Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan mentioned the confrontation between Presidents Trump and Zelensky.
“That scene in the Oval Office wasn’t just a bad TV episode. It reflected Trump’s approach to the world. He believes in good relations with dictators like Vladimir Putin and aggression toward our allies, like the Canadians. He sees American leadership simply as a series of business transactions,” she said.
In his speech, President Trump said he had received a letter from President Zelensky on Tuesday, stating that Kyiv is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” “I appreciate that he sent that letter,” Trump said.
First Lady Melania Trump’s guests represented life experiences that reinforced her husband’s agenda, including an activist against transgender athletes and the family of a woman killed by an undocumented immigrant.
Trump reiterated calls to reclaim the Panama Canal and take control of Greenland but did not mention his proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza.
President Trump’s speech in Congress lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, second only to former President Bill Clinton’s speech, which lasted 1 hour and 28 minutes. It was the longest presidential speech in Congress. / VOA
