Takeaways from Trump’s address to Congress
President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress since returning to power was both a victory lap following a consequential first 43 days in office and an attempt to justify what he’s done to an American public that may still be digesting his rapid-pace changes.
On tariffs, government cuts and foreign affairs, Trump has taken dramatic steps that have left Democrats fuming and even some Republicans skeptical, while foreign capitals have scrambled to respond. His task Tuesday was to say why.
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Fact-checking Trump’s address to Congress
He did that – to an extent. But the president also used his speech to relentlessly attack his opponents, blame his predecessor and air old grievances.
The president entered the chamber with a lot to say. His speech broke the record for longest annual presidential address to Congress in modern history, at just under one hour and 40 minutes. It was also one of the most partisan, with almost none of the customary calls for unity.
From almost the first words of Trump’s speech, it was evident it would not resemble many addresses to Congress in the past. He boasted about his November election win, attacked Democrats for standing in his way and complained they would never applaud his accomplishments.
“There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy,” he said, describing his opposition as essentially a lost cause.
The dramatics extended to the audience, when Democratic Rep. Al Green interrupted the president repeatedly before House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the sergeant-at-arms to eject the Texas congressman.
The moment early in Trump’s speech helped set the partisan atmosphere. Other Democrats held up signs or walked out of the chamber during the speech, defying leadership’s calls to show restraint.
And the president made little attempt to lower the temperature, repeatedly chastising Democrats for not helping advance his agenda. He pointed their way when referring to “radical left-wing lunatics” and even used his derogatory “Pocahontas” nickname for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Throughout the speech, Trump narrowed in on the culture war issues that thrill his base, promising to erase “wokeness” from society and touting some of his most divisive executive actions.
He bemoaned what he calls the unfairness of affirmative action and touted his efforts to roll back transgender rights and diversity programs.
“We’re getting wokeness out of our schools and out of our military and it’s already out, and it’s out of our society. We don’t want it,” Trump said. “Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone.”
Trump used the guests in the first lady’s box to illustrate his point, including female athletes, parents of children murdered by undocumented immigrants and a mother whose daughter Trump claimed had been “secretly socially transitioned” at school.
Trump framed the moves as part of his “common sense revolution,” though each of the issues appeared designed to mostly appeal to his base.
Instead of bridging any partisan gaps, the lines underscored the perpetual campaign mode Trump operates within, even as he’s no longer running for office.
The executive actions reshaping the federal government have come fast and furious in Trump’s first month-and-a-half; his team is far more experienced this time around, and the president himself is impatient to fulfill his campaign promises.
Yet for many Americans, the flurry of changes has been confusing. Polls show skepticism seeping in about Trump’s priorities. Tuesday’s speech was an opportunity to present a cogent argument.
He chose to highlight Elon Musk, the billionaire in charge of his government efficiency effort who was sitting in the galleries.
“He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this,” Trump said, before goading Democrats further: “Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it. I believe they just don’t want to admit that,” he said, pointing toward Democrats.
Later, Trump recited a lengthy list of programs whose funding has been slashed by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, misleadingly calling them examples of fraud. And he repeated debunked claims that significant number of dead Americans are receiving Social Security benefits.
Democrats in the audience held aloft signs saying “Musk steals,” but the president’s recitation of DOGE’s efforts seemed far more focused on messaging about programs that, in his mind, reflect wasted taxpayer dollars than about detailing any actual government savings.
The hours ahead of Trump’s speech were hardly the economic backdrop he may have hoped for. Stock markets tumbled as the broad tariffs he announced on Mexico, Canada and China reverberated among investors. Almost as soon as markets closed, his commerce secretary suggested there may be a pull-back on the new duties on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, Trump — who has advocated for tariffs since the 1970s, and once called “tariff” his favorite word — was not backing away from the strategy during his biggest speech of the year.
“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. That’s reciprocal, back and forth. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” he’ll said in the speech. “We will take in trillions and trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before.”
Many Republicans have deep reservations about the tariffs, and lawmakers from states that could be hard-hit spent Tuesday on the phone with Trump’s aides voicing their concerns. They had been hoping to hear from Trump a more fulsome explanation of his tariff plan, and an explanation of how average Americans might benefit.
Trump was vague in the specifics, and he repeated his encouragement to farmers to “have a lot of fun” selling their products inside the United States (a sentiment he voiced on social media this week).
But he was adamant about the wisdom of tariffs, even as he acknowledged they could cause economic pain.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,” he said. “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
Trump could hardly avoid the issue that has dominated the last week — the war in Ukraine — despite his address being largely focused on domestic matters.
“I am also working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine,” Trump said.
At one point, Trump had hoped to herald a new rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine during his speech. But an Oval Office fracas last week with President Volodymyr Zelensky blew that up.
Instead, Trump returned to his frustrations at how much US money has been spent on the conflict.
But he also responded positively to a social media post earlier Tuesday from Zelensky – Trump referred to a letter from the Ukrainian leader – in which Zelensky voiced regret for Friday’s blowup and said he was ready to begin peace talks.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” he said, without saying when he might try speaking to Zelensky again.
Trump has made his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, a central figure of his second presidency, blaming him for everything from higher prices to foreign conflicts.
Tuesday’s speech was no exception. He named Biden 12 times in his speech and referenced his administration another four times. He accused Biden of leaving him problems ranging from the high price of eggs to authorizing too much money for Ukraine, according to excerpts of the speech.
“As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare,” Trump said in his speech.
Later, addressing attempts to pass a border bill last year, Trump said that instead of new legislation, “All we really needed was a new president.”
Every president inherits obstacles left to them by the previous administration. Yet how much longer Trump can blame Biden for the country’s continued challenges remains to be seen. Eventually, voters look to the office-holder to fix their problems — not blame them on someone else.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the Michigan freshman who delivered Democrats’ rebuttal, was assigned one of the infamously thankless tasks in politics.
She kept it short and to the point. She opened by accusing Trump — and, pointedly, Musk — of taking a “reckless” and “chaotic” approach to reforming the federal government.
Decrying the Oval Office berating of Zelensky, she alleged Ronald Reagan would be “rolling in his grave.”
She acknowledged Americans want change. But, in her telling, the change Trump is executing risks fundamental damage to the country.
Her matter-of-fact approach contrasted with some other Democrats, who have tried to channel outrage in their opposition to Trump.
Instead, Slotkin encouraged Democrats to embrace action, not anger: “Pick just one issue you’re passionate about — and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count,” she said.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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‘Partisan and divisive’: House leadership disagrees on reception of Trump’s joint address
President Donald Trump addressed Congress and the nation Tuesday evening.
Minority Leader Jeffries reacts to Trump speech to Congress
As Washington sought on Wednesday to make sense of President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, House Republicans saw the speech as going “overwhelmingly well,” while Democrats called it “partisan and divisive.”
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, presenting their parties’ differing views of Trump’s Tuesday speech.
“That was one of the most partisan and divisive speeches every delivered by an American president,” Jeffries told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.
Trump spoke to thundering applause from Republican majorities in the House and Senate, but faced heckles from some raucous Democrats.
“The speech last night went overwhelmingly well,” Johnson said on Wednesday on “GMA.” “It was not a speech for the mainstream media — it was a speech for the American people.”
During the speech, Rep. Al Green, an 11-term Democrat representing the Houston area, stood up and pointed his cane at the dais and shouted, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid.” He was escorted from the chamber.
Democrats resorted to “pettiness,” and their protests during the speech amounted to a “a sad affair,” Johnson said on Wednesday. He pointed to Green “trying to interrupt the whole proceeding”
“If the Democrats want a 77-year-old congressman to be the face of their resistance, heckling the president, then bring it on,” Johnson said. “But we couldn’t allow that on the House floor.”
Jeffries responded, saying the “vast majority” of Democrats “showed restraint, listened to what the president had to say.” He said he “strongly” disagreed with Johnson’s characterization.
“The biggest problem I had with the speech, there was nothing said, nothing laid out, nothing articulated by Donald Trump to meet the needs of the American people, particularly as it relates to the economy,” he said.
The president heaped praise on Elon Musk, the billionaire tech mogul, and his Department of Government Efficiency, which has been busy slashing the federal government.
Johnson shrugged off concern that Musk appeared to some to be an “unelected bureaucrat,” saying he amounted to a “patriotic American.”
“He’s doing a great service for the country and he ought to be applauded,” he said.
Trump defended the tariffs he put in place on Tuesday on goods from Mexico and China, along with the increased duties in Chinese goods.
“Tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs they’re about protecting the soul of our country. Tariffs are about making America rich again,” Trump said during the speech.
But Jeffries pointed to kitchen-table issues that, he said, the president hasn’t focused enough on.
“Donald Trump promised to lower costs. In fact, he promised to lower costs on day one,” he said. “We know that grocery prices are not going down, they are going up, inflation is going up, and the stock market is going down, which is hurting the retirement security of everyday Americans.”
As March 14 approaches and a potential federal government shutdown looms, both Jeffries and Johnson were asked about what the Democrats are doing to keep the federal government funded and open.
“We want to make surety government remains open and that we can agree upon a spending bill that meets the needs of the American people, in terms of their health and safety, our national security, and their economic well-being,” Jeffries said. “When congress appropriates the money, the administration — Democratic or Republican — it needs to spend that money consistent with improving the lives of American people, that’s not unreasonable. That’s entirely reasonable.”
Johnson, however, appeared confident that a resolution to keep the government open would pass, in spite of what he called “unreasonable and unprecedented demands” by Democrats.
“We will have a resolution, and pass it to the House and send it on the. Senate,” said Johnson. “I hope reasonably-minded people will negotiate this in good faith. We are working for a top line everyone can agree with.”
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MORE: Key takeaways from Trump’s speech to Congress
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5 takeaways from Trump’s record-setting speech to Congress
President Trump delivered his first joint address of his second term to a sharply divided Congress on Tuesday, using a combative speech to boast about a slew of executive orders he has signed in a bid to reshape the federal government and to lay out the legislative priorities he hopes to pass with aid of the Republicans who applauded his every line.
“Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden age of America,” Trump said in what turned out to be the longest joint session speech in U.S. history by any president. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years, eight years — and we are just getting started.”
Here are five key takeaways from Tuesday’s speech.
Trump sought to frame the first months of his second as historic and efficient.
“Over the past six weeks, I have signed nearly 100 executive orders and taken more than 400 executive actions to restore common sense, safety, optimism and wealth all across our wonderful land,” Trump said.
Those have included a freeze on all U.S. foreign aid, the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, the rescinding of electric vehicle incentives passed under former President Joe Biden as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and the implementation of sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.
Trump said a major goal of his administration was “ending the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars.”
“To that end, I have created the brand new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, perhaps you’ve heard of it, which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight,” he added.
Musk’s role may be news to a federal judge hearing cases regarding the mass firings of government workers who demanded to know who was in charge of DOGE and were told that person was Amy Gleason, who previously worked at the U.S. Digital Service.
Trump proceeded to reel off a list of “appalling waste” Musk and his team had identified, though none of that could be immediately verified and past claims of uncovering fraud have turned out to be overstated.
Despite a campaign pledge to bring grocery prices down “on day one” of his administration, the price of eggs has continued to rise dramatically under his presidency due primarily to the slaughter of millions of chickens to stem the spread of bird flu.
“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control. The egg price is out of control, and we’re working hard to get it back down,” Trump said. “[Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins], do a good job on that. You inherited a total mess from the previous administration.”
The agency that Rollins runs estimates that egg prices could rise by more than 40% in 2025.
While Trump repeatedly went after those Democrats who attended his speech, saying there was nothing he could do to make them happy, notable moments of protest emerged.
Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, stood early in the speech and heckled the president. That led to a rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson, but Green continued to shout Trump down.
“You have no mandate!” he yelled.
Johnson then instructed the House sergeant at arms to remove him from the chamber as Trump’s Republican backers chanted “USA! USA!”
Some Democrats held signs up during Trump’s remarks, some with the word “Lies” printed on them, others read “Save Medicare,” and many members of the party saw fit to exit the speech before it was finished.
“In just half an hour, he spewed ignorance on everything from diversity, immigration and trans kids to DOGE cuts and the cost of eggs,” Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey said in a statement after walking out on the speech.
Trump continued to press his plan to expand U.S. territorial holdings.
“The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others, but others could use it. But it was built at tremendous cost of American blood and treasure. Thirty-eight thousand workers died building the Panama Canal,” Trump said, adding, “We’re taking it back.”
“We have Marco Rubio in charge. Good luck, Marco,” he continued. The canal is currently managed and operated by the Panamanian-government-owned Panama Canal Authority.
Trump then moved on to his next already-spoken-for conquest: Greenland.
“I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland. We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We need Greenland for national security and even international security and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it.”
Despite the fact that Greenland is a territory of Denmark whose prime minister has repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale, Trump assured his audience otherwise.
“I think we’re going to get it — one way or the other we’re going to get it,” he said.
Despite a contentious White House meeting last week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that resulted in accusations that Trump had sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said Tuesday that a deal to end the war was still possible.
“Earlier today I received an important letter from President Zelensky of Ukraine,” Trump said. “The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,’”
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump said, adding that his administration had been conducting simultaneous negotiations with Russia and has received strong signals that they are ready for peace.
DOGE claims $105 billion in savings over the first six weeks — but its own ‘wall of receipts’ shows just $19.8 billion.
