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DONALD TRUMP DECLARED that “America is back” last night in his first address to Congress since returning to power, touting his radical policies in the face of raucous Democratic hostility.
In the longest presidential speech to politicians on record, the Republican repeatedly hailed billionaire advisor Elon Musk’s controversial assault on the federal bureaucracy and said his administration was “just getting started”.
Trump vowed to keep up his campaign of “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy.
His comments came in an address to Congress that left Democratic legislators registering their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out “lies” and one member’s ejection.
The president’s address, clocking in at a record 99 minutes, added up to a defiant sales pitch for the policies Trump promised during his campaign and leaned into during his first weeks back in office.
He pledged to keep delivering sweeping change to rescue the nation from what he described as destruction and mistakes left by his predecessor Joe Biden.
He seldom addressed his comments directly to the American people, who are trying to keep up with the recent upheaval, while repeatedly needling the Democratic politicians seated before him.
Emboldened after overcoming impeachments in his first term, outlasting criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations and getting a tight grip on the Republican-led Congress, Trump has embarked on a mission to dismantle parts of the federal government, remake the relationship with America’s allies and slap on tariffs that have sparked a North American trade war.
“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” he said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”
Trump, who has billionaire advisor Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy” and threatened federal workers with firings if they resist his agenda.
Musk, who was seated in the gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as the president exaggerated and shared false claims about alleged government abuse uncovered by the the billionaire and his team of disrupters.
Republicans were boisterous as Mr Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers.
Across the aisle, out-of-power Democrats set the tone early, with most remaining seated without applauding or making eye contact with Trump as he was introduced in the chamber.
After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Texas Representative Al Green to be removed from the chamber.
“It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Al Green told reporters after being thrown out of the chamber.
Other Democrats held up signs including “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans”, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of the president’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority.
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, who delivered the Democratic response, said that “America wants change, but there’s a responsible way to make change and a reckless way, and we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy.”
Trump repeated false claims that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!”
He seemed prepared to double down on his trade policies, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers.
“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” he said.
At the same time, he tried to ease concerns about the resulting price increases, saying: “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
He added that one of his “very highest priorities” was to rescue the economy and offer relief to working families. He promised to organise the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, blaming Biden for the situation and offering scant details of his own plans.
Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the US illegally.
He celebrated his crackdown on migration, saying: “It turns out all we really needed was a new president.”
Speaking about his promised tax cuts, he seemed to goad Democrats, saying: “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts. Because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office”.
The backdrop was the new economic uncertainty unleashed after the president opened the day by placing stiff tariffs on imports from the country’s neighbours and closest trading partners.
A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early on Tuesday, triggering immediate retaliation and sparking fears of a wider trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%.
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