 "US President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Reuters")
US President Donald Trump delivered a forceful and sweeping address on Wednesday to a joint session of Congress, marking the first major speech of his second term. At about 100-minute, Trump’s speech became the longest-ever joint address to Congress by a US president, surpassing Bill Clinton’s previous record.
Declaring his administration’s early days as historically unprecedented, he outlined a bold agenda spanning immigration crackdowns, economic overhauls and cultural shifts. From mass deportations and regulatory rollbacks to sweeping tax cuts and aggressive trade policies, Trump painted a vision of a revived America under his leadership.
He championed law and order, condemned political adversaries and vowed to reshape global alliances. With major executive actions already in motion, the speech signalled an uncompromising pursuit of his “common-sense revolution. Here are the key takeaways from his address:
1. Claim of historic achievements
• President Trump declares his administration’s first 43 days as the most successful in history surpassing even George Washington’s.
• Nearly 100 executive orders and over 400 executive actions have been signed.
2. Election victory and mandate
• Claimed victory in the November 5 presidential election winning all seven swing states.
• Reports a significant electoral college win (312 votes) and a dominant popular vote.
3. Border and immigration policies
• Declared a national emergency at the southern border.
• Deployed US military and Border Patrol to curb illegal crossings claiming record-low illegal immigration
Impact Shorts
More Shorts4. Legislative and executive actions
• Imposed a freeze on federal hiring, new regulations and foreign aid
• Ended the “Green New Scam,” withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, WHO and UN Human Rights Council
• Reversed Biden-era environmental policies and the electric vehicle mandate
Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for almost everything that he finds problematic with the US economy, socieyt and government. He blamed Biden for the soaring cost of eggs, which have been making international headlines for weeks. He, said, “As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.”
“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control, and we are working hard to get it back down,” he said.
Reports suggest that egg prices soared under Biden as his administration took desperate measures of culling millions of egg-laying birds to combat bird flu outbreak. Prices have continued to rise even under Trump.
5. Deregulation and government restructuring
• Instituted a policy of removing 10 old regulations for every new one
• Mandated all federal employees return to office or face termination
• Created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk
Trump showered lavish praise on his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, name-checking him as the tech mogul watched the speech from the gallery. Musk-led Doge has moved to fire tens of thousands of workers in the US federal government. Trump said “Thank you, Elon” for saving billions of dollars of American taxpayers’ money that was going away in foreign aid and welfare programmes his administration disapproves of.
As the SpaceX and Tesla boss acknowledged the cheers from the crowd, Trump said, “He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this.”
Among the wasteful spendings, Trump list examples of aids to African and Asian countries. He said, “Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of.”
The claims of Doge having saved about $105 billion have not yet been independently verified. Some US media reports also pointed to accounting error in the published receipts of $18.6 billion worth of savings.
While trump praised the Doge chief, Democratic lawmakers held up placards saying “Musk steals” and “false”.
6. Cultural and social policies
• Declared English as the official language of the US
• Renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and restored Mount McKinley’s name
• Eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies across federal agencies
• Banned critical race theory in schools and established that there are only two genders
• Prohibited transgender women from competing in women’s sports
7. Economic and energy policies
• Reversed Biden-era energy restrictions, reopened power plants and resumed oil drilling (“Drill, baby, drill”).
• Announced a major natural gas pipeline in Alaska with investment from Japan and South Korea
• Pledged to expand production of critical minerals and rare earth elements in the US
8. Inflation and economic crisis response
• Blamed the previous administration for economic struggles and inflation
• Pledged to cut energy costs and reduce government spending
• Highlighted the dramatic rise in small business optimism following the election
9. Criticism of political opponents
• President Trump Lamented that Democrats refuse to acknowledge his administration’s achievements
• Claimed the previous administration’s policies led to economic decline and national security failures
• Criticised government weaponisation, alleging political prosecution against him
10. Vision for the future
• Declares an ongoing “common-sense revolution” that will not be reversed
• Calls for unity in celebrating achievements and making America great again
11. Tax cuts and economic policies
• Calls for Congress to pass tax cuts for all Americans
• Seeks permanent income tax cuts across the board
• Proposes no tax on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits for seniors
• Wants interest payments on car loans to be tax-deductible—but only for American-made cars
12. Boosting domestic manufacturing and tariffs
• Advocates for 100 per cent expensing for domestic production and manufacturing, retroactive to January 20, 2025.
• Pledges to impose tariffs on foreign-made products to incentivise local production
• Reciprocal tariffs policy starting April 2: if other countries tax US products, the US will impose the same tariffs on them.
• Highlights unfair tariffs from India (100 per cent on autos), China, South Korea and the EU
As his tariff announcements have continued, triggering concerns across America, Trump tried to play down the potential economic fallout which his policies are expected to ensue, particularly 25% levies on Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on Chinese imports.
Trump said, “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again…And it’s happening. And it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
Trump said reciprocal tariffs tailored to US trading partners would “kick in” on April 2. This came hours after his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business that Trump could announce a trade deal with Mexico and Canada as early as Wednesday.
13. Investments and business growth
• Claims $1.7 trillion in new investments post-election victory
• Announces major investments from companies like SoftBank ($200B), OpenAI/Oracle ($500B), Apple ($500B) and Taiwan Semiconductor ($165B).
• Criticises the CHIPS Act, calling it wasteful and advocating for tariff-driven incentives instead
14. Trade, Canada and Mexico relations
• Blames Mexico and Canada for failing to curb fentanyl trafficking
• Vows to end subsidies to Mexico and Canada, calling them “hundreds of billions of dollars.”
15. Support for farmers and steel industry
• Announces agricultural tariffs starting April 2 to protect US farmers from unfair competition.
• Implements 25 per cent tariffs on foreign aluminium, copper, lumber and steel to secure domestic production
16. Foster care and digital safety initiatives
• Praises First Lady Melania Trump’s work on foster care
• Supports the Take It Down Act, addressing deepfake images and online safety
• Acknowledges victims of online abuse and pledges to sign the bill once it passes the House
17. Laken Riley’s tragic death and the Laken Riley Act
• Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, was murdered while jogging on the University of Georgia campus
• President Trump said that the perpetrator was an illegal immigrant released under Biden’s policies and later by a Democrat-run sanctuary city
• The Laken Riley Act, the first law signed by the speaker as president, mandates the detention of dangerous criminal aliens.
• Riley’s mother and sister were present at the speech
18. Immigration crackdown and border security
• The administration launched the most sweeping border crackdown in US history, achieving the lowest illegal crossings ever recorded
• Claims that Biden’s policies facilitated illegal immigration, overwhelming schools, hospitals and communities.
• Cities like Aurora, Colorado and Springfield, Ohio were highlighted as suffering from the migrant crisis
19. Jocelyn Nungaray’s murder and memorial
• Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl from Houston, was kidnapped and murdered by two illegal immigrants from Venezuela
• President Trump in his speech said that it was renamed a National Wildlife Refuge in Galveston Bay in Jocelyn’s memory
20. Criminal gangs and terrorist designations
• President Trump said that his administration has officially designated Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations
• He also vowed to round up and deport all members of these groups
21. Border patrol and cartel violence
• Border Patrol agent Roberto Ortiz was recognised for bravery in a cartel shootout at the Rio Grande
• Mexican authorities under US tariff pressure handed over 29 cartel leaders for the first time ever
22. Mass deportation and Congressional support
• The president pushed for the largest deportation operation in US history surpassing the record under President Eisenhower.
• He also urged Congress to pass a funding bill for this operation.
23. Law and order: Supporting police and justice system reforms
• President Trump criticised radical left policies for weakening law enforcement and emboldening criminals
• Reaffirmed support for police, firefighters and law enforcement agencies
24. Murder of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller
• The president said that Officer Jonathan Diller was murdered by a criminal with 21 prior arrests
• The suspect’s accomplice, known as “Killer”, had 14 prior arrests
• The officer’s widow, Stephanie, was also present at the speech.
25. Tougher crime laws
• President Trump said that he signed an executive order mandating the death penalty for cop killers and urged Congress to pass it into law
• He also proposed a new crime bill to target repeat offenders and protect law enforcement.
26. Honouring DJ Daniel
• DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old with terminal brain cancer, was sworn in as an honourary Secret Service agent
• His cancer was suspected to be linked to chemical exposure
27. Education and social policies
• President Trump said that his administration is working to protect children from “toxic ideologies” in schools
• A case involving January Littlejohn’s daughter was cited, where a school allegedly socially transitioned her child without parental consent
• He said an executive order was signed banning public schools from teaching transgender ideology
• The president said that Another order was signed to cut taxpayer funding to institutions engaging in sex reassignment procedures for minors
• He also called on Congress to criminalise sex changes for children and reject the idea that any child is “trapped in the wrong body.”
28. Military and defence
• President Trump in his speech claimed that to have removed “wokeness” from schools, military and society
• He celebrated the US Army’s best recruitment month in 15 years, citing a turnaround in military enlistment.
• The president also recognised Jason Hartley, a high school senior aspiring to join West Point and announced his acceptance.
• He also proposed a Golden Dome Missile Defence Shield, similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, for homeland protection.
• President Trump even announced plans to revive the US shipbuilding industry including military and commercial shipbuilding with tax incentives.
29. Foreign policy and national security
• President Trump also announced efforts to “reclaim the Panama Canal”, citing the US role in building it and criticising past agreements
• He expressed support for Greenland’s independence and interest in integrating it into the US for security reasons
• The president also announced the capture of a key terrorist responsible for the Abbey Gate bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal
• He even praised Pakistan for assisting in the terrorist’s capture
30. West Asia and global conflicts
• President Trump committed to bringing back hostages from Gaza.
• He also referred to plans to expand the Abraham Accords for further peace in West Asia
• The president advocated for an end to the war in Ukraine, condemning high casualties and criticising US financial aid to Ukraine
• President Trump also accused Europe of spending more on Russian energy than on supporting Ukraine’s defence