 "‘Golden age of America has begun’: Trump boasts tariff, migration & DEI orders in joint address to Congress")
President Donald Trump started his address by taking a line from his predecessor in the White House, Joe Biden: “America is back.”
‘Golden age of America has only just begun’:Trump concludes his speech
“The golden age of America has only just begun,” he told Congress as he finished his speech after speaking for nearly 100 minutes.
As Trump’s speech came to an end, Republican legislators stood up and chanted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” while pumping their hands in the air.
As GOP members gathered to shake hands with the president, Democrats swiftly filed out of the chamber.
Trump wants to reduce childhood cancer
Trump stated that his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmentalist and anti-vaccine activist who is pushing to restructure the American food system, will make reducing paediatric cancer rates and researching autism cases in the country a top priority.
“Our goal is to get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of our food supply and keep our children healthy and strong," Trump said.
‘I received an important letter’
Trump recited a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which the wartime president stated that he wishes to return to the table after a heated Oval Office meeting last week broke down discussions for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
“We’ve had serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace,” Trump said. “Wouldn’t that be beautiful?”
Arrest and extradition in connection with Afghanistan attack
Impact Shorts
View AllTrump claims the US administration is extraditing a suspect in the horrifying Abbey Gate explosion during the last days of the Afghanistan evacuation, which killed 13 American military personnel.
The White House identified the person as Muhammed Sharifullah, who was on his way to the United States to face charges.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the extradition was the product of collaboration among the FBI, Justice Department, and CIA.
Trump claims responsibility for a rise in Army recruitment
Trump has often stated that the Army’s recruiting was at its peak in January, implying that the turnaround is due to his presidency.
In reality, according to Army data, recruiting numbers have been progressively climbing over the last year, with the greatest amount being in August 2024, just before the November election. Army authorities regularly monitor recruiting numbers.
Trump wants to ‘reclaim’ the Panama Canal
Trump praised his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, as he explained his plans to “reclaim” the Panama Canal. However, Trump’s remarks looked to be a veiled warning to a Cabinet member who is under intense pressure to implement huge cuts to US foreign policy initiatives abroad.
“Good luck, Marco,” he said. “Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong.”
Republicans laughed after his statement. He instantly switched to emphasise that Rubio was confirmed unanimously by the Senate and that “he’s going to do a fantastic job.”
Democrats applaud Trump’s acknowledgement of US aid for Ukraine
It was the only statement in Trump’s speech that got more applause from Democrats than Republicans, but Democrats clapped when Trump admitted that the United States had provided billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine.
A few Republicans cheered but were more muted. When Trump informed GOP legislators that Ukraine was demonstrating its willingness to discuss a peace accord, they rose to their feet in applause.
And sitting Democrats joined Republicans in applauding Americans who were recently returned from Russia as part of an agreement arranged by the Trump administration.
Since assuming office six weeks ago, Trump has attempted to re-establish relations with President Vladimir Putin, which were severed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
As Trump attempts to end the war directly with Putin, including a phone call between the two presidents on February 12, both sides have shown an openness to collaborating on other geopolitical concerns, such as Arctic trading routes and resources.
Since his return to the White House, Trump has delivered confusing signals about Iran. He stated that he intends to resume his first term’s “maximum pressure” approach, which included reimposing sanctions and attacking Iran’s security forces, including the assassination of a prominent general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. But Trump has also stated that he wants to “immediately” begin working on a “verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran.”
Top US and Russian officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, discussed Washington’s interest in Moscow assisting with Iranian issues during a Feb. 18 meeting in Riyadh, according to people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified because not all details of those discussions have been made public.
As two countries both heavily sanctioned by the US, Russia and Iran have deepened cooperation on trade and energy, as well as security, including Russia utilising large numbers of Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine.
Trump says, ‘We need Greenland’
Trump stated that the United States respects Greenland’s ability to select its own destiny, but that it would “welcome” the country into the United States for national security — and to make them wealthy.
“I think we’re going to get it," he said of Greenland. “One way or another, we’re going to get it.”
Since his first term in office, Trump has indicated interest in purchasing Greenland, a semi-autonomous province of Denmark, a long-time US ally and NATO founding member. It also has a huge US military facility.
Democrats continue to leave the chamber
Democratic MPs are continuing to avoid President Trump’s address.
As members leave, there are several vacant seats on the Democratic side of the floor. Some made a show of leaving to oppose the president’s statements, while others just left as Trump’s address continued.
Trump wants new office of shipbuilding
“I am announcing tonight that we will create a new office of shipbuilding in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America,” he said.
Trump calls on Congress to criminalize gender-affirming surgeries for children
“I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body," Trump said.
Trump has already used executive measures to reverse a number of Biden administration regulations encouraging transgender rights, and he has pledged to eliminate “gender ideology.”
During his speech, the president requested Congress to prohibit gender-affirming procedures done on kids, but provided little details. Meanwhile, several of Trump’s executive orders have already been challenged in court.
Trump brings up Springfield and Aurora in speech
“Beautiful towns like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, buckled under the weight of the migrant occupation and corruption like no one’s ever seen before,” Trump added. “Beautiful towns, destroyed.”
Both Springfield and Aurora, were mentioned in Trump’s campaign. At the time, he spread baseless conspiracy rumours claiming legal immigrants from Haiti in Springfield were eating dogs and cats.
Aurora faced a more severe problem: a series of occurrences in run-down apartment complexes, one of which was recorded on film and showed heavily armed men going door to door. However, the buildings have since been closed, and Aurora, which has a population of 400,000, is the size of Tampa. It never buckled.
Democrats invoke Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons as he talks about ‘law and order’
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas., first shouted “January 6th” as Trump recounted his plans for combatting crime throughout the country. At least a dozen Democrats joined in the repeated chant as Trump discussed the need to crack down on violent criminals.
Trump pardoned around 1,500 rioters who attacked the United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to alter the results of the 2020 election.
Trump’s Democratic rivals are fundraising off his speech
“HOLY COW!!!!!” says the subject line of an email from former Vice President Kamala Harris requesting donations to the Democratic National Committee.
Harris and the Democratic Party’s massive fundraising apparatus earned more than $1 billion for their fight against Trump. However, the former vice president has continued to collect money for the “Harris Fight Fund.”
That is the post-election name for the “Harris Victory Fund,” a collaborative fundraising effort by Harris’ campaign, the DNC, and state Democratic Parties.
Trump echoes campaign rhetoric with ‘law and order’ message
“As we reclaim our sovereignty, we must also bring back law and order to our cities and towns," he said. “In recent years, our justice system has been turned upside down by Radical Left lunatics.”
Trump has long championed a tough-on-crime agenda, portraying Democratic-led cities as beset by violence, despite figures indicating a decline in violent crime following a rise during the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump lauds his wife’s work to criminalize revenge porn
Trump applauded his wife for advocating for legislation that would make it a federal criminal to share personal images online, real or phoney. He congratulated the Senate for approving the bill.
The president called it a “terrible, terrible thing” to publish such images online. He then seemingly joked: “I’m going to use that bill for myself, too, if you don’t mind.”
Trump says tariffs make Americans rich
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again," Trump said. “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 says agricultural goods imported from abroad ‘may be very dirty and disgusting’
“Those goods that come in from other countries and companies, they’re really, really in a bad position in so many different ways,” President Donald Trump remarked. “They’re uninspected. They may be very dirty and disgusting as they come in and they pour in and they hurt our American farmers .”
Trump laid out further specifics on how he expects to revitalise the farming industry, arguing that hiking U.S. tariffs on agricultural products from overseas will safeguard American farmers at home, while adding, “It may be a little bit of an adjustment period.”
Trump had the longest first address to a joint session of Congress
President Donald Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress since retaking office is officially the longest such speech on record.
He has surpassed the previous record of one hour and five minutes, set by former President Bill Clinton’s joint session address in 1993. Trump has also spoken longer than he did during his joint session speech in 2017, which lasted just over an hour.
Trump’s immigration fast-track for rich immigrants
Trump is promoting a scheme he proposed on February 26 to provide a “gold card” for prospective wealthy immigrants.
“For $5 million, we will allow the most successful job creating people from all over the world to buy a path to U.S. citizenship,” President Trump announced. “It’s like the green card, but better and more sophisticated.”
Under Trump’s idea, investors would have to provide $5 million. They’d have to pay taxes in the United States, Trump added. More than 100 nations in the globe have something comparable.
Both Democrats and Republicans clap for the family of Laken Riley
Riley, a University of Georgia student, was slain by an undocumented immigrant.
As his first piece of legislation in his second term, Congress enacted a measure carrying her name, which Trump signed.
Most Democrats were seated, and following the round of applause, they again put up “False” placards in response to Trump’s assertions about the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Trump brags about gender policy
“I signed an order making it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” he said.
Trump’s directive, which asserts that there are only two unchangeable sexes, is one of several he has signed aimed at transgender people’s rights.
The instructions opened the way for driving transgender individuals out of the military, refusing to update the sex designation on passports, and removing any mention of transgender persons from a website remembering the Stonewall uprising, among other things. In addition, they are facing legal issues.
In the last week, two judges have stayed a regulation that would prohibit government financing for gender-affirming health treatment for transgender persons under the age of 19.
Trump touts 25% tariffs on foreign aluminium, copper, lumber, and steel
During his address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump emphasised the 25% tariffs he has put on foreign aluminium, copper, lumber, and steel.
“If we don’t have, as an example, steel and lots of other things, we don’t have a military and, frankly, we just won’t have a country very long,” he told reporters Tuesday.
Democrats will pay a price for opposing tax cuts, says Trump
Trump mocked Democrats for opposing his tax cuts, which may cost between $5 trillion and $11 trillion over ten years, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog group.
“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 politician stated.
Democrats are aware of what occurred when they rejected Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, many of which are slated to expire next year due to debt financing.
In the 2018 midterms, Democrats picked up a majority by gaining 40 seats, their strongest gain since the 1974 elections.
‘Love the farmer’, says Trump
Trump urged farmers to “bear with me again” as he imposed tariffs.
“I love the farmer,” he remarked.
However, if retaliatory actions from other nations continue, farmers’ bottom lines might suffer by billions of dollars altogether, and consumers could soon notice increased grocery store costs.
The exact toll is difficult to determine at this point. However, tariffs make farmers wary of investing in pricey equipment.
Reciprocal tariffs coming soon
“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries," he said.
“That’s reciprocal, back and forth. Whatever they tax us, we will tax that,” he said.
Trump pledged that on April 2, retaliatory tariffs will be applied on most of the country’s trading partners.
Rare bipartisan round of applause for an Alabama steelworker
Trump’s tribute to one of his guests, an Alabama steelworker, father of seven, and foster parent to 40, drew a standing ovation from Republican legislators and cheers from the vast majority of the sitting Democratic caucus.
‘Nobody has ever heard of’: Trump dismisses African nation of Lesotho
Trump said: “$8 million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of.”
Trump’s decision to suspend foreign funding has had a substantial impact on an HIV prevention program in Lesotho, an impoverished country in southern Africa. Former President George W. Bush, Trump’s Republican predecessor, initiated the program.
Trump calls out woman injured by transgender athlete
One of Trump’s decrees seeks to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. At least 24 states have previously approved similar legislation, and a federal version was introduced this week in the United States Senate.
“From now on, schools will kick the men off the girls team or they will lose all federal funding," Trump said during his speech.
He framed the order as a way to protect girls and women.
Social Security Checks
Trump said: “Believe it or not, government databases list 4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old. It lists 3.6 million people from ages 110 to 119.”
While the databases may list people aged 100 to 119, it does not mean they are getting paid benefits, as Trump implied in his speech.
Trump again invokes the nonexistent ‘EV mandate’
Trump again said incorrectly — as he has done many times before — that his administration ended what he called the Biden administration’s “insane electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto workers and companies from economic destruction.”
But there is no federal mandate to force the purchase of EVs.
Shoutout to Musk
In his address, Trump praised Elon Musk and the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.
According to Trump, Doge is “headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight.”
Republicans jumped to their feet in applause as Trump told them “the days of unelected bureaucrats are over.”
Musk stood and appreciated the crowd’s enthusiasm. Trump said, “Thank you, Elon. He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this.”
“Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it, I believe,” Trump remarked, referring to the side of the chamber where many Democrats are seated. “They just don’t want to admit that.”
‘Inflation nightmare’
Trump said: “As you know, we inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up grocery costs and drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions and millions of Americans. … We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years, but perhaps even in the history of our country, they’re not sure.”
While Trump is keen to blame former President Joe Biden for inflation, the consumer sentiment surveys by the Conference Board and the University of Michigan show people are worried about Trump’s tariffs pushing up prices.
‘Not true’: More Democrats exit the chamber
Democrats increasingly groaned, shouted, “Not true!" and “Those are lies!” as Trump listed cuts his administration believes it has made to the federal budget.
Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., shouted, “What about the $400 million Tesla contract!” at Trump as the president discussed his cuts to the federal government.
More House Democrats departed the floor, increasing the total to at least a half dozen opposition legislators who left Trump’s joint address.
‘Energy emergency’
Trump said: “A major focus of our fight to defeat inflation is rapidly reducing the cost of energy. … That is why on my first day in office, I declared a national energy emergency.”
President Trump has already began rolling back his predecessor’s climate change and renewable energy initiatives, as well as declaring a national energy emergency to accelerate fossil fuel development. However, most experts believe the term “energy emergency” does not truly reflect reality. Scientists believe the world is witnessing a climate emergency instead.
Trump also emphasised his efforts to open up portions of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. However, extending the land accessible for corporations to lease and drill does not guarantee increased oil and gas production.
Trump directs members of his Cabinet to lower egg prices
Trump discussed the cost of eggs and other necessities at grocery shops, where prices have stayed persistently high owing to inflation.
He said Biden “let the price of eggs get out of control” and directed members of his Cabinet to bring them down, claiming they needed to repair increasing costs left by the previous administration.
‘Lowest ever recorded’
Trump also stated, “Illegal border crossings last month were the lowest ever recorded. Ever.”
Not so.
Trump posted on Truth Social that there were “8,326 apprehensions of illegals by Border Patrol at the U.S. - Mexico Border” in February.
Although he labelled it the lowest amount in history “by FAR” and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated it was “the lowest month in recorded history,” U.S. government figures reveal that the Border Patrol frequently averaged less than that number in the 1960s.
While February’s arrest number was the lowest in decades, the Border Patrol averaged less than February 2025 throughout the first seven years of the 1960s. The government website does not keep track of border crossings between the United States and Mexico prior to 1960. In 1961, the Border Patrol averaged 1,752 arrests per month.
‘How did that work out’
Trump stated, “We’ve ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me. How did that work out?”
Trump gloats over surviving four separate criminal cases, only one of which got to trial, with no significant accountability. Additionally, he is restating his frequently made claim that the Justice Department has been used as a weapon against him for the past four years.
Not an ‘economic catastrophe’
In his address, Trump said, “Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families. As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.”
The post-COVID inflation spike, which peaked in 2022, undoubtedly left Americans feeling pessimistic, but Trump did not inherit a failing economy by any means.
Banned national diversity and inclusion programs
Trump claimed that his administration has hurried to outlaw federal diversity and inclusion initiatives and fire employees tasked with promoting them.
“Our country will no longer be ‘woke,’” he said.
His actions have caused private businesses and other organisations to also halt their diversity-promoting initiatives. A number of legal challenges have also been made against them, many of which are currently pending.
In his address to Congress, Trump listed what he sees as wins for his administration, mostly focusing on social issues.
Some of the perceived achievements as mentioned by Trump are:
Calling the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America
Making English the official language of the US
Declaring that there are only two genders
Ending Diversity Equity and Inclusion policies
Democrat Al Green removed from House chamber
Minutes into Trump’s joint address to Congress, a disturbance from Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas resulted in him being escorted out of the chamber by the House Sergeant at Arms.
“The presidential election of Nov. 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades,” Trump said as he began his speech.
“You have no mandate,” Democratic Rep. Al Green countered.
Republican members cheered at his removal, shouting “Get out!” and “Goodbye!” at the lawmaker. Green shouted, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” at Trump before police escorted him from the chamber.
Trump chides Democrats for not cheering him
In his address to Congress, Trump stated that nothing he does would make the Democrats happy.
He said, “This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud, nothing I can do.”
He also pointed out that the Democrats sitting in the Congress would not celebrate “so many incredible wins for America”
“I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations,” Trump said. “These people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They won’t do it no matter what… It’s very sad. And it just shouldn’t be this way… Democrats sitting before me, for just this one night, why not join us in celebrating, so many incredible wins for America.”
Democrats remained seated as Trump said it, some scowling. Many held up small black signs printed with “False” in white lettering. Every time Trump boasts of his accomplishments, they hold up the signs.
“Lie after lie after lie,” came one shout from the Democratic side of the chamber.
‘America is back’
Trump has begun his joint congressional address to “USA! USA!” chants.
Trump proclaimed that “America is back”, saying he promised a “golden age” when he took over the office a few weeks ago.
“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,” he said.
He stated, “We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in 4 years or 8 years – and we are just getting started.”
Trump’s frenetic first weeks in office have included the disintegration of the federal government, conflicts with America’s allies, and a trade war, all of which have added to economic instability.
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