President Donald Trump addressed Congress on Tuesday night with a speech that departed from the traditional calls for unity often associated with such addresses. Instead, he took a combative tone, boasting of his election victory and attacking Democrats for not acknowledging his accomplishments.
His speech reflected his aggressive second-term approach, demanding loyalty and pushing forward with his agenda despite opposition.
Trump Sets Combative Tone, Clashes With Democrats
Trump set the tone early, calling his predecessor Joe Biden the worst president in history and chastising Democrats for their refusal to applaud his remarks.
He compared his early second-term achievements to those of George Washington, positioning himself as a historic leader. While Republicans responded with enthusiastic applause, Democrats remained silent, occasionally shouting in protest. The only bipartisan applause came when Trump announced that Ukraine was ready to restart peace negotiations.
Trump leaned heavily into cultural flashpoints, voicing his opposition to affirmative action, diversity programs, and transgender rights. He also exaggerated the scale of his election victory, which was among the narrowest in U.S. history. His rhetoric resembled that of a campaign rally more than a congressional address.
In a striking breach of decorum, Rep. Al Green of Texas interrupted the speech, shouting at Trump and gesturing with his cane. When he refused to sit, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered his removal. Trump dismissed Democrats as a lost cause, stating, "There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy."
A Shift in Tone Toward Ukraine
After days of criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump appeared to soften his stance by reading a letter from Zelenskyy during the speech.
"The letter reads: Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer," Trump said. "Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians ... My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts."
This marks a shift from Trump's earlier confrontational stance. Just last week, he and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. aid. Trump had even canceled a White House meeting where a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine's critical minerals was supposed to be signed. Additionally, he paused U.S. assistance to Ukraine on Monday, increasing pressure on Zelenskyy to negotiate with Russia.
The Presence of Elon Musk
Trump heaped praise on Elon Musk, whom he has entrusted with overhauling the federal government. Democrats attempted to fact-check Trump in real-time, shouting "false" in response to some of his claims.
Musk, seated in the gallery, stood and acknowledged applause from Republicans, while Democrats held signs reading "Musk steals." Trump claimed that Musk had uncovered "hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud," though many of the canceled contracts Musk cited had already been paid, negating any savings.
Dressed more formally than usual, Musk wore a dark suit with a blue tie instead of his customary black t-shirt reading "tech support." As an influential adviser, Musk has led efforts to downsize the federal workforce, resulting in mass layoffs, with more expected.
Trump Doubles Down on Tariffs
Despite stock market losses that erased gains since the election, Trump remained firm on tariffs against Canada and Mexico. The move has led to retaliatory measures from both nations, raising costs for American consumers even as Trump promises lower prices.
"Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it's happening and it will happen rather quickly. There will be a little disturbance, but we're okay with that," Trump stated.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum is set to announce retaliatory tariffs on Sunday, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized Trump's policies, calling them "a very dumb thing to do."
Immigration and Tax Proposals
Trump offered policies aimed at both wealthy investors and working-class Americans. He introduced a proposed $5 million "gold card," granting expedited U.S. citizenship to affluent immigrants.
"We will allow the most success for job-creating people from all over the world to buy a path to U.S. citizenship," he said. "It's like the green card, but better and more sophisticated."
For working Americans, he reiterated promises to eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits.
