(The Post News)– In a dramatic and combative address to Congress on Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared his White House was “just getting started,” boasting about the radical measures taken in his first few weeks back in office. During the longest speech to a joint Congress in U.S. history, Trump presented his vision for the country’s future, which would see massive slashes to the size of the federal government, the accelerated trade war, and even deepening of its already significant drift towards an “America First” international policy.
America is back,” Trump declared, opening his speech with ceremony as Republican lawmakers cheered with cries of “USA.” The president, speaking to a packed chamber, boasted of his administration’s initial successes, including signing nearly 100 executive orders and more than 400 executive actions. Among the most visible efforts, he credited his billionaire friend, Elon Musk, with leading a “Department of Government Efficiency” that seeks to make federal agencies streamlined. Musk, seated in the House gallery, received praise from Trump for helping to downsize the government, although Democrats waved placards reading “Musk steals” in protest.
Trump used the primetime address to defend his trade policy, stating that new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China would revive American growth in defiance of economists’ concerns about potential economic backlash. “Tariffs are about making America rich again,” he said, dismissing concerns over inflation and higher prices. New tariffs, which Trump said would go into effect on April 2, could raise tensions with the U.S.’s largest trading partners.
On foreign policy, Trump doubled down on his “America First” vision. He referenced a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claiming that peace talks with Russia were possible. Trump also reiterated his desire to reclaim the Panama Canal and threatened to seize Greenland, proclaiming, “One way or the other, we’re going to get it.”
The speech was punctuated with moments of tension, as chamber Democrats complained. Many held “lies” and “false” signs in response to Trump’s statements. Texas Rep. Al Green, who had previously brought articles of impeachment against Trump, was escorted out of the chamber after defying Speaker Mike Johnson’s call for decorum. Elsewhere, the president goaded Democrats, calling them “radical left lunatics” and taunting them for their silence during his speech.
Trump’s speech was also a time for him to brag about his controversial immigration, transgender, and social program policies. He called for more funding to expand his border crackdown and for additional tax cuts that he claimed would pay dividends for working families. He even reiterated his goal of making English America’s national language and denounced “woke ideology” in schools and the military.
But the president’s claims were not unchallenged. His claims about recipients of social security and his pride in saying that America had the “healthiest” people in history drew raised eyebrows from critics. His remarks on the economy included a bizarre claim attributing the cost of eggs to the energy policies of ex-President Biden and which became the object of ridicule.
As Trump concluded his speech, several Democrats staged a walkout protest from the chambers, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who expressed on social media that she disapproved of the speech. The Democrat response was thereafter in the late afternoon in a counterpeech recited by incoming Senator Elissa Slotkin, who appealed for unity and turned down Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
To Trump’s supporters, the speech was a triumphalist celebration of what they see as a successful start to his second term, with promises of yet more to come. But for his critics, the speech served only to reinforce the nation’s growing divisions as the president’s policies continue to fuel controversy.
As the address came to an end, Trump’s supporters still remained hopeful for what is in store for the future, with most Democrats assuring that they would resist what they believe to be an administration determined to promote the agendas of the elite few over those of the common many. How the nation will rally behind him or refuse to acquiesce remains to be seen, but the one guarantee is that Trump’s second term is sure to be full of much conflict to ensue.
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