President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress since returning to power was both a celebration of his eventful first 43 days in office and a bid to defend his swift actions to an American public still absorbing the impact of his rapid changes.
From tariffs to government cuts and foreign affairs, Trump’s bold moves have sparked outrage among Democrats, skepticism from some Republicans, and swift reactions from global leaders. On Tuesday, his challenge was to explain why.
He did that—to an extent. But the president also used his speech to repeatedly attack his opponents, blame his predecessor, and revisit old grievances. The president entered the chamber with plenty to say. His speech, lasting just under one hour and 40 minutes, set a record as the longest annual presidential address to Congress in modern history. It was also one of the most partisan, with few, if any, customary calls for unity.
A partisan affair
From almost the first words of Trump’s speech, it was evident it would not resemble many addresses to Congress in the past. He boasted about his November election win, attacked Democrats for standing in his way and complained they would never applaud his accomplishments.
“There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy,” he said, describing his opposition as essentially a lost cause.
The dramatics extended to the audience, when Democratic Rep. Al Green interrupted the president repeatedly before House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the sergeant-at-arms to eject the Texas congressman.
A Deeply Partisan Atmosphere
An early moment in Trump’s speech helped set the tone for the night. As some Democrats held up signs or walked out in protest—ignoring leadership’s calls for restraint—the divide in the chamber became unmistakable.
Trump, for his part, made little effort to ease tensions. He repeatedly criticized Democrats for obstructing his agenda, gestured toward them while referring to “radical left-wing lunatics,” and even revived his derogatory “Pocahontas” nickname for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Always in Campaign Mode
Throughout his speech, Trump zeroed in on culture war issues that energize his base, vowing to eliminate “wokeness” from society and championing some of his most controversial executive actions.
He railed against what he calls the unfairness of affirmative action and touted his efforts to roll back transgender rights and diversity initiatives.
“We’re getting wokeness out of our schools and out of our military, and it’s already out, and it’s out of our society. We don’t want it,” Trump declared. “Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone.”
To reinforce his points, Trump highlighted guests seated in the first lady’s box, including female athletes, parents of children murdered by undocumented immigrants, and a mother whose daughter he claimed had been “secretly socially transitioned” at school.
Framing these moves as part of his “common sense revolution,” Trump presented them as unifying policies. Yet, in reality, the issues appeared carefully crafted to rally his supporters rather than build broader consensus.
Rather than attempting to bridge partisan divides, Trump’s rhetoric underscored his ever-present campaign mode—one that persists even when he’s not actively running for office.
A Rapid Pace of Change
Trump’s executive actions reshaping the federal government have come fast and furious in his first month and a half back in office. With a more seasoned team and a president eager to deliver on his campaign promises, the pace has been intense.
Yet, for many Americans, this whirlwind of changes has been hard to keep up with. Polls show growing doubt about Trump’s priorities. Tuesday’s speech gave him an opportunity to present a clearer rationale.
He highlighted Elon Musk, the billionaire leading his government efficiency initiative, seated in the galleries.
“He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this,” Trump said, before pushing further at Democrats: “Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it. I believe they just don’t want to admit that,” he added, pointing in their direction.
Later, Trump listed numerous programs whose funding had been slashed by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, incorrectly labeling them as fraudulent. He also repeated disproven claims that a significant number of deceased Americans were still receiving Social Security benefits.
In response, Democrats in the audience raised signs reading “Musk steals,” but Trump’s focus appeared to be more on framing these cuts as addressing wasteful government spending, rather than providing any tangible evidence of savings.
Issue Number 1
The hours leading up to Trump’s speech were far from the economic backdrop he might have hoped for. Stock markets plummeted as the broad tariffs he announced on Mexico, Canada, and China sent ripples through investor confidence. Almost immediately after the markets closed, his Commerce Secretary hinted that there might be a rollback on the new duties the following day.
Despite this, Trump—who has championed tariffs since the 1970s and once called "tariff" his favorite word—wasn’t backing down from the strategy during his most important speech of the year.
“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. That’s reciprocal, back and forth. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” he declared in the speech. “We will take in trillions and trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before.”
Many Republicans have deep reservations about the tariffs, and lawmakers from states that could be severely impacted spent Tuesday calling Trump’s aides to voice their concerns. They had hoped for a more detailed explanation from Trump on his tariff plan and how everyday Americans might benefit.
Trump, however, remained vague on the specifics and reiterated his encouragement for farmers to “have a lot of fun” selling their products within the United States, a sentiment he echoed on social media earlier in the week.
Nevertheless, he remained firm in his defense of tariffs, acknowledging that they could cause some economic pain but insisting the benefits would outweigh the costs.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,” Trump said. “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
Trump couldn’t avoid addressing the issue that had dominated the previous week—the war in Ukraine—even though his speech was primarily focused on domestic affairs.
“I am also working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine,” Trump stated.
At one point, Trump had hoped to announce a new rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine during his speech, but a heated Oval Office exchange with President Volodymyr Zelensky had derailed those plans. Instead, Trump revisited his frustrations with how much U.S. money had been allocated to the conflict.
However, he responded positively to a social media post from Zelensky earlier that day, referring to a letter from the Ukrainian leader in which Zelensky expressed regret for the previous week’s fallout and said he was ready to begin peace talks.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump said, though he didn’t specify when he might speak with Zelensky again.
Trump has made his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, a central figure in his second presidency, blaming him for everything from rising prices to international conflicts. Tuesday’s speech was no different. Trump mentioned Biden 12 times and referenced his administration four more. He accused Biden of leaving him with problems ranging from the high price of eggs to overspending on Ukraine, according to excerpts from the speech.
“As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare,” Trump said.
Later, addressing last year’s attempts to pass a border bill, Trump remarked that instead of new legislation, “All we really needed was a new president.”
Every president inherits challenges left by their predecessor, but how long Trump can continue blaming Biden for the country’s struggles remains uncertain. Eventually, voters will look to the sitting president to address the issues, not simply point fingers at the previous administration.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the Michigan freshman chosen to deliver the Democrats’ rebuttal, took on one of the most thankless tasks in politics.
She kept her response brief but sharp, accusing Trump—and, notably, Elon Musk—of taking a “reckless” and “chaotic” approach to federal government reform.
Addressing Trump’s public confrontation with Zelensky, Slotkin asserted that former President Ronald Reagan would be “rolling in his grave” at the treatment of Ukraine’s leader.
Her straightforward approach stood in contrast to some other Democrats, who have channeled their anger in opposing Trump.
Instead, Slotkin urged her fellow Democrats to focus on action rather than outrage: “Pick just one issue you’re passionate about — and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count,” she said.
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