Trump takes credit for ‘swift and unrelenting’ action on immigration, economy, security
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- Trump is speaking at a crucial juncture in his presidency as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos.
- Many Democratic lawmakers planned to wear blue-and-yellow ties and scarves in a show of support for Ukraine.
WASHINGTON — President Trump took credit Tuesday night for “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy as he updated Congress and the American people on his plans after a turbulent first few weeks in office, which have featured a dismantling of the federal government, tensions with U.S. allies and a trade war compounding economic uncertainty.
His joint address to Congress is the latest marker in Trump’s takeover of the nation’s capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to slash the size of the federal government and remake America’s place in the world.
With a tight grip on the Republican Party, Trump has been emboldened to take sweeping actions after overcoming impeachments in his first term and a felony conviction and criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations.
Trump’s theme is the “renewal of the American dream,” the White House said, and he laid out his achievements as well as appeal to Congress to provide more money to finance his aggressive immigration crackdown.
“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office, according to excerpts prepared by the White House. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”
Out of power, Democrats made an immediate display of dissent with stone faces, placards accusing Trump of “lies,” and Texas Rep. Al Green’s ejection from the House chamber after heckling Trump that he had “no mandate to cut Medicaid.”
After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Green be removed from the chamber.
Other Democrats held up signs criticizing like “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans” during Trump’s remarks, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of Trump’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority.
Ahead of the speech, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, along with billionaire presidential advisor Elon Musk, departed the White House for the short drive to the Capitol. Musk was seated in the House gallery overlooking where Trump will speak.
The Trump administration is firing employees at the Bureau of Reclamation, drawing concerns from California water agencies that depend on it to deliver supplies.
Trump spoke at a crucial juncture in his presidency, as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos. All the gains the S&P 500 had made since election day are now gone, while consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening.
For a president who believes that announcements of corporate investments can boost attitudes about the economy, the speech is suddenly a test of his ability to rebuild confidence in his economic leadership.
“Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families,” Trump said. He promised to organize the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, though he offered scant details.
The backdrop was the new economic uncertainty unleashed after the president opened the day by placing stiff tariffs on imports from the country’s neighbors and closest trading partners. A 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico went into effect early Tuesday — ostensibly to secure greater cooperation to tackle fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration — triggering immediate retaliation and sparking fears of a wider trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%.
Trump seemed prepared to double down on his trade war, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers.
“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump said.
Republicans were boisterous as Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers. The GOP lawmakers were jubilant, having won a trifecta of the White House, Senate and House in the election. However, they face a high-stakes task of delivering on Trump’s agenda as well as avoiding a government shutdown later this month.
Across the aisle, Democrats set the tone early, with most remaining seated without applauding as Trump was introduced in the chamber and avoided making eye contact with the Republican president.
Democrats, many of whom stayed away from Trump’s inauguration in January, were largely brushing aside calls for boycotts of the speech as they struggle to come up with an effective counter to the president.
Instead, they chose to highlight the impact of Trump’s actions by inviting fired federal workers as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. They also invited guests who would be harmed by steep federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs.
“I get that people wanted change,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). “I get that they wanted someone to shake things up, to work on bringing healthcare costs down and doing something about housing, but they didn’t want this.”
Some Democrats, including Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, decided not to attend.
Connolly, who represents a state hard hit by the mass firings of federal workers, said he has never before missed a presidential speech to Congress. But, he said, “these are not normal times.”
Trump planned to use his speech to address his proposals for fostering peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, where he has unceremoniously upended the policies of the Biden administration in a matter of just weeks. On Monday, Trump ordered a freeze to U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, ending years of staunch American support for the country in fending off Russia’s invasion.
Trump was tightening the screws after his explosive Oval Office meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the U.S. leader tries to pressure the erstwhile American ally to embrace peace talks with its invader.
Stocks racked up more losses on Wall Street as a trade war between the U.S. and its key trading partners escalated, wiping out all the gains since election day for the S&P 500.
Many Democratic lawmakers planned to wear blue-and-yellow ties and scarves in a show of support for Ukraine.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who was wearing a blue-and-yellow tie Tuesday, accused Trump and Vice President JD Vance of “bullying a statesman last week on behalf of a thug.”
In the Middle East, negotiations to extend a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas have stalled, with Trump proposing the permanent displacement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and a U.S. “takeover” of the territory, straining partnerships with countries in the region and undoing longtime American support for a two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The whole scene for Trump’s speech was a marked contrast to his final State of the Union address in his first term. Five years ago, Trump delivered his annual address just after the Senate had acquitted him during his first impeachment trial and before the COVID-19 pandemic had taken root across society.
As he finished, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, stood up and dramatically ripped up a copy of Trump’s speech.
Trump’s Tuesday address, which is not referred to as a State of the Union because he is in the first year of his new term, will be received very differently, Johnson said.
“We will not be ripping up the speech tonight,” the Republican said. “I would like to frame it in gilded gold.”
The president planned to use his high-profile moment to press his efforts to reshape the country’s approach to social issues, as he looks to continue to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the country and to roll back transgender rights and medical treatment.
Californians are among the nation’s largest consumers of imported Mexican avocados, tequila and beer. Prices of all are expected to spike because of Trump’s new tariffs.
The first lady’s guests in the chamber will include 15-year-old Elliston Berry of Aledo, Texas, who was the victim of an explicit deepfake image sent to classmates.
Other White House guests include Stephanie Diller, the widow of New York Police Department Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop in March 2024; Marc Fogel, the Pennsylvania teacher who came home last month after years of detention in Russia, and his 95-year-old mother, Malphine; and relatives of Corey Comperatore, the former Pennsylvania fire chief who was killed as he protected his family during an assassination attempt on Trump last summer.
Outside Washington, the latest round of public protest against Trump and his administration also was unfolding Tuesday. Loosely coordinated groups planned demonstrations in all 50 states and the District of Colombia timed to Trump’s address.
Miller and Price write for the Associated Press. AP writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking in Washington, Darlene Superville in Kissimmee, Fla., and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
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