US President Donald Trump has addressed a raucous joint session of the US Congress for the first time since he returned to power in January, declaring: “America is back.”
He outlined his vision for his second term, as Republicans applauded a high-octane first six weeks that has reshaped domestic and foreign policy.
Trump was heckled by Democrats and he goaded them in turn during the rowdy primetime speech, which was themed the “renewal of the American Dream”.
In his first six weeks in the White House, the Republican president has moved to slash the federal workforce and crack down on immigration, while imposing tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners and shaking up the trans-atlantic alliance over the war in Ukraine.
Here are six takeaways from his speech.
‘Thank you, Elon’
Trump name-checked his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who was watching from the gallery, early in his speech.
The tech mogul’s Department of Government Efficiency taskforce has moved to fire tens of thousands of federal workers, cut billions of dollars in foreign aid and slash programmes across the US government.
The SpaceX and Tesla boss stood and acknowledged the cheers from the crowd.
“Thank you, Elon,” Trump said. “He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this.”
“Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it, I believe,” Trump said, referring to Democrats. “They just don’t want to admit that.”
Trump went on to list some examples of wasteful spending he said had been eliminated by Musk’s cost-cutting initiative, drawing laughter from Republicans.
“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of”, Trump said.
Democratic lawmakers held up signs saying “Musk steals” and “false”.
Doge claims to have saved $105bn already but that figure can’t be indepedently verified. Receipts have been published for $18.6bn worth of savings but accounting errors have been reported by US media outlets which have analysed the figures.
An ‘important letter’ from Zelensky
Trump said he had received an “important letter” from Ukraine’s leader earlier in the day, which appeared to match what Volodymyr Zelensky posted publicly on social media.
Ukraine’s president had said he was now ready to work under Donald Trump’s “strong leadership” to end the war and “come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer”.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump told lawmakers.
Zelensky offered the olive branch a day after Trump paused all military aid to the beleaguered US ally.
It following an acrimonious Oval Office meeting last week when the two leaders argued in front of TV cameras, before cancelling plans to sign a minerals deal that would allow the US to profit from an economic partnership involving Ukraine’s resources.
Trump was reportedly hoping to announce during his speech to Congress that the deal had been signed. But it did not materialise.
Democrats heckle the president
Democrats began disrupting the proceedings even before Trump took to the podium. As he entered the chamber, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico held up a sign saying: “This is not normal.” It was ripped out of her hands by a Republican colleague.
And then, within the first five minutes of the address, Al Green of Texas was escorted out of the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms after refusing to comply with the House Speaker’s demands that he stop heckling the president and take his seat.
As Trump spoke, other Democrats held up signs saying “False” and “This is a lie”.
With Republicans in control of the White House, House of Representatives and Senate, Democrats have been largely leaderless as they work to hone their message and counter the blitz of activity from the Trump administration.
Many Democratic women arrived in the House chamber wearing pink pantsuits in protest. Dozens from their party – some of them wearing the words “Resist” printed on the backs of their shirts – turned away from the president and exited the chamber during his speech.
“I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” Trump said, appearing to revel in the partisan rancour.
Democratic leadership chose Elissa Slotkin of Michigan – a first-term senator elected in a battleground state that Trump won in November – to deliver the party’s official response.
Biden blamed for egg prices
The soaring cost of eggs has been headline news in recent weeks, and Trump – who had pledged to voters that he would beat inflation on his return to office – made clear who he felt was responsible.
“As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare,” Trump said.
“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control – and we are working hard to get it back down,” he added.
Egg prices soared under Biden as his administration directed millions of egg-laying birds to be culled last year amid a bird flu outbreak, though prices have continued rising in Trump’s fledging presidency.
Inflation was slightly elevated at 3% last month, but way down from its peak of 9.1% in 2022.
Cost of living remains a political thorn in Trump’s side, with only one in three Americans approving of his handling of the issue, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey on Tuesday.
Trade war will cause ‘a little disturbance’
Following a second day of market turbulence, Trump played down the potential economic fallout from a trade war he ignited this week, including 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on Chinese imports.
But in contrast with the ovations that greeted his other policy objectives, many Republicans remained seated, a sign of how Trump’s import taxes have divided his party.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again,” he 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 also took aim at the EU and countries including Brazil, India and South Korea over what he called “unfair” practices.
He added that reciprocal tariffs tailored to US trading partners would “kick in” on April 2.
Earlier in the day, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that Trump could announce a trade deal with Mexico and Canada as soon as Wednesday.
“I think he’s going to work something out with them,” Lutnick said on Fox Business.
A child’s dream comes true
In one of the most viral moments of the night, Trump offered a surprise to a child diagnosed with brain cancer whom the president said aspired to become a policeman.
The boy, 13-year-old DJ Daniel, was held up by his father as Republicans and attendees in the House gallery chanted “DJ.”
Trump announced DJ would be sworn in by his new Secret Service director as a member of the force.
A stunned DJ then received a Secret Service badge from the agency’s director Sean Curran, one of the agents who rushed onto stage to protect Trump during the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania in July.
