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. Rep. Al Green was ejected from the chamber after standing and shouting.
WASHINGTON — President Trump took credit for “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy Tuesday in an address to Congress and the American people about his turbulent first weeks in office, as Democratic legislators immediately registered their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out “lies,” and one legislator’s ejection.
Trump’s joint address to Congress was the latest marker in his 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 his party, Trump has been emboldened after overcoming impeachments in his first term and a felony conviction and other criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations to take sweeping actions that have featured a dismantling of the federal government, tensions with America’s allies and a trade war compounding economic uncertainty.
“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”
Trump, who has billionaire advisor Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy” and threatened federal workers anew with firings if they resist his agenda.
Musk, who was seated in the House gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as Trump exaggerated and shared false claims about alleged government “abuse” uncovered by the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his team.
Trump repeated false claims that tens of millions of dead people listed as being over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!”
After several interruptions, Johnson 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 Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas removed from the chamber.
Other Democrats held up signs with messages such as “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.
Other Democrats in attendance 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.
“It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Green told reporters after being thrown out of the chamber.
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 finding economic chaos.
All the gains the S&P 500 has 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 was 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, blaming his Democratic predecessor, President Biden, for the situation and offering scant details of his own plans.
Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the U.S. illegally.
The Trump administration is firing employees at the Bureau of Reclamation, drawing concerns from California water agencies that depend on it to deliver supplies.
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.
Democrats 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.”
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.”
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.
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.
Trump said he had ended a “weaponized government” that he said Democrats had wielded against him, referring to his legal troubles over the years, claiming they were political persecution.
The president also used his high-profile moment to press his efforts to reshape the country’s approach to social issues, as he looked to continue to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the country, known as DEI, and to roll back transgender rights and medical treatment.
Trump said he ended the “tyranny” of DEI policies that he rolled back for the federal government and military, along with pushing similar moves in the private sector. “Our country will be woke no longer,” he declared.
Watching from the gallery with the first lady were guests including 15-year-old Elliston Berry, of Aledo, Texas, who was the victim of an explicit deepfake image sent to classmates.
Other White House guests included 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 unfolded Tuesday. Loosely coordinated groups held demonstrations at parks, statehouses and public grounds as protesters gathered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
They condemned his presidency as dangerous and un-American, citing a wide variety of actions they opposed, including the government cuts, Trump’s tariffs and his stance on Ukraine.
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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