CNN
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President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress since returning to power was both a victory lap following a consequential first 43 days in office and an attempt to justify what he’s done to an American public that may still be digesting his rapid-pace changes.
On tariffs, government cuts and foreign affairs, Trump has taken dramatic steps that have left Democrats fuming and even some Republicans skeptical, while foreign capitals have scrambled to respond. His task Tuesday was to say why.
He did that – to an extent. But the president also used his speech to relentlessly attack his opponents, blame his predecessor and air old grievances.
The president entered the chamber with a lot to say. His speech broke the record for longest annual presidential address to Congress in modern history, at just under one hour and 40 minutes. It was also one of the most partisan, with almost none of the customary calls for unity.
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.
The moment early in Trump’s speech helped set the partisan atmosphere. Other Democrats held up signs or walked out of the chamber during the speech, defying leadership’s calls to show restraint.
And the president made little attempt to lower the temperature, repeatedly chastising Democrats for not helping advance his agenda. He pointed their way when referring to “radical left-wing lunatics” and even used his derogatory “Pocahontas” nickname for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Throughout the speech, Trump narrowed in on the culture war issues that thrill his base, promising to erase “wokeness” from society and touting some of his most divisive executive actions.
He bemoaned what he calls the unfairness of affirmative action and touted his efforts to roll back transgender rights and diversity programs.
“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 said. “Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone.”
Trump used the guests in the first lady’s box to illustrate his point, including female athletes, parents of children murdered by undocumented immigrants and a mother whose daughter Trump claimed had been “secretly socially transitioned” at school.
Trump framed the moves as part of his “common sense revolution,” though each of the issues appeared designed to mostly appeal to his base.
Instead of bridging any partisan gaps, the lines underscored the perpetual campaign mode Trump operates within, even as he’s no longer running for office.
The executive actions reshaping the federal government have come fast and furious in Trump’s first month-and-a-half; his team is far more experienced this time around, and the president himself is impatient to fulfill his campaign promises.
Yet for many Americans, the flurry of changes has been confusing. Polls show skepticism seeping in about Trump’s priorities. Tuesday’s speech was an opportunity to present a cogent argument.
He chose to highlight Elon Musk, the billionaire in charge of his government efficiency effort who was sitting in the galleries.
“He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this,” Trump said, before goading Democrats further: “Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it. I believe they just don’t want to admit that,” he said, pointing toward Democrats.
Later, Trump recited a lengthy list of programs whose funding has been slashed by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, misleadingly calling them examples of fraud. And he repeated debunked claims that significant number of dead Americans are receiving Social Security benefits.
Democrats in the audience held aloft signs saying “Musk steals,” but the president’s recitation of DOGE’s efforts seemed far more focused on messaging about programs that, in his mind, reflect wasted taxpayer dollars than about detailing any actual government savings.
The hours ahead of Trump’s speech were hardly the economic backdrop he may have hoped for. Stock markets tumbled as the broad tariffs he announced on Mexico, Canada and China reverberated among investors. Almost as soon as markets closed, his commerce secretary suggested there may be a pull-back on the new duties on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, Trump — who has advocated for tariffs since the 1970s, and once called “tariff” his favorite word — was not backing away from the strategy during his biggest 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’ll said 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 hard-hit spent Tuesday on the phone with Trump’s aides voicing their concerns. They had been hoping to hear from Trump a more fulsome explanation of his tariff plan, and an explanation of how average Americans might benefit.
Trump was vague in the specifics, and he repeated his encouragement to farmers to “have a lot of fun” selling their products inside the United States (a sentiment he voiced on social media this week).
But he was adamant about the wisdom of tariffs, even as he acknowledged they could cause economic pain.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,” he said. “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
Trump could hardly avoid the issue that has dominated the last week — the war in Ukraine — despite his address being largely focused on domestic matters.
“I am also working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine,” Trump said.
At one point, Trump had hoped to herald a new rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine during his speech. But an Oval Office fracas last week with President Volodymyr Zelensky blew that up.
Instead, Trump returned to his frustrations at how much US money has been spent on the conflict.
But he also responded positively to a social media post earlier Tuesday from Zelensky – Trump referred to a letter from the Ukrainian leader – in which Zelensky voiced regret for Friday’s blowup and said he was ready to begin peace talks.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” he said, without saying when he might try speaking to Zelensky again.
Trump has made his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, a central figure of his second presidency, blaming him for everything from higher prices to foreign conflicts.
Tuesday’s speech was no exception. He named Biden 12 times in his speech and referenced his administration another four times. He accused Biden of leaving him problems ranging from the high price of eggs to authorizing too much money for Ukraine, according to excerpts of the speech.
“As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare,” Trump said in his speech.
Later, addressing attempts to pass a border bill last year, Trump said that instead of new legislation, “All we really needed was a new president.”
Every president inherits obstacles left to them by the previous administration. Yet how much longer Trump can blame Biden for the country’s continued challenges remains to be seen. Eventually, voters look to the office-holder to fix their problems — not blame them on someone else.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the Michigan freshman who delivered Democrats’ rebuttal, was assigned one of the infamously thankless tasks in politics.
She kept it short and to the point. She opened by accusing Trump — and, pointedly, Musk — of taking a “reckless” and “chaotic” approach to reforming the federal government.
Decrying the Oval Office berating of Zelensky, she alleged Ronald Reagan would be “rolling in his grave.”
She acknowledged Americans want change. But, in her telling, the change Trump is executing risks fundamental damage to the country.
Her matter-of-fact approach contrasted with some other Democrats, who have tried to channel outrage in their opposition to Trump.
Instead, Slotkin encouraged Democrats to embrace action, not anger: “Pick just one issue you’re passionate about — and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count,” she said.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
