President Donald Trump delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress since taking office in January, touting his administration’s accomplishments and promising more. He highlighted his success in the first 43 days of his presidency and claimed to have achieved more in that time than most administrations do in four or eight years. Trump touched on his promises to combat illegal immigration, end inflation, and stop wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, but also faced criticism for imposing tariffs and increasing consumer prices.
During his speech, Trump made culture-war statements, called out adversaries, and spread falsehoods. He focused on expanding his presidential powers and criticized Congress for hindering his plans. He highlighted the work of Elon Musk in cutting government spending and claimed to have found fraud amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Trump’s speech generated a mostly positive response from Republicans while Democrats remained critical of his policies and behavior. The President proclaimed a mandate from the November election and chastised Democrats for their lack of applause. He promised to boost the economy through oil and gas promotion, tax cuts, and tariff adjustments, despite the potential for American discomfort.
On social issues, Trump discussed his efforts to prevent transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports, eliminate diversity and inclusion programs in the government, and accused Democrats of wanting to fund Ukraine’s defense indefinitely. He also criticized Ukraine’s President and attempted to turn public opinion against the country. In response, Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan accused Trump of jeopardizing the economy and government responsiveness to the people.
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