Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2025 – President Donald Trump returned to the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night, delivering his first joint address to Congress since reclaiming the presidency six weeks ago. The speech, themed “The Renewal of the American Dream,” unfolded before a sharply divided 119th Congress, presided over by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Vice President JD Vance, who also serves as Senate President. Broadcast live at 9:00 p.m. ET, the address offered a mix of triumphant rhetoric, policy previews, and partisan jabs, reflecting both Trump’s emboldened mandate and the deep political fissures in Washington.
A Triumphant Opening Amidst a Divided Chamber
Entering the House chamber to a standing ovation from Republicans and muted silence from many Democrats, Trump wasted no time asserting his electoral victory. “America is back,” he declared, touting his sweep of all seven battleground states and a popular vote win—the first for a Republican in two decades. “The presidential election of November 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades,” he said, triggering chants of “USA! USA!” from GOP lawmakers. However, the unity was short-lived. Moments into the speech, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) interrupted, shouting that Trump lacked a mandate, prompting Speaker Johnson to order Green’s removal by the sergeant-at-arms—an early signal of the night’s contentious tone.
The chamber’s visual divide was striking. Republican lawmakers filled their seats, while empty chairs dotted the Democratic side. Some Democratic women, led by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, wore bright pink as a protest against Trump’s policies, which they argue harm women and families. Signs held aloft by Democrats bore slogans like “Save Medicaid,” “Protect Veterans,” and “This is not normal,” the latter ripped from Rep. Melanie Stansbury’s (D-N.M.) hands by an usher.
Policy Highlights: Tariffs, DOGE, and a Remade Government
Trump’s address leaned heavily on economic nationalism and his administration’s rapid reshaping of the federal government. He defended his newly implemented 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada—effective March 4—alongside doubled tariffs on China, framing them as a reciprocal measure to bolster U.S. agriculture and manufacturing. “If you don’t make your product in America, you will pay a tariff, and in some cases, a rather large one,” he said, predicting a resurgence in domestic jobs. Critics, including Democrats and some economists, warn of rising consumer prices, a concern Trump dismissed as “fearmongering by the radical left.”
A centerpiece of the speech was praise for Elon Musk, attending in the gallery, and the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk co-leads. Trump credited DOGE with slashing federal jobs and halting “wasteful spending” in agencies like the IRS, USAID, and the Education Department. “We’re ending the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars,” he said, gesturing to Musk, who stood to cheers from Republicans. Democrats countered by inviting former federal workers fired under DOGE cuts as their guests, spotlighting the human cost of the policy.
On energy and inflation, Trump promised to “unleash domestic energy production” to lower prices, blaming the Biden administration for an “inflation nightmare.” He also announced an executive order renaming Texas’s Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old murdered by undocumented immigrants, tying the gesture to his border security agenda. Jocelyn’s mother, present in the chamber, received a standing ovation as Trump held up the signed order.
Emotional Moments and Symbolic Gestures
The address featured Trump’s signature flair for dramatic moments. He honored 13-year-old cancer survivor Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, who dreams of law enforcement, by directing Secret Service Director Sean Curran to make him an honorary agent. As Curran handed DJ a badge, lawmakers chanted “DJ! DJ!”—a rare bipartisan note of warmth. Trump also thanked the Supreme Court justices in attendance—Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy—for rulings he claimed enabled his administration to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, though the court’s affirmative action decision didn’t directly apply to government hiring.
Foreign policy took a backseat, though Trump briefly touted his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord and World Health Organization, and hinted at a peace deal to end the Russo-Ukrainian War. His recent Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went unmentioned, despite Vice President Vance’s controversial remarks urging Zelenskyy to show more gratitude for U.S. aid.
Democratic Disruptions and Republican Unity
The speech was punctuated by Democratic jeers, boos, and walkouts, with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) using a whiteboard to fact-check Trump in real time. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stood out on the GOP side, sporting a hat—though not her trademark MAGA cap—while Republicans rallied with chants of “four more years.” Speaker Johnson later called Green’s interruptions “an absolute embarrassment” and pushed for his censure, a move echoed by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who criticized Democrats’ “hooting and hollering.”
Trump cast his opponents as enemies of progress, accusing them of clinging to “transgender ideology” and “socialist schemes.” “They won’t be happy with anything I do,” he quipped after Green’s ejection, drawing laughter from the GOP benches.
Closing Vision and Democratic Response
In his concluding remarks, Trump painted an ambitious picture: “With God’s help, over the next four years, we are going to lead this nation even higher, and we are going to forge the freest, most advanced, most dynamic, and most dominant civilization ever to exist.” The line, shared widely on social media, encapsulated his blend of optimism and hyperbole.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), delivering the Democratic response, struck a contrasting tone. A former CIA analyst, she leaned on her security credentials to critique Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his Ukraine stance, and urged Americans to hold elected officials accountable. “That’s as American as apple pie,” she said, outlining a proactive economic vision to counter Trump’s agenda. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.) followed with the progressive Working Families Party response, while Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) offered a Spanish-language rebuttal.
A Nation at a Crossroads
Trump’s address underscored his intent to govern with the same disruptive energy that defined his campaign, leveraging a Republican-controlled Congress to push his “America First” vision. Yet, the night also laid bare the challenges ahead: a restive opposition, international tensions, and domestic debates over tariffs and government cuts. As the president departed the Capitol—joined by First Lady Melania Trump and trailed by Elon Musk—the echoes of “USA!” and Democratic protests lingered, a fitting metaphor for a nation both energized and polarized.
With Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins as the designated survivor at an undisclosed location, the continuity of government was assured. But the continuity of consensus in Washington? That, it seems, remains a distant dream.
