In a speech before Congress on Tuesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that "America is back" and that the American Dream "cannot be stopped," emphasizing that the United States is regaining its confidence after a month and a half into his second term.
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As per usual, a loud announcement marked the arrival of the 78-year-old president at the House of Representatives chamber. The billionaire made his way through the ranks of Republican lawmakers before stepping onto the platform to deliver his speech, under the watchful eyes of House Speaker and Vice President Jay D. Vance, who formally holds the position of President of the Senate.
In the chamber, First Lady Melania Trump and President’s close advisor, billionaire Elon Musk, both received warm applause from the audience. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers wore yellow and blue, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, in a gesture of support for Ukraine after Trump decided to cut U.S. military aid to Kyiv.
In his first speech before Congress since returning to the White House, the Republican president proclaimed that "America is back." He added, "The American dream is growing — bigger and better than ever. The American dream cannot be stopped, and our country is on the brink of achieving a comeback the world has never seen before, and may never see again."
As Trump began his speech, several Democratic lawmakers interrupted with boos. After repeated disruptions, the House Speaker threatened to have them removed from the chamber, and indeed, Democratic Representative Al Green was escorted out for obstructing Trump’s address.
The president referred to his predecessor Joe Biden as the "worst president in U.S. history." Trump also praised his close advisor, Elon Musk, and the "Government Efficiency Administration" led by Musk, which works on reducing federal government spending. Trump thanked Musk, who stood amid applause from Republican lawmakers, saying, "Thank you, Elon, he works hard. Thank you very much, we appreciate that."
Trump stated that "tariffs will make America rich and great again. This will happen, and it will happen very quickly. There will be some disruptions, but we are okay with that, and the impact won’t be significant."
He added, "Tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs. They are about protecting the soul of our country."
The president warned that those who don’t manufacture products in the U.S. will have to pay tariffs "that will, in some cases, be fairly large."
Trump promised that these tariffs would generate revenues "in the trillions of dollars" and create jobs.
On domestic matters, Trump declared that the U.S. would no longer be "woke," a term often used by conservatives to criticize what they view as excessive attention to minority rights.
He also pledged to wage "war on Mexican drug cartels," which he described as "a serious national security threat" to the U.S.
"Cartels are waging war on America, and it’s time for America to wage war on the cartels, and that’s what we are doing," Trump said, reminding that he had already labeled many of these cartels as terrorist organizations.
In his speech, Trump attacked the European Union and countries like Canada, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Korea, accusing them of engaging in "unfair trade practices."
"This is happening from both friends and enemies alike. This system is not fair to the United States, and it never has been," he said.
Trump further stated that the U.S. would impose tariffs on its trading partners starting April 2, similar to those levied against them.
The U.S. president also announced that the country had started "recovering" the Panama Canal, following a preliminary agreement between a Hong Kong-based company and an American consortium to sell ports located at either end of the canal.
"For the purpose of enhancing our national security further, my administration will recover the Panama Canal, and we have already started doing that. We are recovering it," Trump stated.
Trump also shared that he had received a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressing Ukraine's readiness to negotiate on the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Earlier today, I received an important message from President Zelensky of Ukraine. The message stated that Ukraine is ready to sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible for lasting peace. No one wants peace more than the Ukrainians," Trump said.
Finally, the U.S. president reiterated his desire for the U.S. to control Greenland, assuring the autonomous Danish region’s residents that the U.S. "will maintain your safety."
"We really need Greenland for global security — and I think we’ll get it," Trump said. "One way or another, we will get it... Together, we will take Greenland to heights you never imagined." -(Agencies)
