President Trump addressed Congress on Tuesday night, speaking for more than 100 minutes, setting a record for the longest joint session in Congress. Speaking for more than an hour, Trump declared that ‘America is back.’ Since returning to power for his second term as the United States’ oldest and 47th president, he has announced several significant changes to the country, putting an end to some of the policies from the Biden administration.
Here are the 10 key highlights of Trump’s Congress speech:
1. ‘There are only two genders.’
Trump, in his speech, made it clear that there are only two genders—male and female. He declared that the US will be “woke no longer.’ He focuses on withdrawing several gender equality policies of the Biden administration that aimed to support the LGBTQIA+ community. Trump said, “I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children… and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body. This is a big lie, and our message to every child in America is, ‘You are perfect exactly the way God made you.’ He goes on to say that he had signed an executive order banning public schools from indoctrinating children with transgender ideology.
2. We’ll get Greenland ‘one way or the other.’
Trump expressed his interest in Greenland back in 2019. Today during the congress address, Trump reiterated this interest. He stated to the residents of Greenland, “We will keep you safe, we will make you rich, and together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before.” He emphasized the country’s strategic importance and its rich natural resources and extended his support to the citizens of Greenland to decide their own future. Opinion polls have reported that 80% of the Greenlanders do not wish their country to be a part of the USA.
3. Letter from Zelenskyy
During his speech, Trump reads a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The letter reads, “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.” “Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or wounded in this horrific and brutal conflict, with no end in sight,” Trump said. “The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense, with no security, with no anything,” he added. He appreciates President Zelenskyy’s efforts to negotiate.
4. Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
In his address, Trump vows to “reclaim” the Panama Canal and added, “To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it. It was given away by the Carter administration for $1, but that agreement has been violated very severely. We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.” Panama President Mulino responded to Trump’s statement by calling it “a lie.”
5. AI Green removed from chambers for interrupting the speech
Representative Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, was escorted outside for heckling the President’ during his speech. Green objected to Trump’s assertion of having a mandate, shouting, “You have no mandate”. Speaker Johnson ordered the removal of Green for disrupting Trump’s joint address to Congress.
6. Trump takes a dig at Biden, calls him “the worst president”
Trump criticized Biden and his administration several times throughout his long address to Congress. He goes on to call Biden “the worst president.” Trump mocks the Biden administration andits policies on inflation. He states, “Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control—and we are working hard to get it back down.” He repeatedly attacks the former president and at one point calls him “a disaster” and says that his administration had inherited “an economic nightmare” from the Biden administration.
7. Democrats leaves in protest
Several Democrats stood up and walked out of the address. More than 20 Democrats held up signs in silent protest as the president addressed the joint session. Maxwell Frost, Jasmine Crocket, Maxwell Frost, LaMonica McIver, and Lateefah Simon were the first group to exit Trump’s first speech to Congress. Some of the House and Senate Democrats wore t-shirts with the words “No Kings live here” and “RESIST” in bold white letters.
8. Reclamation of the Panama Canal
In his address, the US President vows to “reclaim” the Panama Canal and added, “To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it. It was given away by the Carter administration for $1, but that agreement has been violated very severely. We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.” Panama President Mulino responded to Trump’s statement by calling it “a lie.”
9.The arrest of suspect behind the Kabul bombing
Trump announced in his speech that a person who was allegedly involved in the Kabul airport bombing that killed nearly 200 people was arrested with the help of Pakistan. He thanked Pakistan for their assistance. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked him for acknowledging Pakistan in his speech.
10.Trump’s shoutout to Elon
Elon Musk was praised twice by the president in his longest speech to Congress. “Thank you, Elon, you’re working really hard,” Trump said. “Even this side (Democrats) appreciates this… they just don’t want to admit it,” added the president. Democrats protested in silence by holding up signs that read “Musk Steals.”
