WASHINGTON — In his first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump received much fanfare from his fellow Republicans — while Democrats sought to decry the speech as politically charged.
Trump’s speech lasted roughly one hour and 40 minutes, making it the longest joint congressional address given by a president in U.S. history. During his speech, Trump covered an array of topics, ranging from the executive orders signed so far to the plans he has for the remainder of this term.
During his remarks, Trump responded to one of the most contentious stories in the U.S. politics right now: the Ukraine-Russia war, which has opened him up to attacks from those in the Democratic Party while most Republicans have approached the issue cautiously.
His comments on the war came near the tail-end of Trump’s speech, when the president told lawmakers he is “working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine.”
“The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense,” Trump said. “Meanwhile, Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine – by far! And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent.”
Comments on Ukraine come after tense White House meeting
His comments come after a tense exchange in the Oval Office on Friday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that ended abruptly with no progress on peace talks. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he is ready to ”make things right” and finds it “regrettable” the way his and Trump’s meeting played out.
That statement came after Trump ordered a pause to military aid on Monday to review the funds and equipment and ensure they are “contributing to a solution.”
Although Zelenskyy did not issue a full apology, which Trump and his administration had demanded, many of the president’s allies such as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the statement was a “step in the right direction.”
Other pro-Ukraine Republicans also called Zelenskyy’s negotiation olive branch a “very positive sign,” with several lawmakers waiting to comment on the situation until they see how talks progress.
Trump responded to the letter during his speech, noting it came at the same the United States has engaged with talks with Russia. The president underscored what he called the importance of “talk[ing] to both sides” to end war — prompting jeers from one Democrat who said, “You would know,” referring to Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have received strong signals that (Russia is) ready for peace. Wouldn’t that be beautiful?” Trump said. “It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end this senseless war.”
Trump denounced the money the U.S. has allocated to Ukraine, claiming Europe has not kept up with its spending — a claim that was met with jeers and boos from Democrats, who rejected his characterization.
Trump outlines plans for tax reconciliation package
During his address, Trump reiterated many of his campaign promises related to taxes, highlighting a number of priorities he’ll focus on as Congress works to finalize a budget reconciliation bill to extend certain tax cuts that are due to expire at the end of the year.
Trump pointed to the current budget tax reconciliation bill making its way through Congress, touting it as the “next phase of our plan to deliver the greatest economy in history.” That massive reconciliation bill, which would allocate $4.5 trillion for tax cuts, passed through the House last week and now awaits action in the Senate.
Trump then taunted Democrats, daring them to vote against the bill.
“I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts because otherwise, I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office,” Trump said. “So, I’m doing you a big favor by telling you that.”
Trump laid out a number of priorities he wants to see included in the tax bill, which has not been drafted. Some of those include: no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime pay, and no taxes on Social Security benefits. The president also pointed to measures such as making interest payments on car loans tax deductible — but, he said, “only if the car is made in America.”
“And, by the way, we’re going to have growth in the auto industry like nobody has ever seen,” Trump said.
Trump outlines highlights from administration so far
Trump touted many of his administration’s accomplishments so far in his second term, ranging from the economy to transgender issues — drawing ire from several Democrats.
Trump spent several minutes talking about Payton McNabb, a former high school student athlete from North Carolina who sustained a severe head injury after being spiked in the head during a volleyball game by a transgender athlete. McNabb joined Trump as one of his guests to the speech.
“McNabb was an all-star high school athlete, preparing for a future in college sports. But when her girl’s volleyball match, he smashed the ball in Payton’s face, partially paralyzing her right side and ending her athletic career,” Trump said. “It was a shot like she has never seen before.”
Trump also touted changes his administration has made regarding the economy — even going so far as to blame former President Joe Biden for the surge in egg prices, something that Democrats have targeted the Trump administration over in recent weeks.
“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control. The egg prices are out of control,” he said. “And we are working hard to get it back down.”
Trump pointed to several executive orders he has signed since being sworn in, especially one that made “it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”
Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first transgender member of Congress, was present in the chamber.
Trump met with early protests
Shortly after Trump began his first speech to Congress, he was met with protests and yells by Democratic lawmakers — with one even being removed from the chamber less than 10 minutes after the president began.
Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was quick to interrupt Trump’s speech, yelling the president has “no mandate” — a phrase Republicans often use to refer to the GOP agenda after winning both chambers of Congress and the White House in 2024. Republicans yelled back at Green to quiet down, attempting to drown out his remarks with chants of “USA! USA!”
But when the cheers subsided, Green continued to interrupt Trump, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to order the sergeant-at-arms to remove him.
Other Democrats protested more subtly, with at least a dozen lawmakers holding up signs that read: “Musk Steals,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Protect Veterans.”
House Democratic leaders reportedly told lawmakers not to protest during Trump’s speech, a piece of advice that was apparently not heeded by a handful of members. However, those actions could come back to haunt them.
House conservatives threatened hours before Trump’s speech to censure any Democrats who interrupt. A censure vote is largely a symbolic way to punish lawmakers for their actions, although it does not hold any real consequence.
It’s not yet clear if conservatives will carry out with their threats, but Rep. Andy Ogles, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, told the Deseret News chances are “high” one may be introduced against Green.
Sights and sounds from the room
Congressional lawmakers piled into the House chamber on Tuesday night to gather for the annual presidential address, Trump’s first since being reelected and since Republicans have secured control of the two chambers of Congress.
Trump began his speech just after 9:15 p.m. ET, but lawmakers from the House began taking their seats and staking out their preferred viewing positions as early as an hour beforehand. Vice President JD Vance and senators entered just after 8:40 p.m.
“America is back!” Trump said in his opening remarks, resulting in loud applause and a standing ovation from Republicans. Democrats stayed largely stoic.
Several high-profile guests were spotted in the House gallery balcony, including first lady Melania Trump, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, former senior adviser Jared Kushner, DOGE head Elon Musk, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, women’s rights activist Riley Gaines, and more.
Republicans were visibly energized to hear from their commander in chief, who will speak about his plans while in office as well as tout the accomplishments he believes he has achieved so far.
When Trump entered the House chamber, Republicans were quick to give a standing ovation and roaring applause — while most Democrats remained seated. Trump was escorted by a procession of congressional leaders, including Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, who serves as the vice chair of the House GOP Conference.
Male GOP lawmakers were seen decked out in red ties, symbolic of the party’s colors, while several female Republican women wore red or magenta outfits.
On the other side of the chamber, several Democratic women wore pink pantsuits and dresses to advocate for women’s rights, reminiscent of efforts in previous years for female lawmakers to wear white in support of the women’s suffrage movement.
The speech comes after a disruptive start for Trump’s term as the president has made dramatic changes to the federal government by drastically cutting spending and laying off thousands of federal employees. Democrats responded to those cuts on Tuesday by inviting ex-government employees who were laid off by the Trump administration to attend as their guests for the speech.
Meanwhile, some Democrats have reportedly planned to bring a variety of props to hold during Trump’s speech, such as eggs or egg cartons to highlight recent inflation, according to Axios.
Those protests come as the economy and groceries continue to be top of mind for voters, with 45% of U.S. adults saying the economy is faring fair and 31% say it is doing poorly, according to recent polling from Pew Research Center. Only 24% said the economy was in excellent or good shape.
Meanwhile, more Americans expect food affordability to worsen over the next year, 43%, compared to just 37% who say it will get better, the poll showed. Another 19% said they think it would stay the same.
Correction: Rep. Al Green’s party affiliation was listed incorrectly in a previous story version.
