U.S. President Donald Trump in a Tuesday night speech to a joint session of Congress defended his new tariffs on U.S. trading partners and pledged that more are coming.
“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn,” Trump said in what was his first address to U.S. lawmakers of his second term.
The remarks came after the United States imposed 25% tariffs earlier Tuesday on exports from its two biggest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, and doubled an earlier 10% tariff on Chinese imports to 20%. China is the No. 3 U.S. trading partner.
U.S. stock markets have taken a significant tumble, and the three countries have threatened retaliation, prompting concerns of a broader trade war.
Trump also said the United States will begin imposing “reciprocal tariffs” on all U.S. trading partners on April 2.
“Whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them,” he said. “Whatever they tax us, we will tax them.”
“I wanted to make it April 1, but I didn’t want to be accused of April Fool’s Day,” Trump added.
Trump also said he will impose a 25% tariff on imports of foreign aluminum, copper, lumber and steel.
Trump’s address comes six weeks into his second term, which has been marked by tensions with U.S. allies, shifts in foreign policy and an overhaul of the federal government. The White House on Monday said the theme of the address was the “renewal of the American dream.”
With Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson seated behind him, Trump began his speech by proclaiming that “America is back,” triggering chants of “USA” from Republican lawmakers.
“Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the Golden Age of America. From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country,” he said.
Trump also said his administration has “accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years.” To date, Trump has signed nearly 80 executive orders — several of which are being challenged in court.
Early in his speech, Trump touted his declaration of a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and deployment of the U.S. military and border patrol to “repel the invasion of our country.”
Trump said his administration has launched “the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history.” He also repeated the false claim that 21 million people entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration.
Trump also took time during his address to laud a recent executive order he signed banning transgender women from women’s sports. He also falsely insinuated that transgender youth do not exist. The president has also signed other orders targeting transgender Americans.
On shrinking the federal government, Trump, who imposed an immediate freeze on all federal hiring since returning to the White House, praised his adviser Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, whose Department of Government Efficiency has been behind the layoffs of tens of thousands of government workers and other cuts throughout the federal government.
Trump said his administration “will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy and we will restore true democracy to America again.” He added that any government workers who “resist this change” will be “removed from office immediately.”
Democratic lawmakers — and some Republicans — have criticized the layoffs and cuts.
During the address, Republican lawmakers were raucous in their support for Trump. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, protested in a mix of ways.
Just a few minutes into his address, Trump was interrupted by jeering from the floor of the House, prompting Speaker Johnson to direct the sergeant at arms to remove Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas. Trump continued his address after Green was removed from the chamber.
Several Democratic women lawmakers wore pink in protest of what they say are Trump policies that harm women. Some Democratic lawmakers walked out in the middle of Trump’s address; others skipped the speech entirely.
In the subsequent Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s address, Senator Elissa Slotkin called for voters to get more involved with politics.
“It’s easy to be exhausted, but America needs you now more than ever. If previous generations had not fought for this democracy, where would we be today?” the Michigan senator said.
Slotkin also criticized the widespread cuts to the government.
“We need a more efficient government. You want to cut waste? I’ll help you do it. But change doesn’t need to be chaotic or make us less safe,” she said.
On the foreign policy front, Trump noted that he had again removed the United States from some international organizations and agreements: He froze foreign aid and withdrew the United States from what he called the “unfair” Paris Climate Accord, the “corrupt” World Health Organization and the “anti-American” U.N. human rights council.
Trump said he is working to end the war in Ukraine, which was started by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
“It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end the senseless war,” he said.
Trump’s comments come one day after the United States paused military aid to Ukraine and a few days after an acrimonious Oval Office meeting on Friday concluded with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaving the White House without an agreement.
In his address, Trump said he received a letter Tuesday from Zelenskyy that said Kyiv is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump said.
Trump’s address set the record for the longest address to a joint session of Congress at one hour and 40 minutes. The previous record was set by former President Bill Clinton at 1 hour and 28 minutes.
