On March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered a joint address to Congress, marking the beginning of his second term. The speech came in at just under 100 minutes, and it is the longest speech of its kind in modern history. The president spoke to both Democrat and Republican members of Congress, delivering a partisan address and boasting about his election victory with a declaration of “America is back”.
Trump laid out his plans for what he called the “Golden Age of America”, promoting his policies and various executive orders. He highlighted what he called “the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history”, and introduced the citizenship “gold card,” which would allow non-U.S. citizens to pay five million dollars to be placed on a path to U.S. citizenship.
As for his plans for the economy, Trump continued to push for more tariffs and shared his goals for making interest on American-made cars tax-deductible. Throughout his speech, he urged Congress to pass tax cuts for everyone, calling upon the lawmakers to reduce taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits. He blamed the Biden administration for the heavy inflation that has been plaguing the country, specifically citing rising egg prices as an example. He also criticized the CHIPS and Science Act, a law passed under the Biden administration to boost semiconductor chip manufacturing in the United States, calling for Congress to “get rid of” it. Though Trump claimed he would be balancing the budget soon, he has supported a Republican initiative to extend tax cuts and enact spending reductions, both of which would add trillions to the national deficit. His speech also highlighted his elimination of DEI and transgender programs in public institutions, asking lawmakers to pass a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Additionally, the president has remained steadfast in his overhaul of the federal government, praising Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for their termination of many government programs, most of which are foreign-aid related. “By slashing all of the fraud, waste, and theft we can find,” he declared, “we will defeat inflation, bring down mortgage rates, lower car payments and grocery prices, protect our seniors and put more money in the pockets of American families.” He spoke about American foreign policies as well, and reasserted his desire to gain the territory of Greenland. The U.S. military seemed to be a primary concern for the president, as he asked Congress to fund a “Golden Dome missile defense shield”. Trump also reiterated his support for the nation’s police force, urging Congress to pass into law an executive order he made that requires the death penalty for anyone who kills a police officer.
The address largely appealed to the Republican members of Congress, while the Democrats held signs in silent protest. Multiple Democrats walked out at various points during the speech, and Texas Representative Al Green had to be escorted out for interrupting. Trump recalled the litany of executive orders and changes he made in the past six weeks of being in office, including his plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and make English the official language of the United States. He continued on to make plans for the future, and claimed that “the golden age of America has only just begun”.