Political Analysis: President Trump Lays Out Second Term Agenda to a Deeply Divided Congress — and Democrats Respond
- mlhines1
- Mar 22
- 8 min read
By William "Liam" Hinson
Donald Trump delivered his first major speech as the 47th president of the United States on Tuesday, March 4. The president, flanked by Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, delivered remarks before a joint session of Congress where party polarization and divisions run deep and was met with much fanfare from Republicans, and stiff resistance from Democrats.
With the latest polling showing Americans near evenly divided on whether they approve of Mr. Trump’s job as Commander-in-Chief and a majority saying that the country is on the wrong track, Trump’s speech came at a critical moment as the president charts out the next four years of his administration. Trump’s remarks come on the heels of two major announcements: that the United States would be suspending military aid to Ukraine and that the government would be implementing tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, stoking new fears of a trade war.
Trump’s speech lasted 99 minutes, the longest presidential address to Congress in U.S. history. The president was quick to wade in to the typically bombastic and hyper-partisan rhetoric that he is known for utilizing both on and off the campaign trail. It should be noted that this was not officially a State of the Union address, as State of the Union addresses are skipped during the first year of a president’s administration. However, there are no other fundamental differences between a presidential address to a joint session of Congress and a State of the Union address.
The president began his remarks by declaring “America is back.” He went on to add, “Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back. And the American dream is surging — bigger and better than ever before. The American dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again.” Trump went on to tout his victory in the 2024 presidential election, declaring the election was “a mandate like has not been seen in many decades.” The president cited both his victory in the electoral college and the national popular vote as justification for this perceived mandate, saying of the first several weeks of his presidency, “the people elected me to do the job, and I’m doing it.”
Immigration and Public Safety Loom Large Over This Week’s Address
During his address, Trump maintained his staunch opposition to illegal immigration and slammed the previous administration for “open border” policies, alleging that the Biden administration allowed “criminals, killers, traffickers, and child predators” to enter the United States.
The president acknowledged the family of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered last year by a 26-year-old Venezuelan man who had entered the United States illegally. Trump said of the murder “Laken was stolen from us by a savage illegal alien gang member who was arrested while trespassing across Biden’s open southern border and then set loose into the United States under the heartless policies of that failed administration.” Trump touted the passing and signing into law of the Laken Riley Act, which requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants admitting to, charged with, or convicted of theft-related crimes, assaulting a police officer, or a crime that results in death or serious bodily injury. The president also touted his executive order targeting several Latin street gangs and cartels, including MS-13, designating them as foreign terrorist organizations. The president additionally gave a special shout out to White House Border Czar Tom Homan and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for their work on rounding up and deporting undocumented immigrants.
President Trump also reiterated his plans to launch a “gold card” program, which would allow foreign nationals who pay $5 million to obtain a pathway to U.S. citizenship. Trump described the gold card program as “like the green card but better and more sophisticated.”
The President Addresses the Economy
President Trump was quick to blame his predecessor for the current state of the economy at the beginning of his speech, stating, “Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families. As you know, we inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare.” Trump added, “Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up grocery costs and drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions and millions of Americans. They’ve never had anything like it. We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years. But perhaps, even in the history of our country, they’re not sure. As president, I’m fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again.”
Trump vowed to also invest more in American energy and natural resources, proclaiming, "We have more liquid gold under our feet than any nation on earth, and by far, and now I fully authorize the most talented team ever assembled to go and get it. It’s called drill, baby, drill.” The president announced that Japan and South Korea had expressed interest in investing in a $44 billion plan to extract and export natural gas from Alaska.
Additionally, the president touted the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative headed by Elon Musk, who was a special guest of Trump’s at his address to Congress. Many have criticized DOGE’s involvement in the layoffs of thousands of federal employees, many of whom are veterans. That did not stop Trump from praising Musk during his speech, saying, “Thank you, Elon. He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this. Thank you very much, we appreciate it. Everybody here — even this side appreciates it, I believe. They just don’t want to admit that.” Trump vowed that DOGE’s work would deliver sweeping cuts in federal spending and help ease inflation.
Trump addressed the topic of federal workers as well during his address. The president claimed that hundreds of thousands of federal workers were either working remotely or not showing up to work at all. The president said, “My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again. And any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately. Because we are draining the swamp. It’s very simple. And the days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over.”
President Trump was keen on mentioning the tariffs that he vowed to impose on foreign countries. The president criticized several foreign nations, including U.S. allies such as Canada and South Korea, for the tariffs that they had imposed on U.S. exports, calling it “very unfair.” Trump announced that his administration would be responding to any country imposing tariffs on U.S. exports with reciprocal tariffs that would be going into effect April 2.
The President Wades Heavily into Cultural Issues
President Trump loves to insert himself into cultural and social issues, and that was on full display during the March 4 speech. Trump touted several of the executive orders he signed into law, including the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America; renaming Denali, America’s highest peak, back to Mount McKinley, its former name; and designating English as the official language of the United States.
President Trump also touted his executive orders that target members of the LGBTQ+ community. Declaring recognition of only two genders and barring transgender athletes from women’s sports, an issue that has been front and center in the American culture wars in recent years, Trump also continued with his attacks on DEI programs, proclaiming “our country will be woke no longer.”
Additionally, the president lampooned critical race theory and gender ideology in public schools in the United States, referring to the teaching of critical race theory as “poison.”
Democrats Rebuke and Resist the President
The Democratic Party’s official response to the president’s address was given by Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan. Slotkin, who was first elected to the Senate in 2024 on the same ballot as Trump, who simultaneously won the state over Kamala Harris by over 80,000 votes, delivered what was generally regarded as a softer message than Trump. However, her rebuttal of the president’s speech was not without some harsh criticism of Trump and the Republicans.
Criticizing Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, Slotkin raised the question, “While on the subject of Elon Musk — is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information and your bank account?”
Slotkin also invoked the memory of former President Ronald Reagan when bringing up her critique of Trump’s fiery and contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that “after the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling in his grave.”
Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the entire night was when Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) stood up and began to interrupt President Trump in the midst of his speech. Green refused House Speaker Mike Johnson’s calls to be seated and was escorted out of the chamber by the House Sergeant at Arms. Green said of his protest after being removed from the chamber, “I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid. I have people who are very fearful; these are poor people, and they all need Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their health care.”
Some other Democrats protested the address by holding small signs. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-New Mexico) held up a sign reading “This is not normal.” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) held a similar sign reading “That’s a lie” and also brought a small white board with her to allow her to silently respond in real time to the president’s statements. Other signs were spotted being held by members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus reading “Musk Steals,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Protect Veterans.” The Congressional Progressive Caucus is led by Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), who said in a post to X following the address, “All you need to know about State of the Union: Trump lied to cover up for Musk stealing. They want to steal our healthcare, steal from our veterans, and steal from you to give to billionaires. The American people must fight back.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave a forceful rebuke to the president’s address, saying, “Donald Trump delivered one of the most divisive presidential addresses in American history. He did not try to unite the country or speak to the serious economic challenges facing everyday Americans. Instead, President Trump promoted the reckless Republican budget that sets up the largest cut to Medicaid in our country’s history."
Republicans Jubilant During Speech
House Speaker Mike Johnson said of the president’s address to Congress in a post to X, “President Trump’s speech wasn’t a speech for the mainstream media, it was a speech for the American people. The way Democrats behaved was unserious and embarrassing. The contrast between our forward-looking vision and their temper tantrums was on display for all of America to see.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), a staunch Trump ally who notoriously heckled President Biden during all four of his addresses to Congress, was seen wearing a red MAGA hat that read “Trump was right about everything.” Rep. Greene was spotted cheering when Rep. Al Green was removed from the House chamber for interrupting the president’s speech.
During an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity following the conclusion of Trump’s address, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said that he believed that the night was “incredible” and went on to state, “This is the fifth State of the Union address I’ve seen Trump give. It was by far his best.” Cruz lambasted Democrats for not clapping during the address, accusing them of being disrespectful to the office of the presidency.