US President Donald Trump delivered a speech to Congress on March 4, his first since taking office on January 20 and soon after the administration's latest actions, reports "Reuters". Excerpts from the speech were published shortly before its delivery. Many agencies followed the speech with special blogs, including fact-checking comment positioning.
After speaking for nearly an hour and 40 minutes, President Donald Trump broke the record for the longest first address to Congress. He spoke longer than any other president, including himself during his first term.
His speech was framed by the promise of a "golden age of America" - also key to his inaugural address.
"My fellow Americans, prepare for an incredible future, because America's golden age has just begun. It will be like nothing you've ever seen before," he vowed.
The main topics in it, as expected, were the tariffs already imposed on Mexico, Canada and China, the economy, including the price of eggs, the reorganization of US federal agencies and stopping the waste of taxpayer money. Trump did not miss the big geopolitical topic - the war in Ukraine
The war:
Ukraine is ready to return to the negotiating table and sign the minerals deal, Donald Trump told Congress and boasted of a "letter from Zelensky".
"I am working tirelessly to end the brutal conflict in Ukraine", Trump said. "Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or injured in this terrible and brutal conflict, with no end in sight. The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine's defense".
"Do you want this to go on for another five years?" - Trump asked and again stated that the US has spent much more on supporting Ukraine than Europe. "Unfortunately, Europe has spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than defending Ukraine. Think about it." Some Democrats left the room as Trump spoke about Ukraine.
The president boasted about his first 44 days in office as the "most successful" first month of any US presidency in history. "Reuters" also drew attention to the fact that Trump began his speech in his characteristically aggressive style. There were many attacks on the previous administration and on President Biden personally, who in Trump's speech was also to blame for the price of eggs.
He also defended his campaign to impose tariffs, despite concerns that it could raise consumer prices and slow economic growth.
"To my fellow countrymen, America is back," Trump began to applause from his fellow Republicans. Our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never seen and may never see again."
"As they tax us, so we tax them. As they tax us, so we tax them," Trump said of the tariffs. If they put up non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we put up non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market.”
Trump appeared to be preparing for a surprise announcement: the signing of a rare earth minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine that could ease tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump told advisers earlier in the day that he wanted to announce the deal in his speech, sources told Reuters, but cautioned that nothing had been finalized.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besant later told Fox News that “no signing is planned.” on a minerals deal, an X network reporter said.
Trump halted all military aid to the beleaguered U.S. ally late Monday after a disastrous Oval Office meeting in which Trump angrily berated Zelensky in front of television cameras.
The halt dealt a severe blow to Kiev’s efforts to defend itself against Russia, which started the war three years ago, and further alarmed European leaders worried that Trump was moving the United States too far toward Moscow.
While Trump appears to blame Ukraine for starting the war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 70% of Americans — including two-thirds of Republicans — say Russia is more to blame.
Trump’s 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, two of the country’s closest allies, and an additional 10% on Chinese imports have deepened investor concerns about the economy. The Nasdaq Composite is down more than 9% from its record high at the close on December 16.
Only one in three Americans approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a potential red flag amid concerns that his tariffs could fuel inflation.
At the beginning of Trump's speech, Democratic Congressman Al Greene tried to interrupt the president and was removed after warnings from House Speaker Mike Johnson. There were boos.
"I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there's absolutely nothing I can say that's going to make them happy or make them stand up or smile or clap," Trump said.
Elon Musk of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was in attendance, the agencies noted.