US President Donald Trump vowed to plant the American flag on Mars during his address to Congress on Tuesday, a speech that was met with strong partisan reactions. While Republicans cheered, many Democrats protested by holding up signs, turning their backs, and walking out mid-speech.
Trump, delivering his first address to Congress since returning to office on 20 January, faced interruptions from Democratic lawmakers. Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico held up a sign reading, “This is not normal,” which was quickly taken by Republican Representative Lance Gooden of Texas.
Representative Al Green of Texas interrupted early on, shouting, “You have no mandate,” before House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove him. Green waved his cane in the air as he was led out, to Republican applause.
Some Democrats displayed messages such as “Musk steals” and “Protect Veterans” on their backs before exiting the chamber. Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan carried a whiteboard, on which she scribbled different messages in response to Trump’s words, including “No king!” Many Democrats left within the first hour.
Trump’s speech came amid economic turmoil following his imposition of sweeping tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. His administration has pursued significant cuts to social programmes like Medicaid to fund tax cuts. However, with Republican control of Congress, Democratic efforts to impeach Trump are unlikely to succeed.
Reflecting on his first six weeks in office, Trump described his administration’s actions as “nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country.”
He also asserted that he had won the popular vote “by big numbers,” despite one of the smallest margins since World War II. He proclaimed his first month in office “the most successful in the history of our nation” and declared, “I have brought back free speech in America.” He also expressed frustration that Democrats would not applaud his “astronomical achievements.”
The president emphasised achievements difficult to measure, stating, “America’s MOMENTUM is back. Our SPIRIT is back. Our PRIDE is back. Our CONFIDENCE is back.” Federal workers recently dismissed by Elon Musk, who was seated in the gallery above, looked on.
Republicans eagerly applauded throughout the speech. Trump praised Musk’s cost-cutting efforts, referencing government spending on “illegal alien hotel rooms,” “social and behaviour change in Uganda,” and “improving learning outcomes in Asia.” He also repeated the false claim that Social Security was being paid to people over 120 years old, originally made by Musk due to a misinterpretation of data. He did not mention the life-changing Ebola prevention and HIV treatment that had also been affected by budget cuts.
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Trump briefly mentioned inflation, a key campaign issue, stating, “Joe Biden especially let the price of EGGS get out of control—and we are working hard to get it back down. A major focus of our fight to defeat inflation is rapidly reducing the cost of energy.”
The event also highlighted internal Republican dynamics. Marjorie Taylor Greene, described as the happiest person in the room, alternated between cheering and jeering, seemingly torn between applauding and heckling Democrats.
JD Vance and Mike Johnson, seated behind Trump at the podium, appeared to compete for the title of most devoted supporter. Vance, in an ill-fitting suit, and Johnson, in stern glasses, looked every bit an awkward comedy duo.
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