Six weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump took to the floor of the US Capitol on Tuesday night, addressing a joint session of Congress, he declared his early tenure the most successful start to a presidency in US history.
“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started,” Trump proclaimed, as his Republican colleagues erupted in applause.
The speech, reminiscent of Trump’s signature rally style, was filled with bold claims and sharp rebukes of his political adversaries. He painted a picture of a revitalised America, citing a so-called shift in the national mood toward “pride” and “confidence.” Drawing comparisons to the nation’s first president, George Washington, he once again boasted of his “massive” electoral victory.
Trump used the high-profile address to tick through what he framed as a laundry list of accomplishments. He touted his administration’s flurry of executive actions, a freeze on foreign aid, a crackdown on undocumented migration, and the US’s withdrawal from international agreements he deemed harmful.
Among the most controversial policies he highlighted was his ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports, a move that has sparked fierce debate. He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to removing “woke ideology” from schools and the military.
“Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone, it’s gone, and we feel so much better for it, don’t we?” he said, drawing laughter and cheers from his Republican allies.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats sat in stony silence. Many openly displayed their opposition, holding up small black signs with words like “false” and “lies” in response to Trump’s statements. The president, however, seemed to revel in their discontent, using the moment to mock his detractors.
He dusted off his infamous “Pocahontas” nickname for Senator Elizabeth Warren and took a swipe at those who had sought to prosecute him in various legal battles, smirking as he noted, “It didn’t work out for them, did it?”
Absent from the chamber, however, was Texas Congressman Al Green, a longtime critic of Trump. While his reason for missing the speech was not immediately clear, Green had previously led efforts to impeach Trump during his first term.
The address signaled what is likely to be a deeply divisive presidency, with Trump showing no interest in mending fences with Democrats. Instead, he doubled down on his core base, casting his policies as a direct rebuke of the “radical left lunatics” he blames for the nation’s challenges.
As he left the podium, Trump basked in the Republican applause, flashing his signature thumbs-up. With just weeks into his second term, his message was clear: his administration was prepared to push forward, with or without bipartisan support.
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