On the evening of March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered his first address to Congress as the 47th President of the United States. His speech lasted for over 100 minutes, setting the record for the longest inaugural address before Congress, surpassing former President Bill Clinton's speech, which lasted 88 minutes back in 2000.
Trump's comments sparked immediate reactions, particularly around the major themes of immigration, economic performance, and assistance to Ukraine. One of the most contentious statements made by Trump was his claim of 21 million illegal migrants having entered the United States during the Biden presidency. This assertion was met with skepticism; the U.S. Border Patrol's figures indicated approximately 10 million illegal crossings during Biden's term, though they do not confirm how many of these people actually remained in the country.
Interestingly, as Trump criticized current immigration policies and asserted, "hundreds of thousands of illegal border crossings per month" occurred during Biden’s administration, his figures were powered by factual discrepancies. Indeed, the Border Patrol reported 249,740 border crossings within one month as recent as December 2023, with many of those migrants being released on the condition of appearing at immigration court.
Transitioning to economic discourse, Trump did not shy away from addressing inflation, claiming it reached the highest levels seen over 48 years, which he attributed to the previous administration’s policies. His assertion about inflation echoing 9.1% in June 2022 was confirmed; nevertheless, Trump’s statement highlighted only part of the complex narrative of rising costs, with extreme nuances absent from his arguments. Many economists suggest inflation has lessened significantly since then, bringing current levels to about 3% as of January 2025.
Trump's focus moved toward the geopolitical stance of the United States, particularly concerning Ukraine, where he stated, “On March 4, I received a letter from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, indicating Ukraine's readiness for peace negotiations.” He highlighted the correlation with emergent signals of amicability from Moscow, yet unique details about the plan for military assistance continued to drift under the radar. Many anticipated Trump would delineate his strategy to reassess the halted military aid to Ukraine, but such specifics were conspicuously left out of his address.
Simultaneously, facts were muddled about U.S. financial assistance to Ukraine, with Trump reiteratively quantifying it at $350 billion. This claim clashed directly with the data from credible resources, including the Kiel Institute, which reported U.S. aid at around $119.7 billion against European contributions totaling $138.7 billion, provoking questions about the legitimacy of the outlined figures.
Trump, boasting about economic recovery efforts, asserted, “I have signed nearly 100 executive orders and made over 400 decisions toward restoring common sense, safety, optimism, and prosperity.” This declaration certainly stirred the air of flamboyance customary to Trump’s addresses, where figures attempt to bring audiences to their feet, for he also emphasized moves to simplify regulations, declaring, “For every new regulating rule, I will eliminate ten old ones.” This part of his address aimed to charm business leaders, assuring them, with planned tariffs against competitors like China, they would expect intensified support.
While Trump was fervent about many policy changes, from tariffs to immigration, his mention of the ‘Golden Card’ proposal – allowing foreign investors to purchase opportunities for U.S. citizenship at $5 million – seemed to shine among his business initiatives, drumming potential future discussions about economic immigration policies.
The address itself had moments of tension, as Democrats actively protested his assertions throughout the speech, highlighting stark divisions. Representative El Green was forcibly removed after vociferous protests, and other Democrats unfurled signs criticizing Trump’s policies, which enriched the chaotic backdrop to still potent rhetoric.
Presumably with interest toward social policies, Trump leaned heavily on discussing societal conditions to rally his base, including plans to set English as the official language and strategies against trans athletes competing against females, rhetoric dictaping Biden’s approach from previous years. These declarations signaled Trump’s intent to secure morality arguments still widely endorsed by many constituents.
The upcoming months are poised to reveal the real navigate of Trump’s presidency, especially on addressing rising fallout stemming from decisions made as he challenges traditional norms and approaches both inside and outside the U.S. The return to the international stage, especially surrounding Ukraine and immigration, sets a suspenseful narrative for his supporters and detractors alike.
While the future remains nebulous concerning military aid to Ukraine and economic policies domestically, this address to Congress undoubtedly signals Trump’s intent to rally against opponents and invoke restructuring on various fronts. Critics doubt the feasibility and sincerity of his promised initiatives, questioning how many remain genuinely applicable and who will be affected long term by this fervent presidency.