US President Donald Trump delivered a triumphant address to Congress on Tuesday, celebrating a string of bold policy moves that have reshaped America's foreign relations, triggered trade disputes with key allies, and significantly reduced the federal workforce — all within his first six weeks in office.
"My fellow citizens, America is back," Trump declared as he met with a standing ovation from Republican supporters. "Our nation stands on the brink of a historic resurgence — one the world has never seen before and may never see again. We have achieved more in 43 days than what others did in the last four years," the US President said.
Further in his address, Trump said his administration has rushed to ban diversity and inclusion programs in the federal government and dismiss workers charged with advancing such efforts.
"Our country will be woke no longer," he said.
In his first address to Congress since taking office on January 20, Donald Trump highlighted US economic challenges, emphasising his administration's urgent focus on relief measures for struggling Americans.
"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," the President said.
Donald Trump, speaking triumphantly about his legal battles, claimed victory over what he sees as politically motivated prosecutions. The US President also gloated about having survived four criminal prosecutions — only one of which has gone to trial — while reinforcing his long-standing claim that the Justice Department was used as a political weapon against him.
"We've ended weaponised government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me. How did that work out," he said.
Further in his speech, Trump also defended his tariff campaign, despite concerns that it could raise consumer prices and slow economic growth.
"Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them," Trump said. "If they do non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market".
Trump, in a sharp critique of the Biden administration's economic policies, blamed his successor for what he called an "economic catastrophe" marked by soaring inflation and rising costs for American families.
"We inherited from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices... drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions of America... we suffered the worst inflation in 48 years... as President, I am fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again," he said.
In a sweeping declaration against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Trump vowed to dismantle such policies across government, the private sector, and the military.
"We have ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire Federal Government and indeed the private sector and our military. Our country will be woke no longer. We believe that whether you are a doctor, accountant, lawyer or an Air Traffic Controller – you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not race or gender... The Supreme Court, in a brave and very powerful decision, has allowed us to do so," the President said.
Trump also vowed to take sweeping action against transgender athletes in women's sports, escalating an already heated national debate. This was one of his executive orders aimed at barring transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's categories, mirroring laws already enacted in at least 24 states.
"From now on, schools will kick the men off the girls' team or they will lose all federal funding," Trump declared, signalling a hardline stance.
Source: India Today
