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Donald Trump took on the persona of “Troller in Chief” during his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
In a passionate speech lasting over 90 minutes, Trump transformed the customary presidential address into a campaign-style rally. However, instead of targeting a specific opponent, he focused on criticizing the Democratic Party, which he believes is struggling under his leadership. He declared, “America is back! We’re just getting started,” a statement that likely felt like a threat to many Democrats.
Throughout the evening, Trump criticized Democrats on various issues, from his initial six weeks in office to his election victory. He highlighted his “swift and unrelenting action,” including imposing tariffs, issuing controversial executive orders, halting aid to Ukraine, and empowering Elon Musk to cut government spending. Trump blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the nation’s problems. He openly mocked rivals like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, calling her “Pocahontas,” and celebrated his return to the White House despite facing four criminal indictments, asking Democrats, “How did that work out?”
This approach served as both ridicule and strategy. Still bothered by the resistance he encountered during his first term, Trump enjoys taunting his adversaries, especially after defeating them. His rhetoric also aimed to portray Democrats as obstructionists, implying he is confronting them on behalf of his agenda.
Some Democrats inadvertently supported his narrative. The evening began with an outburst from Democratic Rep. Al Green, who interrupted Trump’s victory lap by shouting, “You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!” Republicans responded, with one yelling, “Sit your ass down!” Eventually, Speaker Mike Johnson ordered Green’s removal.
Some viewed the incident as a sign of declining decorum in Washington, while others saw it as a fitting response to Trump’s disregard for governance norms. Green told reporters he accepted the punishment, believing it was necessary to protest Trump’s plans to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.
The event evoked memories of a similar incident in 2009 when Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted “You lie!” at President Barack Obama during a healthcare address. Such outbursts have become more commonplace in recent years, though they rarely lead to a member’s removal.
The episode didn’t deter Trump. He continued, blaming Biden for the economy and the border situation. He claimed to have “inherited…an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare” from the previous administration. However, Biden actually left a strong economy with low unemployment, falling inflation, and rising GDP. Since Trump took office, the prices of [item] and [item] have risen, and the stock market has [action] due to Trump’s tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico.
Trump cited the [number] in border crossings under his administration and mocked a [policy] he had blocked last year by urging MAGA Republicans in Congress to oppose it, allegedly to prevent Biden from securing a victory before the election. Trump stated that the media and Democrats claimed new legislation was needed to secure the border, but “it turned out that all we really needed was a new president.”
While House Democrats displayed signs reading “Musk Steals,” Trump praised the Tesla founder’s cost-cutting operation, the Department of Government Efficiency, which has targeted government agencies and eliminated thousands of federal jobs. “The days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over,” the President declared.
He also included members of his cabinet in his speech to provoke liberal reactions. Trump claimed that “over 130,000 people according to the social security databases are aged over 160 years old,” before gesturing to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., and saying, “We have a healthier country than I thought, Bobby.” He also thanked Democrats for supporting their former colleague, Marco Rubio, for Secretary of State.
However, that was a rare moment of civility in an otherwise contentious exchange. Trump emphasized that Democrats would always oppose him out of principle. “I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud,” Trump said. “I could find a cure to the most devastating disease…and these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements.” Republicans responded with loud laughter.
Before Trump concluded, many Democrats had left the hall. “There’s only so much bullshit a person can tolerate,” Rep. Sydney Kamlager–Dove [action] on social media after leaving. Despite the empty seats on the Democratic side, Trump remained unapologetic, vowing to continue his plans to reshape Washington. “The people elected me to do the job,” Trump said, “and I’m doing it.”