Opinion by Saptarshi Basak
Immigration, inflation, tariffs, tax cuts and a pat on the back for DOGE – and placing himself above George Washington in the presidential scheme of achievements
US President Donald Trump holds a copy of an executive order honoring Jocelyn Nungaray during a joint session of Congress, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS)
Mar 5, 2025 13:05 IST First published on: Mar 5, 2025 at 12:43 IST
US President Donald Trump, in a record-breaking long speech of more than 100 minutes, opened his address to the Joint Session of Congress with a phrase frequently used by his predecessor: “America is back”. While Joe Biden used these words to reassure allies in Europe and Asia of America’s renewed global engagement, Trump’s proclamation is to reaffirm his vision of an isolationist America, evident in his recent clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his decision to pause all aid to Ukraine. Ahead of his speech, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s approval ratings below 40 per cent on issues such as the economy, foreign policy and corruption. On immigration, however, he has a 49 per cent approval rating.
In contrast to the days leading up to his speech, when foreign policy issues concerning Ukraine, Russia, and Europe dominated White House proceedings, Trump’s address mostly focused on domestic matters — from immigration, inflation and energy to DEI and DOGE, tariffs, and tax cuts. The speech was an affirmation of the right-wing policies of Trump’s Republican Party, seen in his 100-plus executive orders so far, catering to the MAGA base which seeks tighter border controls and an end to what they call the “cancer of wokeism” plaguing the nation.
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Reinforcing his campaign narrative that America had been “ripped off” by other countries for decades, he underscored the retaliatory nature of his tariffs, even singling out India, stating, “India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent”. This, even as consumer sentiment surveys by the Conference Board and the University of Michigan indicate that many people are worried about the potential inflation Trump’s policies will cause.
Ranking himself above George Washington in his speech, Trump confirmed that reciprocal tariffs will kick in on April 2, not April 1 because he didn’t want to be accused of April Fool’s Day. “Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again.” And yet, US stock markets took their biggest hit of the year over the weekend, and economists and experts caution that the new proposed tariffs would lower the incomes of many segments of Americans.
The first and only mention of Ukraine came after 80 minutes, when he acknowledged a letter sent by Zelenskyy which stated that Kyiv is ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership”. In a moment that could lead to a thaw in US-Ukraine relations, Trump said he appreciated the letter. As Republican lawmakers rose — again — in a standing ovation, he said that Ukraine was showing it was ready to negotiate a peace deal. Greenland was brought up, but only because Trump reiterated his desire to take it: “I think we’re going to get it. One way or another, we’re going to get it.”
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Given that it is Trump, there was bound to be some hyperbole. He repeatedly blamed Biden (whose name he took quite frequently throughout the address) for America’s inflation problem: “As you know, we inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare”. The general consensus among economists, however, has been that Biden handled the post-pandemic economy fairly well, as his term ended with reduced inflation and a strong stock market. While Republican lawmakers stood up to clap for Trump after almost every sentence, Democrats held up small black cards printed with the word “False”. Trump even lambasted Democrats for failing to stand and applaud. One Democrat was asked to leave, and he did.
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Trump also gave the world’s richest man Elon Musk and the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency a shoutout in his address: “Everybody here, even this side, appreciates it, I believe”. Not everybody, it would seem, given that House Republicans are reportedly being instructed to stop conducting in-person town halls as they face angry crowds in their own constituencies complaining about federal cuts led by DOGE and the layoffs of thousands of federal employees across departments. The Democrats even invited several workers who were fired in Trump and Musk’s mass purge to attend the President’s address.
No Trump speech is complete without glaring contradictions. He stressed his administration’s support for law enforcement, declaring, “We’re also once again giving our police officers the support, protection and respect they so dearly deserve.” Yet, it is difficult to overlook the fact that one of his first actions upon returning to the presidency was granting clemency to the roughly 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the January 6 attack on the very building where he delivered this speech — including those accused of assaulting police officers.
In summary, Trump’s speech underscored his vision of an uncompromising, nationalist America — marked by economic retaliation, loyalty to his MAGA base and an isolationist foreign policy. In her concise response, Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic senator from Michigan, said Trump is “trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends” and that he “would have lost us the Cold War.” Whether her party will be able to capitalise on the pushback seen in parts of the country is something time will tell as the mid-terms approach, two years away.
saptarishi.basak@expressindia.com
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
