Trump airs familiar grievances, charts MAGA plan in address before bitterly divided Congress

Sen. Elissa Slotkin delivered the Democratic response to Trump's address.

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Ivan Pereira, Emily Chang, and Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: March 5, 2025, 12:09 AM EST

President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, six weeks into his historic return to the White House.

During the speech, Trump said "America is back" and defended the tariffs on key U.S. trading partners. He touched on immigration and the mineral deal with Ukraine, but neglected to go into detail on his economic plan. The speech was also met with protests and disruptions from Democrats.

Key headlines:

Here's how the news developed:
Mar 04, 2025, 9:26 PM EST

Dems, GOP members push back with chants

Democrats were heard booing and jeering as Trump listed his accomplishments and the election, however, Republicans pushed back with chants of "USA."

Mar 04, 2025, 9:24 PM EST

Trump says he's 'just getting started' after quick start to administration

Trump claimed they "accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years and we are just getting started." To date, he's signed 76 executive orders -- though several are being challenged in the courts.

Mar 04, 2025, 9:20 PM EST

Trump: 'America is back'

After a brief introduction thanking Vance and Johnson, Trump emphatically proclaimed "America is back" to start his remarks.

Mar 04, 2025, 9:22 PM EST

Trump shakes hands with Vance and Johnson

As President Donald Trump stepped up to the podium, he shook hands with Vice President J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

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