March 5th 2025.
In his address to Congress and the American people on Tuesday, President Donald Trump boasted about the swift and unrelenting action he has taken in his first few weeks as President. He spoke about the changes he has made to the nation's economy, immigration policies, and foreign relations, taking credit for these accomplishments.
In fact, Trump's speech set a new record for the longest address to a joint session of Congress, surpassing the previous record set by President Bill Clinton in 2000. According to the American Presidency Project, which has been tracking speech lengths since President Lyndon B. Johnson's term, Trump spoke for over an hour and 40 minutes.
Although his speech was not technically a State of the Union address since he has only been in office for six weeks, it was still the longest speech ever given to a joint session of Congress. As he concluded his address, Trump declared that "the golden age of America has only just begun," leaving Republican lawmakers on their feet, cheering and chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers quickly exited the chamber, while GOP members lined up to shake hands with the President.
During his speech, Trump also addressed his plans to reduce childhood cancer rates and study autism cases in the US. He named Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine and environmental advocate, as his health secretary, emphasizing his goal to "get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of our food supply, and keep our children healthy and strong."
The President also shared a letter he received from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing the latter's desire to resume negotiations for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump revealed that serious discussions have taken place with Russia and they have received strong signals that they are ready for peace. He added, "Wouldn't that be beautiful?"
In a significant development, Trump announced that the US government is extraditing a suspect in the deadly Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan. The man, Muhammed Sharifullah, is on his way to the US to face charges in connection with the attack that killed 13 American service members. The extradition was made possible through the joint efforts of the FBI, the Justice Department, and the CIA.
During his speech, Trump also took credit for the rise in Army recruitment, claiming that it was the best in January, before his presidency. However, Army data shows that recruitment numbers have been increasing steadily over the past year, with the highest total in August 2024 – before the November election. The Army's decision to launch the Future Soldier Prep Course in August 2022 has been a major contributor to the recruitment success, providing additional training for recruits who may not meet the military standards initially.
Trump also made a surprising announcement, revealing his plans to "reclaim" the Panama Canal. He gave a shoutout to his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, but his comments seemed like a veiled warning as Rubio is under immense pressure to make significant cuts to US foreign policy efforts abroad. Trump joked, "Good luck, Marco. Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong," resulting in laughter from Republican lawmakers. He then praised Rubio, saying he will do a fantastic job.
In a rare moment during his speech, Trump received more applause from Democrats than Republicans when he acknowledged the billions of dollars in military aid the US has provided to Ukraine. This was a clear nod to the ongoing impeachment trial and the accusations against him for withholding military aid to Ukraine in exchange for political favors.
Overall, Trump's address to Congress and the American people was dominated by his accomplishments and plans for the future, with a few notable moments of bipartisan support.
During his address to Congress and the American people on Tuesday, President Donald Trump boasted about his swift and decisive actions in reshaping the nation's economy, immigration policies, and foreign affairs. Despite the tumultuous start to his presidency, Trump took credit for his accomplishments and set a record for the longest speech ever delivered to a joint session of Congress.
Lasting for over an hour and 40 minutes, Trump's speech surpassed the previous record set by President Bill Clinton's State of the Union address in 2000. This information comes from the renowned American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which has been tracking speech lengths since President Lyndon B. Johnson's term in 1964.
Although Trump's speech was not technically a State of the Union address, given that he had only been in office for six weeks, it was still the longest speech ever delivered to a joint session of Congress. As he concluded his address, Trump confidently declared, "The golden age of America has only just begun," and received a standing ovation from Republican lawmakers, who chanted "Fight! Fight! Fight!" in support of their president.
In his speech, Trump also expressed his commitment to reducing childhood cancer rates and studying cases of autism in the United States. He announced that his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an advocate for environmental protection and anti-vaccine beliefs, will prioritize these issues and work towards keeping children healthy and safe.
Despite the decline in deaths from childhood cancer, which can be attributed to advancements in treatments, Trump emphasized the need to eliminate toxins from the environment and food supply to ensure the well-being of future generations. He also mentioned the rising rates of autism in the US, stating that 1 in 36 8-year-olds were diagnosed with the disorder in 2020.
During his speech, Trump shared a letter he had received from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing the latter's desire to resume negotiations for a peace deal with Russia. Trump expressed his optimism for a resolution and said, "Wouldn't that be beautiful?" This comes after a recent meeting between the two leaders ended in a stalemate.
In a significant development, Trump announced that the US government had successfully extradited a suspect, Muhammed Sharifullah, in connection with the deadly bombing at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of 13 American service members. The extradition was a result of the joint efforts of the FBI, Justice Department, and CIA.
Trump also took credit for the increase in Army recruitment, claiming that it was the highest in January during his presidency. However, according to Army data, recruitment numbers have been steadily rising over the past year, with the highest total being recorded in August 2024, before the November election. The launch of the Future Soldier Prep Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in August 2022, has been a significant contributor to the Army's recruiting success.
In a lighter moment, Trump playfully teased his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, as he shared his plans to "reclaim" the Panama Canal. He jokingly wished him luck and quipped, "Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong." This elicited laughter from the Republican lawmakers, and Trump quickly moved on to praise Rubio's confirmation and express his confidence in his abilities.
One of the few moments that received more applause from Democrats than Republicans was when Trump acknowledged the US's aid to Ukraine. He proudly stated that the country had received billions of dollars in military aid, a statement that drew cheers and applause from both sides of the aisle.
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