Trump Congress Address: Tariffs & Woke Crackdown

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

• Trump declared “America is Back” in his first address to Congress, outlining his policies.
• He announced the end of diversity and inclusion programs in the federal government.
• Trump accused other countries of unfair tariffs, threatening reciprocal actions.
• He defended his administration’s immigration policies, emphasizing border security.
• Trump praised Melania Trump for advocating a bill criminalizing online defamation.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

US President Donald Trump hailed sweeping policy shifts in a defiant address to a joint Congress session, touting aggressive foreign moves, trade disputes, and a crackdown on diversity programs as hallmarks of his administration’s rapid transformation. Trump delivered a triumphant address to Congress on Tuesday, declaring, “My fellow citizens, America is back.” He met with a standing ovation from Republican supporters. He stated, “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.”

Ending Diversity Programs

Trump declared his administration has acted swiftly to ban diversity and inclusion programs in the federal government. He also said he would dismiss workers charged with advancing such efforts. “Our country will be woke no longer,” he proclaimed, signaling a significant shift in federal policy.

Economic Challenges Highlighted

In his first address to Congress since taking office on January 20, Donald Trump highlighted US economic challenges. He emphasized 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 stated.

Legal Battles and Free Speech

Donald Trump, speaking triumphantly about his legal battles, claimed victory over what he sees as politically motivated prosecutions. He also gloated about surviving four criminal prosecutions, while reinforcing his claim that the Justice Department was used as a political weapon against him. “We have ended weaponised government, where a sitting President is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me. How did that work out? Not too good…we have brought back free speech in America…two days ago I signed an order making English the official language of the US,” he said.

Tariff Disputes

Trump 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 asserted. He added, “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.”

Accusations Against India

Mentioning India’s high tariff rates on US goods, Trump defended his administration’s tough trade policies. He accused more countries of imposing unfair trade barriers and vowed to introduce reciprocal tariffs to level the playing field. “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it is our turn to start using them against those other countries,” Trump declared. “On average, the European Union, China, Brazil, India and countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them, it is very unfair. India charges us tariffs 100 per cent. The system is not fair to US, it never was,” he added.

Blaming Economic Catastrophe

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.

Attack on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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 stated.

Transgender Athletes Ban

Trump vowed to take sweeping action against transgender athletes in women’s sports. This action will escalate an already heated national debate. This initiative was among his executive orders. It aimed at barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s categories. This policy mirrors 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, signaling a hardline stance.

Gender Identity Definition

Donald Trump also reaffirmed his administration’s stance on gender identity. He asserted a strictly binary definition of gender (only male and female) in government policy. “We have removed the poison of critical race theory from our public schools. I signed an order making it the official policy of the US government that there are only two genders, male and female,” he said.

Border Security Emphasis

With his close advisor Elon Musk in the audience, the 78-year-old Republican billionaire reinforced his hardline stance on border security. He drew a sharp contrast between his immigration policies and those of former President Joe Biden. “Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border. I deployed US military and border patrol to repel the invasion of our country and what a job they have done! As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded. In comparison, under Joe Biden – the worst President in American history, there were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month,” Trump said.

Praising Melania Trump

Donald Trump lauded his wife Melania Trump for advocating a bill that criminalizes the online posting of intimate images, real or altered, at the federal level. Thanking the Senate for passing the measure, he condemned the act as a “terrible, terrible thing”. Trump then suggested he might invoke the law for himself. “I’m going to use that bill for myself, too, if you don’t mind. Nobody gets treated worse than I do online. Nobody,” he joked.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

• Trump declared “America is back” during his address to Congress, outlining new policies.
• He vowed to dismantle diversity and inclusion programs within the federal government.
• Trump accused countries of unfair tariffs and signaled retaliatory actions.
• He spoke against transgender athletes in women’s sports, banning them from female category.
• Trump praised Melania Trump for her work on the bill criminalizing online harassment.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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