Tariffs, Elon Musk, Ukraine: Key Takeaways From Donald Trump's First Congress Address

U.S. President Donald Trump delivered his first address to Congress Tuesday with much drama as Democrats rallied in protest by refusing to clap or stand up and Democratic Rep. Al Green being removed from the chamber when he disrupted the president's historically long speech.

Aside from the drama with Green, Trump's address was also packed with a defensive stance over his tariffs on some of the United States' largest trading partners, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and his recent public showdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump also broke former President Bill Clinton's record for the longest State of the Union (SOTU) or Joint Session of Congress speech on Tuesday night. According to data from the University of California-Santa Barbara's The American Presidency Project, the Republican leader's speech lasted one hour, thirty-nine minutes, and 32 seconds. Clinton's final State of the Union in 2000 lasted one hour, 28 minutes, and 49 seconds.

Trump Refuses to Roll Back Tariffs Despite Market Impact

As soon as he took office in January, Trump made good on his campaign threats of slapping more tariffs on several countries, pulling down stock markets and raising concerns about the impact on the American economy.

On Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his tariffs strategy. "Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it's happening and it will happen rather quickly. There will be a little disturbance, but we're okay with that," he said.

China, Canada, and Mexico have all indicated readiness to clap back if Trump pushes through with more tariffs. On Tuesday, Trump's new tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods took effect, and he also doubled tariffs on Chinese products to 20%.

Despite the tariff row, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that the president is actually considering easing tariffs on Canada and Mexico as soon as Wednesday.

Trump did not mention such a path toward tariff relief in his speech.

Trump Announces Reciprocal Tariffs on Countries with Alleged Unfair Trading Practices

The U.S. president's State of the Union address 2025 was big on tariffs, as he also announced reciprocal tariffs on India, China, the European Union, Brazil, and "countless other nations" that he said were charging the U.S. higher tariffs than the U.S. charges them.

The reciprocal tariffs will start on April 2, Trump said. "Whatever they tax us, we will tax them," he said, further threatening that countries that use non-monetary tariffs will also get the same treatment from the Trump government.

Soaring Price of Eggs is Biden's Fault: Trump

American consumers have been struggling with rising grocery prices, and particularly, egg prices. Trump doesn't think it's the bird flu. "Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control – and we are working hard to get it back down," he said.

His comments are far from the figures that showed over 166 million birds have been slaughtered across the country in a bid to reduce the probability of spreading bird flu, which has hit flocks nationwide.

Greenland and Panama Canal Under U.S. Control

Trump also reiterated his earlier calls that the Panama Canal and Greenland should be placed under U.S. control, saying the country will "take back" the Panama Canal.

As for Greenland, he noted that the U.S. needs the autonomous territory "for national security and international security." He went on to claim that the U.S. has the capacity to claim Greenland "one way or the other."

Trump Calls Out 'Wokeness,' Targeting Transgender Rights

Trump has always been at the center of talks in terms of transgender rights and diversity in the United States, and he made sure Tuesday that he wasn't forgotten for his trademark tirades against what he said was "wokeness."

"We're getting wokeness out of our schools and out of our military and it's already out, and it's out of our society. We don't want it. Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It's gone," he said.

He was referring to an executive order that banned transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, and a recent Pentagon notice that will essentially kick out transgender service members out of the military if they don't abide by strict rules.

A Special Shout Out for His DOGE Chief

Trump also made sure to place Musk, his tech billionaire adviser, on a pedestal at some point in this address, saying the Tesla CEO didn't really need a position in the government, but he was supposedly still "working very hard."

He said "everybody here" appreciates the work Musk has put in overhauling the federal government, which included widespread layoffs and significant cuts to various programs, some critical in helping toward efforts around global development.

Putting Some of the Spotlight on a Topic Trump Has Avoided: Ukraine

Following last week's Oval Office drama with Zelensky and U.S. Vice President Vance, Trump has not said much about whether he was planning to mend the torn bonds.

On Tuesday, he said he was "working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine." He also said he appreciates Zelensky for handing out an olive branch in the form of a letter the Ukrainian leader sent this week.

Zelensky was very firm in his disapproval of a ceasefire under Russia's terms shortly after he left the Oval Office last week, but he has since softened up, saying he is willing to speak to the U.S. again regarding peace.

World leaders stood with Zelensky following the tense meeting with Trump, reiterating their support for Ukraine.

Lamenting Democratic Protest

Much of the headlines overnight were on Democrats protesting throughout the speech, with some walking out during the address and the majority refusing to clap or stand up as Trump laid out his accomplishments since taking office.

"There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy," he said after Rep. Green was escorted out of the chamber as ordered by GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson.