#TrumpCongressSpeech

Seven takeaways from Donald Trump’s speech to US Congress

Trump declares war on the federal workforce

Touting the work of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump rattled off a list of statistics purporting to show cases of government waste and fraud.

Return to nativist themes and attacks on immigrants

Trump leaned into rhetoric that portrays immigrants as vectors for crime, disease and disorder.

Ukraine and Gaza get brief mention

He said he had helped secure the release of US citizens held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

Democrats struggle to muster a response

While the early minutes of Trump’s speech were met with a chorus of boos from Democratic members of Congress and the expulsion of Democratic Representative Al Green, the opposition’s response was mostly tepid.