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, 4:20 PM EST

Theme for Trump's speech is 'Renewal of the American Dream'

A White House official told ABC News Senior Politics Correspondent Rachel Scott that Trump's remarks will focus on four parts: the president's record so far, the economy, border security and plans for "peace around the globe."

The president will push Congress to pass more border security funding for deportations and the border wall, the official said.

A protestor waves an upside-down American flag, a sign of dire distress according to the United States Flag Code, outside the Capitol in Washington, Mar. 4 2025.
Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

On foreign policy, the president is expected to touch on his efforts to help broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. He is also expected to focus on his administration's efforts to bring home hostages amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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