US President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress has begun. He is expected to outline his administration's plans for his term in office.
'America is back!' — Trump
Trump began his speech by celebrating his administration's measures. "America is back!" Trump declared.
He said that his administration was engaging in "swift and unrelenting action" to usher in the US' "greatest and most successful era."
"We are just getting started," he said. "The American dream is surging bigger and better than ever before," he said, while predicting an "American comeback."
US facing 'inflation nightmare,' Trump says
Trump criticized former President Joe Biden's economic and energy policies. "As you know we inherited from the last administration an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare," he said.
"As president I'm fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again." He claimed that Biden "let the price of eggs get out of control."
Trump said that he aimed to cut the cost of energy by opening up power plants that Biden's administration had closed.
Trump hails 'Gold Card' plan to allow people to 'buy US citizenship'
Trump called for the United States to "balance the federal budget." He said that he had developed a "gold card" plan to allow people to "buy US citizenship" for $5 million (€4.7 million).
"It's like the green card but better," he said. "While we take out the criminals, traffickers and child predators … we will now bring in brilliant, hand-working, job-creating people," he said. "They're going to pay a lot of money and we're going to reduce our debt with that money."
He accused former President Joe Biden's administration of "insane open border" policies.
Trump says tariffs to cause auto industry 'boom'
Trump then began speaking of his tariff policy and his plans to strengthen industry in the United States. He said that the US' auto industry would "boom" under Trump's tariff regime.
Trump mentioned the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Mexico and Canada, claiming that they and other countries "charge tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them."
"This is happening by friend and foe," he said, claiming the "system" is not "fair" to the United States. "We have been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on Earth," Trump claimed.
He said that "reciprocal tariffs" would come into effect on April 2. "Whatever they tariff us, we will tariff them," he said.
Trump hails 'terrorist' designation for cartels
Trump said his administration declared multiple Venezuelan and Mexican organized crime groups as terrorist organizations.
He said that this put the groups on the same level as the so-called "Islamic State" group (IS). Trump claimed that cartels had "total control" over areas near the US' border with Mexico.
He urged Mexico and Canada to do more to combat the flow of the drug fentanyl into the United States.
Trump calls for investigation into child autism
Trump called for the US to get "toxins" out of the environment and "poisons out of our food supply." He claimed that 1 in 36 children in the United States have autism.
"There's something wrong," he said. "We are going to find out what it is," he said, addressing his Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, whom he thanked and wished good luck.
The former-Democrat-turned-Trump-supporter has long stirred controversy due to promoting vaccine conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Trump reiterates plan to acquire Greenland, Panama Canal
Trump then pivoted to security and defense issues. "We didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we're taking it back," Trump said, vowing once again to retake the Panama Canal.
"We need Greenland for national security and even international security," he said.
"And I think we're going to get it. One way or another we're going to get it," he said, vowing to keep Greenland "safe," telling Greenland "we'd welcome you in the US, if you choose."
He said that he supported the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future. As part of his national security policies, Trump announced that the US would create a new "office of shipbuilding."
"We used to make so many ships," he said.
Trump wants to 'build on' Abraham Accords
Trump celebrated the signing of the Abraham Accords during his first term in office, calling it "one of the most groundbreaking peace agreements in generations."
He said that his administration would "build on that foundation" to "create a more peaceful and prosperous future" in the Middle East, which he described as a "rough neighborhood."
Trump said that "a lot of things are happening in the Middle East," in an apparent reference to the conflict in Gaza and other conflicts.
Trump calls for end to 'savage' war in Ukraine
Trump said he was working "to end the savage conflict in Ukraine." He said that the US had sent hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine.
"You want to keep it going for another five years?" he asked, addressing Democrats in the gallery. "Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine," Trump claimed.
He seemingly dismissed fears that the US' relations with European countries were increasingly becoming strained.
"We're getting along very well with them and lots of good things are happening," he said.
He said that he had received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that indicated that Kyiv was willing to "come to the negotiating table" to build a "lasting peace."
