In US President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress on Tuesday, his speech received wide support from a group of voters who supported him in the November 2024 presidential election. These voters expressed their support for Trump’s promises to cut taxes, reshape the government, and strengthen measures against illegal immigration. Despite the significant challenges facing the United States, the speech showed a clear determination from Trump in his quest to get the United States back on the right track.
Trump reiterates his plans to impose tariffs, criticizes the CHIPS law in a speech to Congress
US President Donald Trump delivered a speech to Congress on Tuesday evening, in which he reiterated his economic plans, which focus on imposing tariffs on some of the United States’ largest trading partners. He also criticized the CHIPS law, which aims to support the country’s microchip industry.
At a time when Trump’s speech was receiving wide attention, the tariffs that Trump recently imposed went into effect. A 20% tariff was imposed on China and a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, in a move that could mark the start of a full-scale trade war. Trump indicated that the reciprocal tariffs would be applied to the targeted countries’ exports at the same rate, starting April 2.
Trump described these tariffs as necessary to correct unfair trade practices, noting that many American companies were paying a heavy price as a result of these policies. The US president added, “We have been cheated for decades, and we will not let that happen anymore. Tariffs are intended to make America rich again, and make America great again.”
On the other hand, Trump also discussed the impact of these tariffs on the US-made auto sector, explaining that he seeks to exempt interest payments on cars from taxes.
Trump Calls for Ending Health Insurance Law
Regarding the Children’s Health Insurance Act, one of the laws passed by Congress under the Biden administration, Trump has been highly critical of the initiative, calling the money allocated for the law an unnecessary expense. Describing it as “a terrible thing,” he called for the law to be repealed and the remaining funds used to reduce the national debt.
Criticism of Biden’s Policies and Tax Cuts
Regarding taxes, Trump referred to his administration’s plans to cut taxes across the board, which he had previously announced. Trump called on Democrats to support a bill to cut taxes, claiming that these measures would help improve the American economy.
Trump also stressed his administration’s intention to balance the federal budget, despite the expected impact of the tax cut on the national deficit. He said in this regard: “We want to reduce taxes on domestic production and all manufacturing industries.” He added that he would work to implement these tax cuts retroactively as of January 20, 2025.
Trump also continued to criticize the Biden administration, blaming it for recent increases in inflation, especially with regard to egg prices. He noted that the policies of “diversity, equality, and inclusion” have led to increased chaos, and called for these policies to be changed.
Tariffs and US Borders
Trump’s second term has so far been a strong follow-through on plans to impose tariffs, in addition to budget cuts for many government agencies. Trump praised the efforts made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was present during the speech, to reduce government spending. He indicated that the US government needs to spend more efficiently.
On immigration, Trump reiterated his hardline stance on securing the US border. He also stated that the recently introduced “golden card”, a $5 million visa, will soon go into effect.
Many Trump supporters support his speeches
In his speech to Congress, Trump outlined key policies aimed at strengthening the American economy and protecting it from foreign threats, asserting that the Biden administration is not the right choice for the American future. While facing sharp criticism on many fronts, Trump insists on continuing his trade protectionist policy which he sees as a key tool for achieving economic prosperity.
While many Trump supporters supported his speeches, there were others who disagreed with some of the points he made. Here are some of the voters’ reactions after the 99-minute speech ended.
Herman Sims, 66, night operations manager in Dallas
Herman believes that current government spending needs a serious review, especially with regard to wasted resources in many state agencies. He also supports imposing more restrictions on the borders.
Q: What did you like about the speech? A: I enjoyed the beginning of the speech, especially when Trump asked Democrats to applaud for national unity. This was an important gesture to show unity.
Q: What did you not like about it? A: I wish he had talked more about the tariffs.
Chad Hill, 49, supervisor at a nuclear power plant in Ohio
Chad supported Trump because of his promises to lower grocery and energy costs, as well as to close the U.S. Department of Education.
Q: What did you like about the speech? A: I liked that Trump referenced American stories in his speech, and gave reasons for his actions.
Q: What did you dislike about it? A: The long talk about Social Security was overblown. It would have been better to provide more concrete examples.
Loretta Torres, 37, mother of three in Texas
Loretta represents voters who care deeply about the economy. She was looking forward to hearing more about improvements in the economy and tax cuts.
