Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Amber Jamieson in New York

Presidential address: Trump calms his tone in first speech to Congress – as it happened

Highlights from Donald Trump’s first speech to Congress

Summary

In Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress this evening, his first as president, he declared a “new chapter of American greatness” as he stayed on script and avoided the rambling, shambolic speeches he is known for.

  • Trump spoke of “a new surge of optimism” and “national pride” with his election, a contrast to his gloomy “American carnage” inauguration day speech. “I am here tonight to deliver a message of unity and strength, and it is a message deeply delivered from my heart,” said Trump.
  • He did not mention the hundreds of thousands of people who have protested around the world since he took office, including the Women’s March and rallies against his executive order travel ban.
  • Trump said “the time for trivial fights is behind us”, despite his own trivial fights about inauguration crowd size, Saturday Night Live skits and media coverage since his inauguration.
  • He called on Congress to support a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which was lukewarmly received by both sides of the aisle.
  • He also called on Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, although he did not specify how it should be replaced (although he offered five “guidelines” to follow).
  • Trump announced a new office in the Department of Homeland Security called VOICE (Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement), for the victims of crimes committed by immigrants. It’s unknown if that will cover all immigrants or undocumented immigrants. “We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests,” said Trump.
  • Unsurprisingly, Trump staff saw the speech as a hit.
  • In the Democrats official response, former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear (seemingly chosen for being a conservative white Southern Democrat who would appeal to Trump voters) spoke about how dangerous repealing the Affordable Care Act would be, since the only alternatives offered by Republicans so far would result in millions losing coverage. “This isn’t a game. This is life or death for people,” he said.
  • Democrat women donned white to protest Donald Trump’s treatment of women and to honor women’s rights and the Suffragettes.
Members of congress wear white to honor the women’s suffrage movement and support women’s rights.
Members of congress wear white to honor the women’s suffrage movement and support women’s rights. Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Members of congress in white.
Members of congress in white. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

It was a moment that stood out during Donald Trump’s first joint address to Congress: a standing ovation for Carryn Owens, the widow of Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens, as she cried and looked skyward for her husband.

Owens, a navy Seal, died in Yemen on 28 January, in the first military operation Trump authorized as president. His legacy is “etched into eternity”, Trump said on Tuesday night.

Carryn Owens, the wife of Navy Seal William Ryan Owens, with Ivanka Trump during the president’s address to Congress.
Carryn Owens, the wife of Navy Seal William Ryan Owens, with Ivanka Trump during the president’s address to Congress. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

While the president paid tribute to Owens, questions persist about the fateful mission in which the serviceman lost his life. In the hours before the speech, Fox News broadcast an interview with Trump in which he appeared to distance himself from the operation.

“This is a mission that was started before I got here, this is something that was, they wanted to do”, Trump said, referring to “my generals”, before adding, “and they lost Ryan.”

Carryn Owens attended Trump’s speech but her father-in-law, William, told the Miami Herald he had declined to meet with the president. William Owens said the government “owes my son an investigation” and questioned the need for the raid.

“Why at this time did there have to be this stupid mission when it wasn’t even barely a week into his administration? Why? For two years prior there were no boots on the ground in Yemen — everything was missiles and drones — because there was not a target worth one American life. Now all of a sudden we had to make this grand display.”

In his first presidential address to Congress, Trump claimed 94 million people aren’t working, Obamacare is collapsing and borders are “wide open for anyone to cross”. Alan Yuhas sorts fact from fiction:

The most shocking part of Donald Trump’s speech on Tuesday was that there was nothing shocking at all.

Speaking before a joint session of Congress to an audience of senators, congressmen and women, supreme court justices and generals, Trump mostly stayed on script. He did not really brag about the size of his electoral victory (except to declare that in 2016 “the earth shifted beneath our feet”). He did not attack the media or go on any of his frequent verbal detours.

But Trump’s speech is not likely to change the political landscape. We have been here before, where he has seemed presidential on one day and launched a 6am tweet storm the next, making any gains in gravitas temporary. But the occasion did show how divided the country and this Congress is.

When Democrats won’t even stand or clap when Trump is talking about a fallen soldier, it’s not likely that they will be willing to make deals on infrastructure, let alone controversial topics like immigration reform.

It does not matter what Trump says or how formal the setting within which he speaks. No matter what words come out of Trump’s mouth, Democrats are only going to ever hear the echoes of “lock her up”.

From Democrat New York Senator Chuck Schumer, in response to this evening’s address.

Schumer elaborated in a statement:

President Trump’s speech had an air of unreality because what he said tonight was so different than how he has governed in the first 40 days. He’s proposed nothing on trade or infrastructure, which might help working families; and his budget seems to cut education and medical research, which he talked about improving. The president is simply using populist rhetoric to cloak his hard right, anti-middle class agenda.

Here’s the full text of Trump’s speech this evening, as it was prepared.

Iraq 'to be removed' from travel ban list

Associated Press reports, citing unnamed officials, that Iraq will be taken off the list of seven predominantly Muslim countries affected by the travel ban under the promised revision to the executive order.

The Guardian has not yet been able to confirm this.

AP reports:

US officials say President Donald Trump’s new immigration order will remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary US travel ban.

Four officials say the administration’s decision follows pressure from the Pentagon and State Department. They had urged the White House to reconsider Iraq’s inclusion given its key role in fighting the Islamic State group.

Trump is expected to sign the new order on Wednesday. It is designed to replace an earlier Trump order that was blocked by federal courts.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the order before it is signed.

They said six countries Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - will remain on the travel ban list.

Trump’s original travel ban remains suspended since a federal district judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order against it in early February. The injunction was upheld by the ninth circuit court of appeals in San Francisco. Trump later announced that a new version of the ban was on its way.

CNN has reported, however, that the signing of the fresh executive order might be pushed back from Wednesday, after “positive reviews” of Trump’s speech tonight:

Updated

The billionaire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross donned some fancy fashions to this evening’s speech:

The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, can always be counted on for some snap Trump analysis:

New DNC chair Tom Perez wasn’t impressed with Trump’s speech this evening:

This just in from AP:

US officials say new Trump immigration order will remove Iraq from list of countries affected by travel ban.

More in the category of Things Trump Did Not Say:

Updated

Senator and former presidential would-be Bernie Sanders has been delivering his response in a Facebook live video (see him still going here).

There was a lot he didn’t hear from the president, it turns out.

On the environment, for one:

Perhaps most astoundingly … I did not hear President Trump say one word, not one word about the need to combat climate change … In fact, he pledged to increase our dependence on fossil fuels.

I had a difficult time not laughing out loud … on this very, very day he signed an executive order rolling back President Obama’s clean water rules.

And on crime and justice:

I did not hear President Trump say one word on how he was going to fix a broken criminal justice system.

And on education:

At a time when we need the best educated workforce in the world … I did not hear President Trump say one word, not one word, about the need to lower the cost of college.

Not one word about making colleges more affordable, not one word about addressing the crisis of student debt.

Trump did mention draining the swamp, Sanders points out:

The swamp big time is now in his administration, which has more millionaires and billionaires than any administration in history.

Democrats response to Trump's call to repeal Obamacare: 'this is life or death'

Former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear.
Former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. Photograph: Timothy D. Easley/AP

Former Kentucky governor Steven Beshear gives the Democrat’s response to Trump’s joint address, focusing mainly on the call to repeal and replace Obamacare, noting that “this isn’t a game.”

He sits in a diner in Lexington, Kentucky, with a group of Democrats and Republican “neighbors” (all white) behind him. He seems specifically chosen to appeal to Trump supporters, noting that he grew up the son and grandson of Baptist preachers, has been married for 38 years, and that his family ran a small business.

He notes that as governor he found healthcare for over half a million Kentuckians.

We did that through trust and mutual respect...We put people first, and politics second.

He speaks to Trump directly, noting that the president:

...picked a cabinet of billionaires and Wall St insiders who want to eviscerate the protections that most Americans count on and that help level the playing field. Thats not being our champion, that’s being Wall Street’s champion.

Beshear agrees that the Affordable Care Act “needs some repairs” but “so far every Republican idea to replace the Affordable Care Act would reduce the number of Americans covered, despite your promises to the contrary.”

This isn’t a game. This is life or death for people.

Beshear then comments on Trump picking fights with institutions such as the courts, intelligence agencies and press.

President Trump also needs to understand that people may disagree with him from time to time – but that doesn’t make them his enemies

When the president attacks the loyalty and credibility of our intelligence agencies, the court system, the military, the free press and individual Americans – simply because he doesn’t like what they say – he is eroding our democracy. And that’s reckless.

Look, I may be old fashioned, but I still believe that dignity, compassion, honesty and accountability are basic American values.

Updated

Video: Trump’s closing remarks

While many of those watching noted the more … conventional tone of the speech, others stress that the contents continue to cause alarm:

The Daily Mail’s US political editor was piqued for a different reason:

First-take reactions

Trump’s team, to nobody’s surprise, think the speech went stratospherically well:

But more neutral observers – or members of the “evil” media, depending on your standpoint – are also broadly labelling it a success.

Here’s the BBC’s North America editor:

And from CNN’s Jim Acosta:

And there is praise of sorts from some of Trump’s more vocal opponents:

Speaker Paul Ryan declares Trump’s speech a “home run” in a statement released just minutes after Trump finished his speech.

Summary

Two things to note from Trump’s speech that had not been previously announced.

  • A call for Congress to pass $1 trillion in infrastructure spending.
  • A new office in the Department of Homeland Security called VOICE (Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement), which focuses on victims of crime by immigrants. Trump did not clarify if this was crimes by all immigrants or by undocumented immigrants.

Sebastian Gorka, who was Breitbart’s national security editor and a Fox News commentator before he joined the White House as an advisor to Trump, clearly enjoyed the speech:

Video: Trump announces ‘victims of immigration crime’ office

Trump announces a new office for victims of immigration crime.

Trump is signing multiple autographs in the chamber.

Fact-checking Trump's speech, #6 on trade and violence

Trump: “Our trade deficit in goods with the world last year was nearly $800 billion dollars.”

Fact-check: Trump has it almost correct that the trade deficit in goods alone neared $800bn; but he ignores the surplus in services, which reduces the deficit to about $500bn, according to the Census Bureau.

Trump: “The murder rate in 2015 experienced its largest single-year increase in nearly half a century. In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot last year alone — and the murder rate so far this year has been even higher.”

Fact-check: Trump has accurately stated a statistic he often distorts. Last September, the FBI reported that murders and non-negligent manslaughter rose in the US by 10.8% in 2015, the largest single-year increase since 1971. That is not the same as saying there are more murders in the US than at any point since 1971: 15,696 murders were reported in 2015, down from 1991 high of 24,703. The murder rate declined 42% from 1993 to 2014, even though the population increased by a quarter.

Trump correctly cites Chicago’s number of shooting victims; the city has suffered a significant increase in gun violence in the last two years, though it has yet to reach the highs of the mid-1990s. This year has started even more violently than 2016 did, with at least 513 people shot so far. But fewer people have been killed compared with the same period in 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune, and police do not trust a few months’ worth of data to estimate a trend.

Trump: “America has spent approximately six trillion dollars in the Middle East, all this while our infrastructure at home is crumbling. With this six trillion dollars we could have rebuilt our country – twice.”

Fact-check: As previously noted, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost an estimated $4.79tn, according to a university study estimate. Trump’s use of a $6tn claim is misleading: it takes in estimates of future spending, including veterans care for decades in the future.

Interesting note from CBS anchor Scott Pelley on Trump’s address.

Trump: 'believe, once more, in America'

He ends the speech with a call to “embrace this renewal of the American spirit”, an attempt to reset to a more positive tone than he has previously used.

From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations, not burdened by our fears –- inspired by the future, not bound by the failures of the past –- and guided by our vision, not blinded by our doubts.

I am asking all citizens to embrace this renewal of the American spirit. I am asking all members of Congress to join me in dreaming big, and bold and daring things for our country. And I am asking everyone watching tonight to seize this moment and --

Believe in yourselves.

Believe in your future.

And believe, once more, in America.

Thank you, God bless you, and God Bless these United States.

And with that, a short standing ovation from Republicans.

Trump begins shaking hands with members of the crowd.

Trump is beginning to wrap up the speech, with some very flowery language calling on “cures to illnesses” and “one people, with one destiny”.

Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people.

Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope.

American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream.

Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect.

And streets where mothers are safe from fear -- schools where children learn in peace -- and jobs where Americans prosper and grow -- are not too much to ask.

When we have all of this, we will have made America greater than ever before. For all Americans.

This is our vision. This is our mission.

But we can only get there together.

We are one people, with one destiny.

We all bleed the same blood.

We all salute the same great American flag.

And we are all made by the same God.

And when we fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American greatness began.

Trump’s comments on the place of the US and the presidency in the world are interesting, noting:

My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of America.

The line gets a lot of applause. He continues noting that the US does not want international conflict and that the best thing for “humanitarian disasters is to create the conditions where displaced persons can safely return home and begin the long process of rebuilding.”

We want peace, wherever peace can be found. America is friends today with former enemies. Some of our closest allies, decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World Wars. This history should give us all faith in the possibilities for a better world.

Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and more free.

Video: Trump on repealing the Affordable Care Act

Donald Trump discusses his plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act during his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.

As expected, Trump speaks positively about NATO - although he notes financial issues.

We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism.

But our partners must meet their financial obligations.

And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that.

“And I can tell you the money is pouring in,” adds Trump, an ad-lib from the prepared remarks.

Carryn Owens is in tears as the Chamber gives her and her late husband a standing ovation.

Trump notes that the clapping just “broke a record” because it went so long.

“Ryan laid down his life for his friends, for his country, and for our freedom –- we will never forget Ryan,” says Trump.

Fact-checking Trump's speech, #5 on jobs, poverty and healthcare

Trump: “Ninety-four million Americans are out of the labor force.”

Fact-check: This is a vastly exaggerated claim that seems to rely on the roughly 94 million civilians who are 16 or older and not in the labor force: retired people, high school and college students, people with a disability, etc. The unemployment rate in January was 4.8%, or about 7.5 million people who are looking for work but can’t find it.

Trump: “Over 43 million people are now living in poverty, and over 43 million Americans are on food stamps.”

Fact-check: Trump is correct that about 43 million Americans are classified as living in poverty, according to the Census Bureau, after a small decline last year. He is also correct about 43 million people using food stamps, according to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That number reached as high as 47.6 million people in 2013, during the slow recovery.

Trump: “More than 1 in 5 people in their prime working years are not working.”

Fact-check: This appears to be a rephrasing of Trump’s claim about 94 million people out of the workforce; if so, he seems to suggest that disabled people, senior citizens and people under 18 are in their “prime working years”.

Trump: “We have the worst financial recovery in 65 years.”

Fact-check: This claim is true only because the 2008 financial crisis was the worst economic collapse in American history except for the Great Depression, when people starved to death and moved constantly in search of work. In 1933, 25% of all workers and 37% of all non-farm workers were out of work. After the 2008 financial crisis, the US lost 8.7m jobs – in October 2010, unemployment reached a peak of 10%. The recession itself lasted 18 months, officially.

Trump: “Obamacare is collapsing.”

Fact-check: The Affordable Care Act’s healthcare program does have problems, but it is not “collapsing” or in the much warned “death spiral” in which rising costs push healthy people out of the market, ever increasing fees and then pushing companies out as well. But healthcare premiums are increasing at varying rates around the country, on average by 22%, making an unstable market state-to-state. Rates were increasing before the law was enacted, however, and about 30 million people are enrolled in the program.

Now it’s on to the military and veterans, pet topics for Trump.

“I am sending the Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the Defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history,” says Trump.

“My budget will also increase funding for our veterans.

“Our veterans have delivered for this Nation –- and now we must deliver for them.”

In attendance tonight is Carryn Owens, the widow of a US Navy Special Operator, Senior Chief William “Ryan” Owens, who died in a raid in Yemen in January, shortly after Trump’s inauguration.

Trump announces 'victims of immigration crime' office

Trump announces that he has “ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American Victims. The office is called VOICE –- Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement.”

The news was not greeted by cheers, but by rumblings. One of Trump’s election arguments for tighter border control was because of the supposed huge numbers of immigrant criminals.

“We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests,” said Trump.

He has four guests in attendance - Jamiel Shaw, Susan Oliver, Jenna Oliver, and Jessica Davis - who had loved ones killed by undocumented immigrants (Trump calls them “illegal immigrants”).

Trump doesn’t clarify if VOICE only applies to crimes perpetrated by undocumented or all immigrants.

Trump starts on education, framing it as a race issue.

Education is the civil rights issue of our time.

I am calling upon members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African-American and Latino children. These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is right for them.

He then notes that he has a guest here this evening, a young woman who failed third grade twice before switching to a private school and ending up a college graduate.

Fact-checking Trump's speech, #4

Trump: “We’ve lost more than one-fourth of our manufacturing jobs since NAFTA was approved, and we’ve lost 60,000 factories since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.”

Fact-check: According to a study by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research, slightly more than 10% of the manufacturing jobs lost since the 1970s were due to trade deals such as Nafta. The study estimated that 88% of factory jobs lost since the 1970s were taken by automation.

Economists still debate the effect of the deal on jobs. In 2015, the Congressional Research Service wrote that the “net overall effect” was “relatively modest”. “Nafta did not cause the huge job losses feared by the critics or the large economic gains predicted by supporters.”

A 2012 report by the OECD found that manufacturing jobs did flee the US after the deal was signed, but also noted the broader shift toward a service economy.

Trump is correct that China has benefited from trade deals, such as the “most favored nation” status that Bill Clinton renewed for the country. But it too has started to feel the effects of robots replacing humans in the workforce.

Updated

Even the Republicans seemed unsure about Trump’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan, according to Ben Jacobs in the chamber.

Trump calls on both sides of Congress to work together to repeal Obamacare, as well as other issues he believes should be non-partisan:

My administration wants to work with members in both parties to make childcare accessible and affordable, to help ensure new parents have paid family leave, to invest in women’s health, and to promote clean air and clear water, and to rebuild our military and our infrastructure.

True love for our people requires us to find common ground, to advance the common good, and to cooperate on behalf of every American child who deserves a brighter future.

The first mention of Trump’s interest in accessible childcare and paid family leave was made in daughter Ivanka’s speech at the RNC, but no further detail or information has been released about the policy.

Ironically, Trump’s call for “clear water” comes on the same day Trump signed an executive order to review Obama’s “Waters of the United States”, a regulation to ensure clean drinking water.

Trump speaks about repealing the Affordable Care Act but doesn’t provide any clear details on what will replace the system.

Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for America. The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do.

The closest he gets to explaining exactly what will replace Obamacare are five “principles the should guide the Congress”.

First, we should ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the healthcare exchanges.

Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts –- but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by the Government.

Thirdly, we should give our great State Governors the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out.

Fourthly, we should implement legal reforms that protect patients and doctors from unnecessary costs that drive up the price of insurance – and work to bring down the artificially high price of drugs and bring them down immediately.

Finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance across State lines –- creating a truly competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down and provide far better care.

Video: Trump on immigration and national security

Fact-checking Trump's speech, #3 on taxes and job creation

Trump: “Right now American companies are taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world.”

Fact-check: The US is not even in the top 30 highest-taxed nations in the world, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD’s most recent data ranks the US 31st of 34 industrialized nations for tax revenue as a percentage of GDP – far behind Denmark, Britain, Germany and Luxembourg. The US ranks 17th for corporate tax revenue, and 19th for tax revenue per capita. The US is not the tax friendliest country in the world, according to the accounting firm KPMG, but it does rank in the top 10.

Trump: “We will create massive tax relief for the middle class.”

Fact-check: Trump’s tax plan cuts taxes for all American but, by a wide margin, disproportionately helps the wealthiest Americans. According to a conservative thinktank, the Tax Foundation, his plan would save wealthy Americans millions of dollars and add $5.3tn to the national debt. Half of Trump’s tax cuts would go to the top 1% of earners, the thinktank said, and most families below the top 20% of earners would have income gains of less than 1%.

Trump: “Since my election, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Wal Mart, and many others have announced they will invest billions and billions of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs.”

Fact-check: Bloomberg has dissected Trump’s claims about job creation at length; most cases predated Trump, do not actually create jobs, or have nothing to do with him.

General Motors committed $1bn to its US factories just before Trump’s inauguration; it earlier committed $2.9bn before any votes were cast. The company’s plan to “create” around 7,000 jobs includes preserving some jobs that already exist. Walmart announced an expansion in October, before the election, and later said the plan includes 10,000 jobs. Amazon announced an ambitious plan for 100,000 jobs, but has been hiring thousands of people every month for over a year. IBM announced 25,000 jobs in December under a plan it says was made before the election. Chrysler “announced” 2,000 jobs in January that were stipulated by a contract signed in 2015.

Crediting Trump, Ford promised 700 jobs and a $700m investment; Bayer promised 3,000 jobs and an $8bn investment; and Lockheed Martin promised 1,800 jobs. Carrier has said it agreed to keep 700-800 jobs in the US that were set to transfer to Mexico, and has credited Trump with its decision; the company is still sending about 1,000 other jobs to Mexico.

In all, these amount to about 200,000 hypothetical jobs announced in recent months, a total that amounts to 0.1% of the almost 150 million people working in the US.

Updated

Just before mentioning Obamacare, Trump called on Congress to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure. Although that might seem non-partisan, Democrats didn’t welcome it.

Now on to Obamacare.

“Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare,” says Trump.

The Republican side of the chamber jumps to their feet and cheers. The Democrats all remain seated, with some female politicians in white suits seen giving the thumbs down to Trump’s comments.

Trump calls on Dems and Republicans to “work together” on immigration reform.

I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to restore respect for our laws.

If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.

Fact-checking Trump's speech, #2 on immigration and taxes

Trump: “By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone.”

Fact-check: The economic benefit of Trump’s immigration plans are uncertain. A fair amount of research suggests that immigration is good for the economy, and some US industries rely heavily on employees with visas (such as tech) or undocumented workers (such as agriculture).

If enacted, Trump’s plans would also have cost taxpayers billions. Trump’s promised wall would cost Americans about $21.6bn; Mexico has flatly refused to pay for it and Trump has not explained how he could force the country to do so. Aggressive deportation plans could cost billions more, especially if Trump greatly expands the number of federal employees in Homeland Security and the number of private prison contractors.

Trump: “We’ve saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of a fantastic, and it is a fantastic, new F-35 jet fighter.”

Fact-check: The negotiations between the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin about the price of the F-35 began before Trump’s inauguration; on December 19, after Trump tweeted, but before he met with the company’s CEO, the air force announced a significant decrease in the jet’s price.

Trump: “Where proper vetting cannot occur … we cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to establish itself in America.”

Fact-check: Trump’s suggestion that the US’s vetting methods cannot account for the systems of countries abroad has flipped the nature of vetting from how it actually happens. The system, among the most intensive screening process in the world for refugees, relies on US agencies, not those of countries abroad, to vet applicants. People who want to come to the US must pass multiple background checks and interviews with several agencies, as well as medical checks, fingerprint and photo screenings. The process takes 18-24 months.

Updated

Now Trump turns to immigration while discussing free trade, quoting Abe Lincoln.

“The first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, warned that the “abandonment of the protective policy by the American Government [will] produce want and ruin among our people,” he says.

Lincoln was right -- and it is time we heeded his words. I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers, be taken advantage of anymore.

I am going to bring back millions of jobs. Protecting our workers also means reforming our system of legal immigration. The current, outdated system depresses wages for our poorest workers, and puts great pressure on taxpayers.

But no mention of rising the minimum wage.

“We must create a level playing field for American companies and workers,” says Trump.

“Currently, when we ship products out of America, many other countries make us pay very high tariffs and taxes -- but when foreign companies ship their products into America, we charge them almost nothing.”

He noted that he recently met with Harley Davidson, who brought five motorcycles to the White House.

“And they wanted me to ride one and I said ‘no thank you,” said Trump, an ad lib that didn’t appear in his prepared remarks, which were released by the White House shortly after he began speaking.

While Republicans might be on their feet clapping, Democrats are not.

Updated

“I have also imposed new sanctions on entities and individuals who support Iran’s ballistic missile program, and reaffirmed our unbreakable alliance with the State of Israel,” says Trump.

He then notes that he has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the empty seat in the Supreme Court bench.

Five justices are attending this address this evening. Maureen Scalia, wife of the late Antonin Scalia, is also there, and Trump pays tribute to the conservative judge.

“He will forever be a symbol of American justice,” says Trump.

Big claps from the crowd when Trump declares: “we are also taking strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism.”

He notes attacks in France, Belgium and in the United States.

It is not compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur. Those given the high honor of admission to the United States should support this country and love its people and its values.

We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America -- we cannot allow our Nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.

“That is why my Administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe -- and to keep out those who would do us harm,” says Trump, possibly a heads up about an updated travel ban executive order, after his last one was stopped by the courts.

Fact-checking Trump's speech, #1 on borders and spending

Trump: “We’ve defended the borders of other nations while leaving our own border wide open for anyone to cross and for drugs to pour in and at a now unprecedented rate.”

Fact-check: The US’s borders are not “wide open for anyone to cross”, with sections of wall and fencing along the southern border, 21,000 Customs and Border Patrol agents, and a recent history of aggressive deportation. Barack Obama deported a record more than 2.5 million people since he took office, including a record 438,421 people in 2013. The US also has extremely strict vetting for visa applicants and refugees, forcing people to go through multiple rounds of interviews, background checks and medical screenings.

Trump: “We’ve spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled.”

Fact-check: Trump does not specify what spending he’s referring to – though the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost an estimated $4.79tn, according to a study by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs published last year. The authors wrote that the sum is “so large as to be almost incomprehensible.”

Trump is correct that US infrastructure, in general, is in dire need of repair and reconstruction. In 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers reported that the government needs to spend roughly $1.4 trillion over the next decade, or $3.6tn by 2020, to overcome the shortfall in infrastructure funding. With intransigence in Washington DC, the last infrastructure bill to be signed was a $305bn bill by Barack Obama in 2015.

Updated

Now it turns to immigration and national security, with Trump bringing up the wall.

“By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone. We want all Americans to succeed –- but that can’t happen in an environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law to our borders.

“For that reason, we will soon begin the construction of a great, great wall along our southern border,” he says, noting that “bad ones” are being removed from the country as he speaks.

“To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this question: what would you say to the American family that loses their jobs, their income, or a loved one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?”

When Trump mentions the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines, cheers can be heard from the chamber. Armed authorities removed Dakota Access Pipeline protesters in a military-style takeover just last week.

“And I’ve issued a new directive that new American pipelines be made with American steel,” adds Trump, and some Republicans give a standing ovation.

“Drain the swamp” gets a shout out, with Trump declaring:

We have begun to drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a five year ban on lobbying by executive branch officials –- and a lifetime ban on becoming lobbyists for a foreign government.

That line which gets a rowdy applause from lawmakers.

Trump touts the country’s economic progress since his inauguration.

Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others, have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs.

The stock market has gained almost three trillion dollars in value since the election on November 8th, a record. We’ve saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the fantastic new F-35 jet fighter, and will be saving billions more dollars on contracts all across our government.

We have placed a hiring freeze on non-military and non-essential federal workers.

As Trump arrived to deliver his speech, House Democratic congresswomen were seen wearing white in a protest nod to the white-frocked suffragette movement.
As Trump arrived to deliver his speech, House Democratic congresswomen were seen wearing white in a protest nod to the white-frocked suffragette movement. Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Trump then speaks of “mistakes of recent decades” including crumbling infrastructure, neglected inner cities and a shrinking middle class, before addressing his election as a “rebellion” by citizens.

Then, in 2016, the earth shifted beneath our feet. The rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all colors and creeds -– families who just wanted a fair shot for their children, and a fair hearing for their concerns.

But then the quiet voices became a loud chorus -- as thousands of citizens now spoke out together, from cities small and large, all across our country.

Finally, the chorus became an earthquake – and the people turned out by the tens of millions, and they were all united by one very simple, but crucial demand, that America must put its own citizens first ... because only then, can we truly MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.

Trump notes that in nine years, the country will celebrate its 250th anniversary.

“But what will America look like as we reach our 250th year? What kind of country will we leave for our children?” he asks.

Trump begins joint address to Congress

Trump begins his speech addressing members, before noting FLOTUS, who then gets a standing ovation from Republicans.

In a perhaps surprising move, Trump begins by acknowledging Black History Month, civil rights and “the work that still must be done.”

He then notes the recent “vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas city.

He notes that it “reminds us that while we may be a Nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.”

“I’m here tonight to deliver a message of unity and strength and it’s a message deeply delivered from my heart.”

Speaker Paul Ryan hits his gavel for silence.

“I have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States,” declares Ryan.

More cheering ensues.

The cheering continues!

Trump approaches the podium and shakes hands with Paul Ryan and Mike Pence.

Rosie O’Donnell protests Trump before speech

Rosie O’Donnell speaks at a rally calling for resistance to President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017.
Rosie O’Donnell speaks at a rally calling for resistance to President Donald Trump, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Photograph: Cliff Owen/AP

Actor Rosie O’Donnell unleashed an angry tirade against Donald Trump outside the White House on Tuesday, branding her old foe a liar and a bully.

“This is not Russia,” she shouted to more than a hundred rain soaked protesters on Tuesday night. “To Donald Trump and his pathetic band of white privileged criminal businessman, I would like to say to him: Nyet, sir! Nyet! Nyet! Nyet!”

O’Donnell went on furiously: “No we won’t, we’ve seen what you’ve done, sir. We have seen your connections with Russia. The game is over. The internet rules. All media is universal. The truth matters even if our major media companies will not call him a liar. We will!”

She then led the crowd in chants of: “He lies! He lies! He lies!”

The 54-year-old performer added: “And it’s about time they all started saying that instead of, ‘It appears as if he hasn’t been speaking the truth.’ Cut it down to the lowest common denominator like he does.”

O’Donnell and Trump have a feud dating back seven years. When Trump was asked at a 2015 Republican primary debate about his use of language like “fat pigs,” “dogs,” “slobs” and “disgusting animals” to describe some women, he replied: “Only Rosie O’Donnell.”

On Tuesday she parodied Trump’s voice - “it’s a bigly good idea” - and then referred to the US navy Seal killed in a recent raid in Yemen. “Well, tell that to Ryan Owens’ father, sir. How dare you, Donald Trump? This is America, it is not yours, it is not corporately owned. It is of the people, by the people and for the people. And we the people will not stand for it.

“He has degraded and bullied people his entire career. The president of the United States has been accused of rape many, many times. Report that. That’s the fact Jack! That’s how we’re going to go from now on, down and dirty like Donald Trump.” O’Donnell was repeating unsubstantiated rape allegations against Trump. Multiple women have accused Trump of sexual assault and misconduct, including groping, but a lawsuit filed by a woman accusing him of rape was withdrawn twice, and Trump’s ex-wife Ivana Trump recanted her statement that he had raped her while they were married.

The “resistance” event, ahead of Trump’s first speech to Congress, heard speeches from groups representing civil liberties, military veterans, Muslims and nurses. People held umbrellas in one hand and placards in the other, with slogans including, “He lies”, “Investigate Trump”, “Read the constitution” and “We don’t love Trump’s hate”.

Will Fischer, a marine and member of VoteVets, an organisation representing more than half a million military veterans across America, called on Congress to vote on getting information from the Department of Justice on the president’s ties to Russia. “I’m a marine, I’m a combat veteran and I want to see Donald Trump investigated,” he said.

This prompted chants of “Lock him up! Lock him up!” - an inversion of the “Lock her up!” shouts about Hillary Clinton heard at Trump’s campaign rallies.

Fischer added: “We want to know the truth. Did Donald Trump break the law? Did Donald Trump violate the constitution? Did Donald Trump put our national security at risk?”

Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, director of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, told the gathering that his child’s school had just received a bomb threat. “The Jewish community is reeling right now... Mr President, fire Steve Bannon!”

Larry Cohen of Our Revolution said: “We don’t take the word ‘resistance’ lightly. We know what it means. It means when they come for an immigrant I’ll stand there and they’ll have to take me first... What we will do, Donald Trump, as you attack, we will stand up and fight back.”

To the annoucement of “Mr Speaker, the president of the United States,” Trump enters the chamber.

He’s wearing a navy and white striped tie. He shakes hands with members on both sides of the aisle and is smiling and pointing to the crowd.

First Lady Melania Trump just entered the chamber - dressed in a sparkling black outfit - followed afterwards by the cabinet.

In excerpts just released, Donald Trump speaks in broad terms about legislative goals like tax reform and Obamacare without engaging in specifics.

He touts “my economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone” without details on what this would involve and how it would be paid for.

Trump also calls on Congress “to repeal and replace Obamacare, with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better healthcare.”

He gives no details about how to accomplish this gargantuan task save that “the way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do.”

The president who has been known for sounding dark tones in his speeches, most notably his invocation of “American carnage” in his inaugural address, struck more optimistic notes in the excerpts released tonight.

“America will be empowered by our aspirations – not burdened by our fears,” Trump is expected to proclaim.

However, the excerpts give only an incomplete picture of the president’s full remarks. Trump is scheduled to speak for approximately 80 minutes and the president has long made a habit of ad libbing and riffing off of prepared statements.

As Trump heads to the Capitol, TV cameras catch him rehearsing his speech:

'America will be empowered by our aspirations': White House releases speech excerpts

This just in from the White House, excerpts of tonight’s speech:

Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice – in an unbroken chain all the way down to the present.

And we’ve spent trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled.

We have begun to drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a 5-year ban on lobbying by Executive Branch Officials – and a lifetime ban on becoming lobbyists for a foreign government.

By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone.

As promised, I directed the Department of Defense to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS – a network of lawless savages that have slaughtered Muslims and Christians, and men, women, and children of all faiths and beliefs.

We will work with our allies, including our friends and allies in the Muslim World, to extinguish this vile enemy from our planet.

But to accomplish our goals at home and abroad, we must restart the engine of the American economy – making it easier for companies to do business in the United States, and much harder for companies to leave.

My economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone.

At the same time, we will provide massive tax relief for the middle class.

Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better Healthcare.

Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for America.

The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do.

Obamacare is collapsing – and we must act decisively to protect all Americans. Action is not a choice – it is a necessity.

So I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work with us to save Americans from this imploding Obamacare disaster.

My administration wants to work with members in both parties to make childcare accessible and affordable, to help ensure new parents have paid family leave, to invest in women’s health, and to promote clean air and clear water, and to rebuild our military and our infrastructure.

True love for our people requires us to find common ground, to advance the common good, and to cooperate on behalf of every American child who deserves a brighter future.

Today is Rare Disease Day, and joining us in the gallery is a Rare Disease Survivor, Megan Crowley. Megan was diagnosed with Pompe Disease, a rare and serious illness when she was 15 months old. She was not expected to live past 5.

On receiving this news, Megan’s dad, John, fought with everything he had to save the life of his precious child. He founded a company to look for a cure, and helped develop the drug that saved Megan’s life. Today she is 20 years old—and a sophomore at Notre Dame. Megan’s story is about the unbounded power of a father’s love for a daughter.

Finally, to keep America safe we must provide the men and women of the United States Military with the tools they need to prevent war and – if they must – TO FIGHT AND TO WIN.

I am sending Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history.

My budget will also increase funding for our veterans. Our Veterans have delivered for this nation – and now we must deliver for them.

The challenges we face as a nation are great.

But our people are even greater.

And none are greater or braver than those who fight for America in uniform.

But we know that America is better off, when there is less conflict -- not more.

We must learn from the mistakes of the past – we have seen the war and destruction that have raged across our world.

The only long-term solution for these humanitarian disasters is to create the conditions where displaced persons can safely return home and begin the long process of rebuilding.

America is willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where shared interests align.

Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people.

Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope.

American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream.

Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect.

And streets where mothers are safe from fear—schools where children learn in peace—and jobs where Americans prosper and grow—are not too much to ask.

When we have all of this, we will have made America greater than ever before.

The time for small thinking is over.

The time for trivial fights is behind us.

We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.

The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls.

And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action.

From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations – not burdened by our fears.

Guardian’s own Ben Jacobs is tweeting live updates from within the chamber.

Veep Mike Pence enters the chamber and gives a big bear hug to Speaker Paul Ryan.

Daughter Ivanka Trump and her advisor husband just left the White House, but not before one of her customary fashion tweets.

More random lines of excerpts from Trump’s joint address to Congress tonight, from Fox News.

On Obamacare:

Tonight I’m also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs and at the same time provide better health care.

On tax reform:

...historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone...

On immigration:

By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars and make our communities safer for everyone.

On national security:

[We] cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside of America. We cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.

On education:

Education is the civil rights issue of our time.

The two key topics to watch for this evening are Obamacare - and exactly how Trump plans to repeal the policy and what it means for Medicaid - and tax reform, particularly the issue of a border adjustability tax.

Bernie Sanders has a giggle.
Bernie Sanders has a giggle. Photograph: Janet Van Ham/AP

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders laughed when asked about the excerpt from Trump’s speech which declares “the time for trivial fights is behind us”.

This is a man who has been attacking Muslims, he has been attacking Latinos, he has been attacking the media, he has been attacking judges who ruled against him and now he has concluded the time for trivial fights is behind us? Well, I hope he’s right.

Excerpts of Trump speech released

A senior administration official released some intriguing excerpts of Trump’s speech this evening to NBC reporter Kristen Welker.

“We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts” is pretty clunky inspiration, but the first two excerpts do focus on the “optimism” that the Trump administration is promising in this speech.

The official said Trump worked on the speech until 6:15, and that it’s a “Trump original”, according to tweets from NBC reporter Kristin Donnelly.

Democrat Eliot Engel, a New Yorker, usually sits on the aisle and shakes the president’s hand after their Congress address, a tradition he’s carried on for 29 years.

But tonight he won’t, as a protest against Trump.

“Unfortunately, since Jan. 20, the new administration has shown no interest in working with the Congress on both sides to tackle problems, including Russia’s unlawful interference in last year’s election,” said Engel.

“That’s why I’ve decided not to stand on the aisle of the House chamber to shake the president’s hand during this joint session of Congress, as I have done in the past through Democratic and Republican administrations alike.”

He spoke on NBC today about his decision:

Fellow aisle fan Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat from Texas, also won’t stake out her usual aisle seat in advance and instead will just sit in “any available seat when she arrives,” according to her chief of staff.

Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California, won’t attend the address in protest.

Summary

Tonight Donald Trump will address Congress for the first time since taking office, outlining his vision for the country. His dizzying 40 days in office have included a controversial travel ban squashed by the courts, constant squabbling with the media and diplomatic tussles with traditional allies.

The speech, which kicks off at 9pm EST, is like a mini state of the union address and will go for over an hour. We’ll be liveblogging the whole affair here.

Like any Trump speech, it’ll likely include a wide variety of topics – immigration, healthcare, the military and taxes – and the executive orders signed today about rolling back environmental protections and encouraging women in Stem (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.

In a contrast to Trump’s gloomy inauguration day “American carnage” speech, the mood this evening is expected to be lighter.

“My speech will be a message of optimism, hope, and love for the greatest country in history. I will lay out our agenda for a stronger, freer, and more prosperous America,” Trump said in an email to supporters this afternoon, calling on donations for his re-election.

But while the administration is touting it as optimistic, advisor Steve Bannon, seen as Trump’s most influential advisor, spoke this week at CPAC about the three “verticals” the Trump administration will focus on, and it’s a less positive affair: national security and sovereignty, economic nationalism, and “deconstruction of the administrative state”.

Trump is addressing lawmakers, and therefore may focus on more policy than a normal Trump chat, but he noted in the donation email that his speech tonight will be aimed at the masses:

Tonight at 9pm EST I’m going to speak before Congress for the first time. But more importantly, I will be speaking to you – the American people.

In protest of Trump, female Democrats donned white for the occasion, a nod to the white-frocked suffragette movement. (Remember, Hillary Clinton wore a white suit to accept her nomination at the DNC last June as a tribute to the Suffragettes.)

Anti-Trump protesters, including TV personality Rosie O’Donnell, are marching on the US Capitol in advance of the speech.

It’ll be a busy evening, stay with us!

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Bedbug chaos sweeps multiple states, with a travel insider revealing the shocking reason why you might bring them home
Bedbug infestations linked to travel are surging in multiple Southern states, and one travel expert is pointing to budget accommodations as a major culprit for why you might unknowingly bring these unwelcome guests home. This is definitely awful news if you’re planning any spring break trips or just general travel.
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
I’m Even More Upset About The Buffy Reboot Getting Canceled After Hearing All The BTS Tea
I didn't think this could get more annoying, then it did.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
After Calling Out Diddy's Legal Drama For So Long, 50 Cent Is Now Dealing With His Own
50 Cent has been making legal moves as of late.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Zendaya: Many people fooled by AI-generated photos of wedding to Tom Holland
It comes amid speculation the couple have tied the knot.
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
‘Sleep divorce’: could separate beds improve your health?
They say love conquers all, but it doesn’t always conquer snoring.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Trailer Is Finally Coming, But With A Twist That's Got Me Scratching My Head
I... don't get it.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play