President Donald Trump vowed to keep up his chaotic and cruel campaign in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy in his prime-time televised address to Congress Tuesday night.
During Trump’s address to Congress and the nation, Democratic legislators registered their dissent with placards calling out “lies,” and one legislator’s ejection.
Trump’s speech was filled with lies and distortions of the policies he has rushed through during his first weeks back in office.
Trump vowed to keep delivering drastic changes without explaining the costs.
In response, the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he works to slash the federal government and reduce America’s place in the world.
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who delivered an effective Democratic response following Trump’s speech, acknowledged that “America wants change, but there’s a responsible way to make change and a reckless way, and we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy.”
Trump is dismantling the federal government, remaking the relationship with America’s allies and imposing stiff tariffs on neighboring countries which have sparked a North American trade war.
Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk are on a mission to slash the size and scope of federal government including the mass firings of federal workers.
More than 30,000 federal workers have been laid off or fired since Trump took office in January.
More cuts are coming.
The Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 employees from the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to an internal memo. The Internal Revenue Service has begun laying off 6,000 employees, which could lead to delays during tax season.
During the joint session of Congress, Musk was seated in the House gallery, as Trump singled him out for praise and exaggerated false claims about alleged government abuse uncovered by Musk and his team.
Trump repeated the false claim that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments. He made ridiculous claims that dead people over 150 years old were receiving Social Security payments.
“The facts: The databases may list those people, but that does not mean they are getting paid benefits. Part of the confusion comes from Social Security’s software system based on the COBOL programming language, which doesn’t use a specific format for dates. This means that some entries with missing or incomplete birthdates will default to a reference point of more than 150 years ago,” reports the Associated Press.
Trump and his allies are making wild accusations about Social Security payments to justify their claim that the federal government is rife with widespread waste, fraud and abuse. For decades, Republicans have sought to either privatize Social Security or drastically cut benefits.
In his speech Tuesday, Trump boasted about himself and blamed former President Joe Biden for most of the country’s problems. He provided little specifics about how he will help improve the lives of Americans.
Many voters said they voted to return Trump to the White House on his promise to fix inflation but instead they are finding economic chaos.
Consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening.
Experts have warned that Trump’s trade policies will raise prices for consumers.
Trump has unleashed a 25% tax on goods from Canada and Mexico supposedly to secure greater cooperation to tackle fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.
The tariffs have triggered immediate retaliation from Canada and sparked fears of a wider trade war. Trump also raised tariffs on goods from China to 20%.
The Peterson Institute said the tariffs that Trump has already imposed on China, Canada and Mexico would cost the typical U.S. family more than $1,200 per year.
Trump’s one-hour and 40-minute address to Congress was full of false and misleading information to further his agenda to slash social programs and extend his first-term tax cuts which largely benefits corporations and the rich.
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