Between impeachment and perpetuation on a $100 bill: how America reacts to Trump’s new political manifesto

As Donald Trump entered the House of Representatives for his address to Congress, the Sergeant Major of the House announced, as usual, “Mr. Speaker, President of the United States.” It was perhaps the only moment of the night that reminded us of political tradition and formality. Everything else – from the rhetoric to the atmosphere – reflected a country split in half.

On the left are the Trump supporters who are jumping out of their seats every time they chant “USA, USA, USA” and “Trump, Trump, Trump,” the Republican Party turned into his personal political movement. On the right is a silent protest, the icy gaze of the Democrats, who saw in this speech not so much a presidential address as a continuation of the pre-election rally, imbued with demagoguery and distorted facts.

The triumvirate of Trump, Vice President J. D. Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson on the floor of the House of Representatives symbolized the unlimited power of the Republican Party. Watching from below were conservative Supreme Court justices and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, another reminder of how much the balance of power in Washington had shifted.

What should have been a formal address by the president turned into something more – a manifesto for a political era that will either usher America into a “new golden age” or usher in its deepest crisis.

CNN political commentator David Axelrod, who was Obama’s top aide, described deep division between political camps in the US, using a joke about one of Trump’s “victories” – his attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico. He noted that if we talk about gulfs, then the current gap between Democrats and Republicans would be appropriate to call “the American gulf.” Axelrod’s joke only emphasizes the scale of the political confrontation in the country.

The longest speech full of populism

Donald Trump delivered the longest annual speech appeal to Congress in modern US history – his speech lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. The previous record belonged to Bill Clinton, who spoke for 1 hour and 28 minutes in 2000. By comparison, Joe Biden spoke for just 1 hour and 7 minutes last year. Trump’s speech was accompanied by frequent cheers from Republicans and protests from Democrats.

What was Trump talking about? He declared that America had regained its leadership and was entering a “golden era,” noting that his administration had gotten off to the most successful start in the nation’s history. He signed almost 100 executive orders aimed at “restoring common sense in the country.” And the first 43 days of his presidency surpassed even the achievements of George Washington.

Trump has traditionally criticized Joe Biden’s policies, especially in the areas of the economy, migration and security, accusing his predecessor of uncontrolled inflation and rising crime. He assured that his team is working to restore the economy, reduce taxes and reduce energy prices. He also announced new tariffs for countries that, according to him, used the US in trade relations.

Developing a favorite theme of migration, Trump emphasized the need for stricter border controls and expressed support for the Border Patrol. He presented a series of stories about crimes committed by illegal immigrants and announced legislative initiatives to increase penalties, including the death penalty for those who kill police officers.

Trump announced his intention to reform the judicial system, cleaning it of “leftist influence” and restoring the rule of law. He also announced support for American industry, a revival of shipbuilding and the introduction of a new tariff policy to protect domestic production.

In the military sphere, Trump emphasized the expansion of defense capabilities, including the creation of the American version of the “Iron Dome” and the restoration of the status of the armed forces as the strongest in the world. “This is what Reagan wanted. But there was no technology. Israel has, and we will have. The world is dangerous. We want to protect our citizens.” In the context of security issues, Trump also mentioned Greenland: “I want to tell the wonderful people of Greenland: we are for your independence. But we need you for international security. We will make you so rich that you never dreamed of it»

He also expressed his support for traditional values, saying that only two genders would be recognized in the US and that schools would be protected from “gender ideology”. Plans have been announced to improve health care, fight toxins in foods, and investigate the causes of rising cancer and autism.

At the end of the speech, Trump said that the United States has a historic mission to protect freedom in the world and destroy communism and Marxism. He promised new achievements in space exploration, including landing on Mars, and assured that America was headed for a new “golden age”.

What did Trump say about Ukraine?

Trump mentioned Ukraine at the end of the speech, but his statements sounded in such a way that they raised more questions than answers. Trump said that he received a letter from Volodymyr Zelenskyi, in which the President of Ukraine expressed readiness for negotiations. Later, however, it became known that there was no letter as such, and the American president was referring to Zelenskyi’s post on the X network. According to Trump, Zelenskyy offers to sign an agreement on security and minerals when the US is ready. What exactly stands behind these words is a subject for reflection.

Raises a number of questions and announced by Trump is large-scale breakthrough in the extraction of strategic resources. According to him, this week he will take “historic steps” to significantly expand the production of critical minerals and rare earth elements in the United States.

These are materials such as graphite, lithium and uranium – key components for the development of the economy, national security and advanced technologies. They are necessary for the production of electronics, “green” energy and even some types of weapons.

According to CBS News, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, that a deal is currently “not on the table” as Trump insists on a “bigger, better deal.” The administration confirmed that there were no plans to sign it as of March 4.

During the speech, Trump asked Americans if they wanted to continue funding Ukraine for another five years, hinting at conflict fatigue. And he emphasized that Washington has already allocated billions of dollars without clear guarantees. It also happened to Europe: “Young people are dying – both Ukrainians and Russians.  Europe spent more money buying gas from Russia than on defense of Ukraine. We invested 300 billion, in Europe – 100. But there is an ocean between us, and they are nearby».

“Reagan must be turning over in the house”

The attributes of the Democrats’ protest became visible in the House of Representatives at the very beginning of US President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Representatives of the party dressed in pink as a sign of protest, some of the democrats added elements of blue and yellow to their clothes, symbolizing their support for Ukraine. Even at the beginning of Trump’s speech, Democratic Congressman Al Green was removed from the hall. During Trump’s address, he raised a cane and started shouting, which actually caused him to be kicked out of the hall.

The representative of the Democratic Party, Elissa Slotkin, sharply commented on the speech of Donald Trump in the US Congress, saying that he “stole” the phrase “peace through strength” from Ronald Reagan. She emphasized that the former Republican president will probably “turn over in the house” because of the scene that took place in the Oval Office between Trump and Zelensky. Slotkin noted that while everyone longs for an end to the war in Ukraine, Reagan understood that America’s true strength lies in the combination of military and economic power with moral principles. In her opinion, the scene in the Oval Office was not just a bad episode of the show, but reflected Trump’s approach to international relations: his tendency to pander to dictators like Putin and stand up to friends like the Canadians. She stressed that Trump sees American leadership as nothing more than a series of deals, and as a child of the Cold War, she is grateful that Reagan led the country in the 1980s, not Trump, because the latter, in her opinion, would have lost the Cold War.

Between impeachment and immortalization on a banknote

Congressman Al Green said that Donald Trump is unfit for the presidency and that he is working to impeach the head of state. In order to initiate impeachment, a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives (50% + 1 vote) is sufficient. However, removing the president from office requires a 2/3 vote in the Senate, which is 67 out of 100 senators. Currently, the political situation in the Senate is as follows: 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and 2 independent senators, Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who cooperate with the Democrats.

At the same time, Texas Congressman Brandon Gill in an interview with Fox News stated about the intention to introduce a bill that would immortalize US President Donald Trump on US currency. As part of this initiative, Gill proposes to replace the portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill with an image of Trump.

According to the congressman, in this way Americans will be able to express their gratitude for the services of the 45th and 47th US presidents. “This is the least we can do to perpetuate all that he will achieve in these four yearsGill said. He also emphasized that Trump could have enjoyed a quiet life dedicated to golf and family, but instead “he took a hit on himself for the sake of the country.”