(A)Political - March 8th

Good morning everyone,

It’s been a full week, and I can’t wait to break it down. Let’s get into it!

Trump has given the longest speech on record for a presidential congressional address in his return to the Oval. Trump grants 1 month reprieve for tariffs compliant goods from Canada & Mexico. Elon recommends privatizing more government programs like Amtrak.

• The Triumphant Return

• Tariffs From Canada & Mexico Get Put On Hold

• New DOGE Recommendations

• We got hundreds of emails, and we just dropped some merch after you all asked us to restock. All profits from this merch sale go towards the LA Firefighters Foundation!
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The Triumphant Return

_{By: Atlas}

President Donald Trump took the podium Tuesday night for his first address to a joint session of Congress in five years, declaring that "America is back" and vowing his administration would take "America's destiny into our own hands." In a 100-minute speech that blended policy announcements with victory laps over his administration's early actions, Trump promised that "this will be our greatest era" of American prosperity and global influence.

The scene couldn't have been more different from his last appearance in 2020, when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi dramatically ripped up her copy of his speech. This time, Speaker Mike Johnson sat behind Trump alongside Vice President JD Vance, symbolic of the Republican trifecta now controlling Washington.

Border Security and Immigration

Trump wasted no time highlighting what he considers his administration's signature achievement thus far: the dramatic reduction in illegal border crossings, which he claimed have plummeted 94% since he took office.

"Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border, and I deployed the U.S. military and border patrol to repel the invasion of our country," Trump said, receiving thunderous applause from Republicans.

The president called on Congress to quickly approve additional funding for deportations and border wall construction, declaring his administration has "launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history." In one of the evening's sharpest lines aimed at Democrats, Trump asserted: "The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new LEGISLATION to secure the border — but it turned out that all we really needed was a new PRESIDENT."

Trump also unveiled a surprising proposal for legal immigration: a "$5 million gold card" program under which wealthy foreigners could essentially purchase a path to U.S. citizenship. "It's like the green card, but better and more sophisticated," Trump explained. "And these people will have to pay tax in our country."

Tariffs and Economic Policy

Defending his controversial tariff policies that took effect that same day, Trump doubled down on what he called "the most beautiful word" in economics. The president explained his reciprocal tariff philosophy simply: "Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them."

Trump brushed off concerns about inflation impacts from his 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports and increased duties on Chinese goods, acknowledging there might be "a little disturbance" but insisting "it won't be much."

The president promised to cut taxes across the board, pledging to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent while eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits. In a direct challenge to Democrats, Trump suggested they would face electoral consequences if they opposed these cuts: "I'm sure you're going to vote for those tax cuts because, otherwise, I don't believe the people will ever vote you into office."

Ukraine and International Affairs

In a significant foreign policy announcement, Trump revealed he had received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicating Ukraine is "ready to come to the negotiating table" and prepared to sign the minerals deal that collapsed during their contentious White House meeting days earlier.

"It's time to end this senseless war," Trump said, noting that his administration has had "serious discussions with Russia" that yielded "strong signals that they are ready for peace."

In one of the evening's most surprising moments, Trump directly appealed to the people of Greenland to join the United States. "We strongly support your right to determine your own future," he said. "And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America."

Terrorism Capture and Defense

Trump made the announcement that U.S. forces had apprehended "the top terrorist responsible" for the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 American service members during the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021. "He is, right now, on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice," Trump declared to bipartisan applause.

The president also revealed plans to launch a "Golden Dome" defense shield for the U.S., similar to Israel's Iron Dome system, and announced a new White House Office of Shipbuilding to counter China's dominance in the sector.

Democratic Response and Disruption

The partisan divide was on stark display throughout the evening. Just minutes into Trump's speech, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) stood up, shook his cane at the president, and shouted "You have no mandate!" before being escorted from the chamber. Republican lawmakers drowned out his protest with chants of "USA! USA!"

While most Democrats remained seated during applause lines, some displayed silent protests with signs reading "Save Medicaid" and "Musk Steals," referencing Trump's Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, who was in attendance.

Trump acknowledged the partisan atmosphere, quipping: "I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud."

According to a CBS News poll, Americans who watched the address largely approved of Trump's speech. But with a deeply divided Congress and nation, the question remains whether Trump's ambitious agenda—from balanced budgets to expanded tariffs to ending the Ukraine war—can be implemented as smoothly as he suggested from the House rostrum.

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