[Pages S1490-S1495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE
______
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT DELIVERED TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON
MARCH 4, 2025--PM 12
The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message
from the President of the United States which was ordered to lie on the
table:
To the Congress of the United States:
Speaker Johnson, Vice President Vance, the First Lady of the United
States, members of the United States Congress, and my fellow citizens:
America is back! Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this
Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the Golden Age of America. From that
moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to
usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our
country.
We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations
accomplish in 4 years or 8 years--and we are just getting started.
I return to this chamber tonight to report that America's MOMENTUM is
back. Our SPIRIT is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back.
And the American Dream is surging--bigger and better than ever before.
The American Dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a
comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps
will never witness again.
The presidential election of November 5th was a mandate like has not
been seen in many decades. We won all 7 swing states, giving us an
Electoral College victory of 312 votes. We won the popular vote by
millions, and won counties in our country 2,700 to 525--on a map it
reads almost completely red for Republican.
Now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe
that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong
direction--an astonishing record 27-point swing since Election Day
alone. Likewise, small business optimism saw its single largest one-
month gain ever recorded--a 41-point jump.
Over the past 6 weeks, I have signed nearly 100 Executive Orders and
taken more than 400 Executive Actions to restore common sense, safety,
optimism, and wealth all across our wonderful land. The People elected
me to do the job, and I am doing it. In fact, it has been stated by
many that the first month of our presidency is the most successful in
the history of our nation.
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What makes it even more impressive is that number two on the list is
the late, great George Washington.
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. As a result,
illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever
recorded! They heard my words, and they chose not to come. In
comparison, under Joe Biden, the worst president in American History,
there were hundreds of thousands of illegals crossing a month, and
virtually ALL of them, including murderers, drug dealers, gang members,
and people from mental institutions and insane asylums were released
into our Country.
This is my fifth such speech to Congress--and once again, I look at
the Democrats in front of me, and I realize that there is absolutely
nothing I can say to make them happy, or to make them stand, smile, or
applaud. I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease
that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the
greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest
levels ever recorded, and these people sitting right here will not
clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these
astronomical achievements. It's very sad, and it shouldn't be this way.
Democrats sitting before me, for just this one night, why not join us
in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? And for the good of
our nation, let's work together, and truly Make America Great Again!
Every day, my administration is fighting to deliver the change
America needs, and the future Americans deserve. This is a time for big
dreams, and bold action.
Upon taking office, I imposed an immediate freeze on all Federa1
hiring, a freeze on all new Federal regulations, and a freeze on all
foreign aid.
I terminated the ridiculous Green New Scam, I withdrew from the
unfair Paris Climate Accord, I withdrew from the corrupt World Health
Organization, and I withdrew from the anti-American U.N. Human Rights
Council. We ended all of Biden's environmental restrictions that were
making our country far less safe, and totally unaffordable. And
importantly, we ended the last administration's insane Electric Vehicle
Mandate, saving our autoworkers and companies from economic ruination.
To unshackle our economy, I have directed that for every 1 new
regulation, 10 old regulations must be eliminated, just like I did in
my very successful first term, when we set records on ending
unnecessary rules and regulations.
We ordered all Federal workers to return to the office--they will
either show up for work, in person, or be removed from their job.
We have ended weaponized government, where as an example, a sitting
president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent--how
did that work out? And I have stopped all government censorship, and
brought back free speech in America.
I also signed an order making English the official language of the
United States.
I renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, and we are
restoring the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount
McKinley in beautiful Alaska.
We have ended the tyranny of so-called ``Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion'' policies across the entire Federal government and private
sector. Our country will be ``woke'' no longer. We believe that whether
you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer, or an air traffic
controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and
competence, not race or gender. You should be hired based on merit--and
the Supreme Court, in a brave and very powerful decision, has allowed
us to do so.
We have removed the poison of Critical Race Theory from our public
schools. And I signed an order making it the official policy of the
United States Government that there are only two genders, male and
female.
I also signed an Executive Order to ban men from women's sports. 3
years ago, Payton McNabb was an all-star high school athlete preparing
for a future in college sports. But when her girls' volleyball match
was invaded by a male, he smashed the ball in Payton's face, causing
traumatic brain injury, partially paralyzing her right side, and ending
her athletic career. Payton is here tonight in the gallery--and Payton,
from now on, schools will kick the men off the girls' teams, or they
will lose all Federal funding. And if you really want to see numbers,
just take a look at what happened in women's boxing, weight lifting,
track and field, swimming, or cycling, where a male recently finished a
long-distance race 5 hours and 14 minutes ahead of the women. It's
demeaning for women, and it's bad for our country.
What I have just described is only a small fraction of the Common-
Sense revolution that is now, because of us, sweeping the world. Common
Sense has become a Common Theme--and we will never go back.
Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get
dramatic and immediate relief to working families. As you know, we
inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an
inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up
the cost of groceries, and drove the necessities of life out of reach
for millions of Americans. We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years,
but perhaps even in the history of our country. As President, I am
fighting every day to reverse this damage and Make America affordable
Again.
Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control--and we
are working hard to get it back down.
A major focus of our fight to defeat inflation is rapidly reducing
the cost of energy. The previous administration cut the number of new
oil and gas leases by 95%, slowed pipeline construction to a halt, and
closed more than 100 power plants. We have never seen anything like it
.
That is why on my first day in office, I declared a National Energy
Emergency.
We have more liquid gold under our feet than any nation on earth, by
far, and I have fully authorized a very powerful program. It's called
Drill, Baby, Drill.
My administration is also working on a gigantic natural gas pipeline
in Alaska, among the largest in the world, where Japan, South Korea,
and other nations want to be our partner--with trillions of dollars
being spent by them. It will truly be spectacular.
Later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically
expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in USA.
To further quench the fires of inflation, we will not only be
reducing the cost of energy, but will be ending the flagrant waste of
taxpayer dollars. To that end, I have created the brand-new Department
of Government Efficiency--headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery
tonight.
Just listen to some of the appalling waste we have already
identified: $22 billion dollars from H.H.S. to provide free housing and
cars for illegal aliens. $45 million dollars for Diversity Equity, and
Inclusion (DEI) scholarships in Burma. $40 million dollars to improve
the ``social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants.'' $8 million
dollars to promote ``L.G.B.T.Q.I. Plus'' in the African nation of
Lesotho, which nobody ever heard of. $60 million dollars for Indigenous
Peoples and Afro-Colombian Empowerment in Central America. $8 million
dollars for making mice transgender. $32 million dollars for a left-
wing propaganda operation in Moldova. $10 million dollars for male
circumcision in Mozambique. $20 million dollars for the Arab Sesame
Street programming in the Middle East. $1.9 billion dollars to a
recently-created ``decarbonization of homes'' committee of Stacey
Abrams. A $3.5 million dollar consulting contract for ``larval fish
monitoring.'' $1.5 million dollars for ``voter confidence'' in Liberia.
$14 million dollars for ``social cohesion'' in Mali. $59 million
dollars for illegal alien hotel rooms in New York City. $250,000 to
increase ``Vegan Local Climate Action Innovation'' in Zambia. $42
million dollars for ``social and behavior change'' in Uganda. $14
million dollars for ``improving public procurement'' in Serbia. $47
million dollars for ``improving learning outcomes in Asia.'' And $101
million dollars for DEI contracts at the Department of Education.
Under the Trump Administration, all of these scams, and many more,
have been found out, exposed, and swiftly terminated. We have taken
back the money, and reduced our debt to fight
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inflation. This is just the beginning--the Government Accountability
Office has estimated annual fraud of over $500 billion dollars, and we
are going to stop it. When people criticize us, they never talk about
where the money is going to, they only claim it's supposedly a
violation of the Constitution, which it's not. But they don't mean
that, they don't care about our Constitution. They only care about the
money. The whole thing is a scam.
We are also identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable
fraud in the Social Security program our seniors rely on. Believe it or
not, Government databases list 4.7 million Social Security numbers from
people aged 100 to 109 years old, 3.6 million from ages 110 to 119.
3.47 million from ages 120 to 129. 3.9 million from ages 130 to 139.
3.5 million from ages 140 to 149. 1.3 million from ages 150 to 159. And
over 130,000 over age 160. Including 1,039 people between the ages of
220 to 229. One person between the age of 240 to 249. And one person at
360 years of age.
By slashing all of the fraud, waste, and theft we can find, we will
defeat inflation, bring down mortgage rates, lower car payments and
grocery prices, protect our seniors, and put more money in the pockets
of American families. And in the near future, I want to do what has not
been done in 24 years: balance the Federal budget.
With that goal in mind, we have developed in great detail what we are
calling the Gold Card, which goes on sale very soon. For $5 million
dollars, we will allow the most successful, job-creating people from
all over the world to buy a path to U.S. citizenship. So while we take
out the criminals, killers, traffickers, and child predators, who were
allowed to enter our country under the open border policy of the Biden
Administration, we will now bring in brilliant, hardworking, job-
creating people.
Americans have given us a mandate for bold and profound change. For
nearly 100 years, the Federal bureaucracy has grown until it has
crushed our freedoms, ballooned our deficits, and held back America's
potential in every possible way. The nation founded by pioneers and
risk-takers now drowns under millions of pages of regulations and debt.
Approvals that should take 10 days instead take 10 years. Meanwhile, we
have hundreds of thousands of Federal Workers who have not been showing
up to work. My Administration will reclaim power from this
unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to
America again. Any Federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be
removed from office. We are draining the swamp. The days of rule by
unelected bureaucrats are over.
The next phase of our plan to deliver the greatest economy in history
is for this Congress to pass tax cuts for everybody. We are seeking
permanent income tax cuts across the board. And to get urgently needed
relief to Americans hit especially hard by inflation, I am calling for
no tax on tips. No tax on overtime. And no tax on Social Security
benefits for our great seniors. I also want to make interest payments
on car loans tax deductible--but only if the car is made in America.
That, along with our other policies, will allow our auto industry to
boom. In fact, already, numerous car companies have announced that they
will be building massive automobile plants in America, with Honda just
announcing a new plant in Indiana, one of the largest in the world.
This has taken place since our great Election victory on November 5th,
a date which will hopefully go down as one of the most important in the
history of our country.
In addition, as part of our tax cuts, we want to cut taxes on
domestic production and manufacturing. This will reward businesses that
build in America, hire American workers, and stamp their products with
those beautiful words, Made in the USA. And just as we did before, we
will provide 100% expensing--it will be retroactive to January 20th,
2025, and it was one of the reasons why our tax cuts were so successful
in the first term.
If you don't make your product in America, however, under the Trump
Administration, you will pay a TARIFF, and in some cases, a rather
large one. Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades,
now it is our turn to start using them against those other countries.
On average, the EU, China, Brazil, India, and countless other nations
charge us tariffs many times higher than ours. India charges us auto
tariffs higher than 100%. China's average tariff on our products is
twice what we charge them, and South Korea's average tariff is 4 times
higher. This system is not fair to the United States, and never was, so
on April 2nd, reciprocal tariffs kick in.
Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax
them. If they do non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market,
then we do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market. We
will take in trillions of dollars, and create jobs like we have never
seen before. We have been ripped off for decades by nearly every
country on earth, both friend and foe alike. We are not going to allow
that to happen anymore. Much has been said about Mexico and Canada, but
we have large deficits with them. They are in effect receiving
subsidies of hundreds of billions of dollars, and the United States
will not be doing that any longer.
Thanks to the America First policies we are putting into place, we
have had $1.7 trillion dollars of new investment in America in the past
few weeks: SoftBank announced $200 billion, OpenAI and Oracle announced
$500 billion, Apple announced $500 billion, and just yesterday, Taiwan
Semiconductor, the biggest in the world by far, announced $165 billion
dollars to build the most powerful chips on earth, right here in the
USA.
Our new trade policy will also be great for the American farmer--who
will now be selling into our home market, because nobody is going to be
able to compete with you. Tariffs will go on agricultural product
coming into America on April 2nd. Have fun farmers, I love you too! And
I have also imposed a 25% tariff on foreign aluminum, copper, lumber,
and steel--because if we don't have steel, and lots of other things, we
don't have a military, and frankly, we don't have a country.
Here today is a proud American steelworker from Decatur, Alabama.
Jeff Denard has been working at the same steel plant for 27 years, in a
job that has allowed him to serve as the captain of his local volunteer
fire department, raise 7 children with his wife Nicole, and over the
years, provide a loving home to more than 40 foster children.
Stories like Jeff's remind us that tariffs are not just about
protecting American jobs--they're about protecting the soul of our
country. Tariffs are about Making America rich again and Making America
Great Again. Jeff, thank you.
I also want to recognize another person who has devoted herself to
the foster care community--our magnificent First Lady. Melania's work
has yielded incredible results, helping prepare our nation's future
leaders as they enter the workforce. Our First Lady is joined by two
impressive young women: Haley Ferguson, who benefitted from the First
Lady's Fostering the Future Initiative, and is poised to complete her
education and become a teacher; and Elliston Berry, who became a victim
of an illicit Deepfake image produced by a peer. With Elliston's help,
the Senate just passed the ``Take it Down Act,'' to criminalize the
publication of such images online--and once it passes the House, I look
forward to signing that bill into law.
But if we truly care about protecting America's children, no step is
more crucial than securing America's borders. Over the past 4 years, 21
million people poured into the United States--many of them were
murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and other criminals from the
streets of dangerous cities all throughout the world. Because of Joe
Biden's insane and very dangerous open border policies, they are now
strongly embedded in our country, but we are getting them out.
Last year, a brilliant 22-year-old nursing student named Laken Riley,
the best in her class, went out for a jog on the campus of the
University of Georgia. That morning, Laken was viciously attacked,
assaulted, beaten, brutalized, and horrifically murdered. Laken was
stolen from us by a savage illegal alien gang member who was arrested
while trespassing across Biden's open southern border, and then set
loose into the United States under the heartless policies of that
failed administration. He had then been arrested
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and released in a Democrat-run Sanctuary City, before ending the life
of this beautiful angel.
With us this evening are Laken's beloved mother, Allyson, and her
sister Lauren. Last year, I told Laken's grieving parents that we would
ensure their daughter would not have died in vain. That is why the very
first bill I signed into law as our 47th president mandates the
detention of all dangerous criminal aliens who threaten public safety.
It is called the Laken Riley Act. Allyson and Lauren, America will
never, ever forget our beautiful Laken Hope Riley.
Since taking office, my administration has launched the most sweeping
border and immigration crackdown in American history--and we quickly
achieved the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers ever recorded.
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.
Joe Biden didn't just open our borders, he flew illegal aliens over
them to overwhelm our schools, hospitals, and communities throughout
the country. Entire towns like Aurora, Colorado and Springfield, Ohio,
buckled under the weight of the migrant occupation and corruption. Now,
just as I promised in my inaugural address, we are achieving the Great
Liberation of America.
But there still is much work to be done. Here tonight is a woman I
have gotten to know, Alexis Nungaray from Houston. Last June, Alexis's
12-year-old daughter, her precious Jocelyn, walked to a nearby
convenience store. She was kidnapped, tied up, assaulted for two hours
under a bridge, and horrifically murdered. Arrested and charged with
this heinous crime are two illegal alien monsters from Venezuela
released into America by the last administration.
The death of this beautiful 12-year-old girl and the agony of her
mother and family touched our entire nation, greatly. Alexis, I
promised you that we would always remember your daughter, and earlier
tonight I signed an order keeping my word to you. One thing I have
learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals, and loved nature.
Across Galveston Bay from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you will find
a National Wildlife Refuge--a pristine, peaceful 34,000-acre sanctuary
for all God's creatures on the edge of the Gulf of America. Alexis,
moments ago, I formally renamed that refuge in loving memory of your
daughter, Jocelyn Nungaray. Mr. Vice President, please present the
order.
All three savages charged with Jocelyn and Laken's murders were
members of the Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua. Two
weeks ago, I officially designated this gang, along with MS-13 and the
bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartels, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
They are now officially in the same category as ISIS. Countless
thousands of these terrorists were welcomed into the U.S. by the last
administration. But now, every last one will be rounded up and forcibly
removed from our country.
With us this evening is a warrior on the front lines of that battle:
Border Patrol Agent Roberto Ortiz. In January, Roberto and another
agent were patrolling by the Rio Grande near an area known as ``cartel
island,'' when heavily armed gunmen started shooting. Roberto saw that
his partner was totally exposed, and he leapt into action, returning
fire, and providing crucial seconds for his fellow agent to seek
safety. Agent Ortiz, we salute your courage in the line of fire.
The territory to the immediate South of our border is now dominated
entirely by criminal cartels that murder, rape, torture, and exercise
total control--posing a grave threat to our national security. The
Cartels are waging war on America, and it is time for America to wage
war on the cartels.
5 nights ago, Mexican Authorities, because of the tariffs being
imposed on them, handed over to us 29 of the biggest cartel leaders in
their country--it has never happened before. But we need Mexico and
Canada to do much more--they have to stop the fentanyl and drugs
pouring into our country.
I have sent Congress a detailed funding request laying out exactly
how we will eliminate these threats, protect our Homeland, and complete
the largest deportation operation in American history, larger even than
current recordholder Dwight D. Eisenhower--a moderate man but someone
who believed very strongly in borders. Americans expect Congress to
send me this funding without delay, so I can sign it into law.
As we reclaim our sovereignty, we must also bring back LAW and ORDER
to our cities and towns.
In recent years, our justice system has been turned upside down by
Radical Left lunatics. Many jurisdictions virtually ceased enforcing
the law against dangerous repeat offenders, while weaponizing law
enforcement against political opponents, like me.
My administration has acted swiftly and decisively to restore fair,
equal, and impartial justice under the Constitutional Rule of Law--
starting at the FBI and DOJ.
We are also once again giving our police officers the support,
protection, and respect they so dearly deserve. This also includes our
great fire departments throughout the country, who are likewise under
siege.
One year ago this month, 31-year-old New York Police Officer Jonathan
Diller was gunned down at a traffic stop on Long Island. The vicious
criminal charged with his murder had 21 prior arrests. The thug in the
seat next to him had 14 prior arrests and went by the name ``Killer.''
I attended Officer Diller's funeral, and met his one-year-old son Ryan
and his 29-year-old widow Stephanie--and she is here tonight.
Stephanie, we are going to make sure Ryan knows his dad was a Hero--and
we are going to get these cold-blooded killers and repeat offenders off
our streets, and fast.
I have already signed an Executive Order requiring a mandatory death
penalty for anyone who murders a police officer--and tonight I am
asking Congress to pass that policy into permanent law. I am also
asking for a new Crime Bill getting tough on repeat offenders, while
enhancing protections for America's police officers--so they can do
their jobs without fear of their lives being destroyed.
Joining us in the Gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our
police. His name is D.J. Daniel, he is 13 years old, and he has always
dreamed of becoming an officer. But in 2018, D.J. was diagnosed with
brain cancer--the doctors gave him 5 months to live. That was more than
6 years ago. Since that time, D.J. and his dad have been on a quest to
make his dream come true. D.J. has been sworn in as an honorary law
enforcement officer a number of times. And tonight, D.J., we're going
to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret
Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the
United States Secret Service. Sean, please present D.J. with his badge.
Thank you, D.J.
D.J.'s doctors believe his cancer likely came from a chemical he was
exposed to when he was younger. Since 1975, rates of child cancer have
increased more than 40%. Reversing this trend is one of the top
priorities for our new Presidential Commission to Make America Healthy
Again, chaired by our new Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Our goal is to get toxins out of our
environment, poisons out of our food supply, and keep our children
healthy and strong. As an example, not long ago, 1 in ten thousand
children had autism. Now it's 1 in 36. Something is wrong, and we are
going to find out what it is.
My administration is also working to protect our children from toxic
ideologies in our schools. A few years ago, January Littlejohn and her
husband discovered that their daughter's school had secretly ``socially
transitioned'' their 13-year-old girl. Teachers and administrators
conspIred to deceive January and her husband, while encouraging her
daughter to use a new name and ``they/them'' pronouns--all without
telling January, who is here tonight, and is now a courageous advocate
against this child abuse.
Stories like this are why shortly after taking office, I signed an
Executive Order banning public schools from indoctrinating our children
with transgender ideology. I also signed an order to cut off all
taxpayer funding to any institution that engages in the sexual
mutilation of our youth.
Now, I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and
criminalizing sex changes on children, and forever ending the lie that
any child is
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trapped in the wrong body. Our message to every child in America is
that you are perfect exactly the way God made you.
We are getting wokeness out of our schools--and also out of our
military. Our service members won't be activists and ideologues--they
will be fighters and warriors. I am pleased to report that in January,
the U.S. Army had its single best recruiting month in 15 years--and all
of our Armed Services are having among the best recruiting results in
modern history.
We are joined tonight by a young man, Jason Hartley, who knows the
weight of that call of duty. Jason's father, grandfather, and great-
grandfather all wore the uniform. Jason tragically lost his dad, who
was also a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy, when he was just a boy,
and now he wants to carry on the family legacy of service. Jason is a
senior in high school, a 6-letter varsity athlete, a brilliant student
with a 4.46 (GPA, and his greatest dream is to attend the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point. Jason, I am pleased to inform you that your
application has been accepted,--you will soon be joining the Corps of
Cadets and the proud ranks of the Long Gray Line.
As Commander-in-Chief, my focus is on building the most powerful
military of the future. As a first step, I am asking Congress to fund a
state-of-the-art, Golden Dome Missile Defense shield to protect our
homeland--all made in the USA. Ronald Reagan wanted to do it long ago,
but the technology just wasn't there.
To boost our defense industrial base, we are also going to resurrect
the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding.
For that purpose, I am announcing tonight that we will create a new
Office of Shipbuilding in the White House, and offer special tax
incentives to bring this industry home to America, where it belongs.
To further enhance our national security, my administration will be
reclaiming the Panama Canal--and we've already started. Just today, a
large American company announced they are buying both ports around the
Panama Canal. The Canal was built by Americans, for Americans, at
tremendous cost of American blood and treasure--38,000 workers died
building the canal, the most expensive project ever built in our
country's history. It was given away by the Carter administration for
$1 dollar, but that agreement has since been severely violated. We
didn't give the Canal to China, we gave it to Panama, and we're taking
it back.
I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland:
we strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you
choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We will keep
you safe, we will make you rich, and together we will take Greenland to
heights like you have never seen before.
America is once again standing strong against the forces of Radical
Islamic Terrorism. Three and a half years ago, ISIS terrorists killed
13 American servicemembers and countless others in the Abbey Gate
bombing during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, perhaps the
most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. Tonight, I am
pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist
responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to
face the swift sword of American Justice. I want to thank the
government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster. This is a
momentous day for those 13 families whose children were murdered, and
the many so badly injured on that fateful day in Afghanistan. I spoke
to many of them today, and they are all in our hearts tonight.
In the Middle East, we are bringing back our hostages from Gaza. In
my first term, we achieved one of the most groundbreaking peace
agreements in generations, the Abraham Accords--and now, we are going
to build on that foundation to create a more peaceful and prosperous
future for the entire region.
I am also working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine.
Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or
wounded in this horrific and brutal conflict, with no end in sight. The
United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support
Ukraine's defense. Meanwhile, Europe has sadly spent more money buying
Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine--by far!
And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has
spent. Earlier today, I received an important letter from President
Zelensky of Ukraine. The letter reads: ``Ukraine is ready to come to
the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace
closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand
ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace
that lasts. We do really value how much America has done to help
Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. Regarding the
agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any
time and in any convenient format.'' I appreciate this letter.
Simultaneously we've had serious discussions with Russia, and have
received strong signals that they are ready for peace. It is time to
stop this madness. It is time to halt the killing. And it is time to
end this war.
If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.
Nearly four years ago, amid rising tensions, a history teacher named
Marc Fogel was detained in Russia and sentenced to 14 years in a penal
colony. The previous administration barely lifted a finger to help. But
last summer, I promised his 95-year-old mother Malphine that we would
bring her boy safely back home. After 22 days in office, I did just
that--and they are here tonight. To Marc and his mom, we are delighted
to have you safe and sound.
As fate would have it, Marc Fogel was born in the small rural town of
Butler, Pennsylvania, where his mother has lived for the past 78 years.
I just happened to go there last July 13th for a rally, and that is
where I met his mom, right before I walked out on stage. I told her I
would not forget her son, and I never did.
Less than 10 minutes later at that same rally, gunfire rang out, and
a sick and deranged assassin unloaded 8 bullets from his sniper's perch
into a crowd of many thousands of people. My life was saved by a
fraction of an inch, but some were not so lucky.
Corey Comperatore was a firefighter, a veteran, a Christian, a
husband, a devoted father, and above all, a protector. When the sound
of gunshots pierced the air, Corey knew instantly what to do. He threw
himself on top of his wife and daughters, and shielded them from the
bullets with his own body. Corey was hit, and he was hit hard. He
sacrificed his life to save theirs. Two others were also seriously hit,
but thankfully they have recovered.
We are joined by Corey's wife, Helen, who was his high school
sweetheart, and their two beloved daughters, Allyson and Kaylee. To
Helen, Allyson, and Kaylee, Corey is looking down on his three
beautiful ladies right now, and he is cheering you on.
Corey was taken from us much too soon--but his destiny was to leave
us all with a shining example of the selfless devotion of an American
Patriot. It was love like Corey's that built our country--and it is
love like Corey's that is going to make our country more majestic than
ever before.
I believe that my life was saved that day in Butler for a reason: I
was saved by God to Make America Great Again.
From the patriots of Lexington and Concord to the heroes at
Gettysburg and Normandy--from the warriors who crossed the Delaware to
the trailblazers who climbed the Rockies--and from the legends who
soared at Kitty Hawk, to the astronauts who touched the Moon, Americans
have always been the people who defied all odds, transcended all
dangers, made the most extraordinary sacrifices, and did whatever it
took to defend our children, our country, and our freedom. And as we
have seen in this chamber tonight, that same strength, faith, love, and
spirit is still alive and thriving in the hearts of the American
People.
Despite the best efforts of those who would try to censor us, silence
us, break us, and destroy us, Americans are today a proud, free,
sovereign, and independent nation, and that, we will always be.
We are a country of doers, dreamers, fighters, and survivors. Our
ancestors crossed a vast ocean, strode into the unknown wilderness, and
carved their
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fortunes from the rock and soil of a perilous frontier. They chased our
destiny across a boundless continent. They built the railroads, laid
the highways, and graced the world with American marvels like the
Empire State Building, the mighty Hoover Dam, and the towering Golden
Gate Bridge. They lit the world with electricity, broke free of the
force of gravity, fired up the engines of American industry, vanquished
the communists, fascists, and marxists all over the world, and gave us
countless modern wonders sculpted out of iron, glass, and steel.
We stand on the shoulders of these pioneers who won and built the
modern age, these workers who poured their sweat into the skylines of
our cities, these warriors who shed their blood on fields of battle,
and gave everything they had for our rights and our freedom.
Now, it is our time to take up the righteous cause of American
Liberty. And it is our turn to take America's destiny into our own
hands, and begin the most thrilling days in the history of our country.
This will be our greatest era.
With God's help, over the next four years, we are going to lead this
nation even higher--and we are going to forge the freest, most
advanced, most dynamic, most dominant civilization ever to exist on the
face of this earth. We are going to create the highest quality of life,
build the safest, wealthiest, healthiest, and most vital communities.
We are going to conquer the vast frontiers of science, and we are going
to lead humanity into space, and plant the American flag on the planet
Mars, and even far beyond.
Through it all, we are going to rediscover the unstoppable power of
the American Spirit. And we are going to renew the unlimited promise of
the American Dream.
Every single day, we will stand up, and we will fight, fight, fight
for the country our citizens believe in, and for the country our people
deserve.
My fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future because the
Golden Age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that
has ever been seen before!
Thank you, God Bless You, and God Bless America.
Donald J. Trump.
The White House, March 4, 2025.
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