Watch Live: Trump's speech to the 2025 joint session of Congress

Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was escorted from the chamber after he heckled the speech and refused to comply with directions to be quiet and sit. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson warned raucous Democrats to be quiet before Green was escorted out. 

"Members are directed to uphold and maintain decorum in the house and to cease any further disruptions. That's your warning," Johnson said. "Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of decorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the sergeant at arms to restore order to the joint session." 

When Green declined to take his seat as Johnson asked, Johnson directed the sergeant at arms to restore order and "remove this gentleman from the chamber." 

The president quickly touted his election victory, but was met with opposition and heckles from Democrats.  

"The presidential election of Nov. 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades," Mr. Trump said, noting that he won all seven battleground states. 

"We won the popular vote by big numbers and won counties in our country," Mr. Trump said, as Democrats booed. Republicans quickly stood, coming to the president's support with chants of "USA."

Speaker Mike Johnson rose and instructed the chamber to maintain decorum.  

After greeting Johnson, Vance, the first lady and Congress, the president began his address. 

"America is back," the president said, to applause and chants of "USA, USA."

"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 accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started," he said.

The president is set to begin his joint address to Congress momentarily, but how long he speaks remains to be seen. If the past is any indicator, his first address to both chambers in 2017 lasted about an hour. 

Over the next three years, Mr. Trump's State of the Union addresses averaged 80 minutes, according to the American Presidency Project.

Mr. Trump entered the House chamber at 9:13 p.m. as Republican lawmakers applauded. Members of Congress lined the aisle to shake hands with Mr. Trump as he made his way to the dais.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Vice President JD Vance are seated behind the lectern where Mr. Trump will deliver the speech. First lady Melania Trump and members of the Cabinet took their seats before Mr. Trump's entrance. 

Many Democratic women in Congress are wearing bright pink in a display of defiance against the president. 

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, who leads the Democratic Women's Caucus, told Time magazine that the color signifies "our protest of Trump's policies which are negatively impacting women and families."

"Pink is a color of power and protest," she told the magazine. "It's time to rev up the opposition and come at Trump loud and clear."

The 96-member group spoke about their opposition to the president outside the U.S. Capitol prior to the address on Tuesday, where Leger Fernández asserted, "Women cannot afford Trump." 

Read more here.

The following Supreme Court justices are attending the president's speech, and entered the chamber before Mr. Trump was introduced:

• Chief Justice John Roberts
• Justice Elena Kagan
• Justice Brett Kavanaugh
• Justice Amy Coney Barrett
• Retired Justice Anthony Kennedy

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Sonya Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson are not in attendance.

Mr. Trump's motorcade arrived at the Capitol at 8:40 p.m., accompanied by first lady Melania Trump. 

Billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk was in the president's motorcade, although not in the same vehicle.

Moments earlier, Vice President JD Vance arrived at the Capitol, shaking the hands of the senators who not long ago were his colleagues. 

Doug Collins, the secretary of veterans affairs, is tonight's "designated survivor," the member of the president's Cabinet who is not attending the speech. The practice, which originated in the Cold War, calls for an official in the presidential line of succession to stay away from the proceedings in case a catastrophe strikes the House chamber.

Read more here.

The White House released the following excerpts from the president's speech:

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.

—

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.

—

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. 

—

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.

—

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.

—

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.

—

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.

—

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.

__

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.

The president's sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China went into effect Tuesday hours before his address to a joint session of Congress. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida joins CBS News to discuss:

Several Democratic lawmakers are bringing fired federal workers to tonight's address to protest Mr. Trump's so-called "war on waste." Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is one of those lawmakers. He joins CBS News to discuss why:

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that he had been on the phone with Canada and Mexico "all day" and a reduction in tariffs could happen as soon as Wednesday. 

"So I think he's going to work something out with them. It's not going to be a pause, none of that pause stuff, but I think he's going to figure out, 'You do more and I'll meet you in the middle some way,'" Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business. "And I think he's going to probably be announcing that tomorrow. So somewhere in the middle will likely be the outcome." 

On Tuesday, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on nearly all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, as well as 10% tariffs on Canadian energy products. The U.S. also increased tariffs on imports from China, bringing them to 20%.

All three countries have vowed to respond with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, fueling fears of a trade war that could further drive up inflation.

The president's speech has four sections, senior administration officials said Tuesday: his accomplishments so far; the economy; immigration and the border; and foreign policy. The president was deeply involved in the final edits of his speech, these officials said.

According to CBS News/YouGov polling, more Americans think it's important for Mr. Trump to talk about his plans for lowering prices and addressing inflation than any other item tested. It's the top issue for both Republicans and Democrats. 

Inflation is an issue (along with the economy) that a big majority of Americans think should be a high priority for the president but don't think he is prioritizing it a lot. 

Seventy-seven percent of Americans say their incomes are not keeping up with inflation. 

Many also want to hear about plans for Medicare and Medicaid, the federal budget and cutting taxes:

Read more here.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday that he plans to attend Mr. Trump's speech, but told his Democratic colleagues it's a personal decision for each member to make. 

"Given my responsibilities in the House, I plan to attend the speech, along with other members of the Democratic leadership, to make clear to the nation that there is a strong opposition party ready, willing and able to serve as a check and balance on the excesses of the administration," the New York Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues. "The decision to attend the Joint Session is a personal one and we understand that members will come to different conclusions." 

He added that it's "important to have a strong, determined and dignified Democratic presence in the chamber." 

"The House as an institution belongs to the American people, and as their representatives we will not be run off the block or bullied," Jeffries said. 

Instead of skipping the speech, some Democrats are inviting fired federal workers as their guests. 

Some of the guests are veterans, who said their abrupt firings during Mr. Trump's overhaul of the federal government were disrespectful and insulting. 

The invitations come as Republican lawmakers have faced backlash from constituents over sweeping cuts to the federal government, which have been overseen by the Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led task force known as DOGE. 

Read more on the guests here. 

First lady Melania Trump has invited more than a dozen guests to watch the speech from her viewing box in the House chamber. 

Marc Fogel, a schoolteacher from Pennsylvania who was released from a Russian prison in February as part of a prisoner swap negotiated by the Trump administration, and his wife, Melanie Fogel, are expected to be there. 

The family of Corey Comperatore, a volunteer fire chief killed at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally where Mr. Trump was shot in an assassination attempt, will also be among the guests.

Stephanie Diller, the widow of slain New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed in 2024 during a routine traffic stop in Queens, will also be in attendance. Mr. Trump attended his wake on Long Island in 2024.

Read more here.

Four of the president's children will join him in the motorcade and at the Capitol for his joint address to Congress, according to two senior administration officials. Barron Trump, who is attending college in New York, will not attend. 

Traveling to the Capitol in the motorcade with the president will be:

• Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Bettina Anderson
• Eric Trump and wife Lara Trump
• Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
• Tiffany Trump and husband Michael Boulos

The Constitution says the president shall, "from time to time," give a report on the "State of the Union" to Congress. This speech typically takes place in January or February, and gives presidents the opportunity to tout their accomplishments over the past year and lay out their agenda for the months ahead.

Since Mr. Trump has only been in office for six weeks and a day, his address is not technically considered a State of the Union. Rather, it's known as a joint address to Congress. But it will look and sound much like a State of the Union, with the president addressing lawmakers from the House chamber, and Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance seated behind him.

Mr. Trump is expected to address what he views as his accomplishments so far before discussing the economy, immigration and foreign policy.

Democratic leaders tapped Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the newly minted U.S. senator from Michigan, to deliver the party's response. It's tradition for a member of the opposing party to speak after the president, and the role is often given to someone the party wants to introduce to the country.

The assignment may seem simple enough, but even minor slip-ups, like then-Sen. Marco Rubio pausing to drink from a water bottle in 2013 or Rep. Joe Kennedy exhibiting an unusually moist upper lip in 2018, can instantly become the subject of political jokes.

Slotkin, 48, won her seat against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers in a state that flipped red for Mr. Trump in 2024. Democrats as a whole are continuing to examine the 2024 election and chart a path forward after losing the House, Senate and White House to the Republicans.

Slotkin was a U.S. congresswoman for Michigan's 7th Congressional District for six years before she won her Senate seat. 

A former CIA analyst who served alongside the military in Iraq, she has experience working under both parties. Slotkin worked on President George W. Bush's National Security Council, as well as in the State Department during Barack Obama's presidency. 

Read more about Elissa Slotkin here.

It's only been four days since the heated, televised Oval Office meeting involving Mr. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that upended relations between the U.S. and Ukraine. 

On Friday, Zelenskyy's team was told to leave the White House after the meeting grew contentious, with Vance calling Zelenskyy's remarks "disrespectful" and Mr. Trump telling Zelenskyy he's toying with "World War III." The Trump administration wants Zelenskyy to pursue a ceasefire now, and paused military aid to the country on Monday. Mr. Trump has continued to criticize Zelenskyy since the confrontation, which scuttled the planned signing of an economic deal over Ukraine's mineral rights. 

Zelenskyy tried to right the ship earlier Tuesday, writing in a lengthy post on X that Ukraine is "ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible" to end the war. 

"Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians," Zelenskyy said. "My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump's strong leadership to get a peace that lasts."

CBS News reported earlier in the day that Ukrainian officials have indicated to their U.S. counterparts they are willing to sign the minerals agreement, but sources said a final deal has not been finalized.