'Woke No Longer', 'Golden Visa Better', Tariffs On India — Key Highlights From Trump's Address To Congress

US President Donald Trump addressed the US Congress on Wednesday morning, India time, and began his speech with a declaration, “America is Back”, and emphasised actions taken by his administration to bring in what he described as the “golden age of America.”

Trump spoke for around two hours and addressed a variety of important topics. He reiterated reciprocal tariffs, taking India as an example and promised to fight inflation.

Here are the key highlights from the US President's address to the US Congress:

The US President said in his speech that other countries have used tariffs against the United States for decades, and now it is America’s turn to reciprocate.

Trump specifically noted that India imposes more than 100% tariff on auto, calling the current system inequal.

He pointed out that the European Union, China, Brazil, India, and many other nations charge the US significantly higher tariffs than the US charges them, calling it "very unfair".

"China's average tariff is twice what we charge them and South Korea's average tariff is four times higher, and we give so much help militarily to South Korea," said Trump.

Reiterating his stance, Trump confirmed that starting April 2, reciprocal tariffs will be implemented by the US. This means that US will impose the same tariff on countries which is imposed on them. Similarly, any taxes levied on US goods will be matched.

Furthermore, suppose other countries use non-monetary tariffs to keep US products out of their markets. In that case, the US will respond with non-monetary barriers to keep their products out of the American market.

The US President who came to power for his second term with a big push from conservative base, declared that America will no longer be 'woke' and said that jobs would not race or gender based.

“We believe that whether you are a doctor, accountant, lawyer, or an air traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not based on race or gender,” said Trump.

He praised the US Supreme Court for its decision supporting this stance, calling it “a brave and very powerful decision.”

Trump also highlighted his administration’s decision to remove critical race theory from public schools and his executive order establishing the official policy that there are only two genders - male and female.

US President Trump spoke at length about his stance on the economy and expressing his ambition to balance the federal budget for the first time in 24 years.

Trump also highlighted his “gold card” visa proposal as a potential solution. This visa, priced at $5 million or roughly Rs 41 crore, offers a path to US citizenship and is designed to attract sharp, job-creating individuals.

Trump emphasised that while his administration continues to remove criminals and other dangerous individuals, people who add to the US economy are going to be attracted and added that the gold card is a better option than the green card.

Trump saod that the revenue generated from the gold card visas will help reduce the national debt. “They’re going to pay a lot of money, and we’re going to reduce our debt with that money,” he stated.

Donald Trump in his speech addressed the matter of inflation, which he described as an “economic catastrophe” inherited from the previous administration.

Trump highlighted the impact of rising energy prices and the cost of groceries on American families. “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,” he said.

Trump also criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, for allowing the price of eggs to spiral out of control and emphasised his administration’s efforts to reduce energy costs.

In response to the energy crisis, Trump declared a National Energy Emergency on his first day in office. He announced plans for a massive natural gas pipeline in Alaska, which he described as one of the largest in the world. “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,” he said.

Additionally, he revealed plans to expand the production of critical minerals and rare earths in the United States.

He went on to outline a tariff strategy aimed at protecting American interests. He stated, “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.” This approach, he argued, would generate significant revenue and create unprecedented job opportunities.

The US President also announced plans to introduce income tax cuts soon, with specific measures including no taxes on tips, overtime, and social security benefits for senior citizens.

He also proposed making interest on car loans tax-deductible, but only if the car is made in the USA.