U.S. President Donald Trump defends tariffs in speech to Congress
Tariffs are about protecting America's 'soul,' president says in winding address
U.S. President Donald Trump showed little sign of backing down on his tariffs during an address to Congress on Tuesday, defending the crushing levies that kicked in for Canadian goods on Tuesday and repeating his promise to impose another set next month.
Speaking to the House chamber during his first speech since returning to the White House, Trump promised reciprocal tariffs on any country with its own levies on American goods on April 2.
"Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them," he told the House.
In the past, the president has said reciprocal tariffs would be in addition to pre-existing ones. Describing tariffs as a "beautiful word," he seemed to frame the strategy less as a temporary tool and more as part of the nation's identity.
"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, and it's happening and it will happen rather quickly," he said.
The president talked about tariffs about a third of the way into a sprawling speech that wasn't unlike those he delivered during the campaign, weaving through familiar topics like border security and immigration, to inflation and the cost of groceries — particularly, eggs.
He dipped in and out of foreign policy matters, at one point saying he was "working tirelessly" to end the "savage conflict" in Ukraine and reiterating his intent to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
"I think we're going to get it," he said of the Danish territory. "One way or the other, we're going to get it."
The address comes six weeks into a term that has seen the president prove his willingness to cast aside long-standing diplomatic relationships in favour of the "America first" vision for his administration.
No relationship has been targeted more swiftly than the one with Canada.
The president's sweeping tariffs on virtually all of the Canadian goods flowing into the United States came into effect on Tuesday despite Ottawa's attempts to placate the president.
Canada hit back with its own tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods, driving the stake firmly between two typically kindred nations.
Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described Trump's decision as a "very dumb" move. He said he was at a loss as to why the American president would go after an ally, but said he suspects Trump wants to hit the Canadian economy in the back of the knees because he believes it will make the country easier to absorb.
"He can do damage to the Canadian economy, but he is going to rapidly find out, as American families are going to rapidly find out, it's going to hurt people on both sides of the border," Trudeau said.
A government official with knowledge of the first ministers' virtual meeting said the prime minister told premiers he hopes to speak to Trump on Wednesday, though the situation is fluid and that could change.
While Trump appeared to double down on tariffs, one of his allies — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — has spoken to officials at different levels of Canadian government about potentially finding a way to de-escalate the situation.
Trump says tariffs will cause 'a little disturbance'
The tariffs had a profound and immediate effect Tuesday, upending diplomatic relationships and rattling global financial markets. Economists have warned the trade war could increase inflation and see consumers paying more for a range of goods.
During his address Tuesday, Trump acknowledged the tariffs would cause "a little disturbance" but said the administration was "OK with that."
"It won't be much," he said.
Trump opened the speech by listing the dramatic actions his administration has taken since he returned to the White House 44 days ago, prompting a standing ovation from his fellow Republicans and shouts of protest from Democrats across the aisle.
Some lawmakers walked out of the chamber in protest as the address went on. The sergeant-at-arms was called to remove Texan lawmaker Al Green after he stood to yell at the president on the dais, derailing the president's remarks just a few minutes after they began.
Some Democratic lawmakers wore blue and yellow scarves to show support for Ukraine, which is no longer receiving military aid from the U.S. after a meeting between the leaders of the two nations unravelled at the White House last Friday.
Trump and U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy inside the Oval Office, speaking loudly over the European leader as they called him "disrespectful" and said he had been ungrateful for American aid.
Trump tried to pressure Zelenskyy to agree to negotiating a peace deal with Russia, the nation that invaded Ukraine three years ago. On Monday, Zelenskyy said on X that the meeting was "regrettable" and that he intended to "make things right."
On Tuesday, Trump said Zelenskyy had sent him a letter saying he was willing to return to the negotiation table.
During the opening victory lap, Trump talked about a number of his executive actions: from renaming both Mount Denali in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, to banning diversity and inclusion programs in the federal government.
"Our country will be 'woke' no longer," he said.
Trump dedicated a fair amount of his speech thus far to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), going through a list of government payments he said they have ended to save money.
Near the end of the hour-and-39-minute speech, Trump said he would plant the American flag on Mars. (NASA has said it is trying to send astronauts to Mars "as early as" the 2030s.)
He didn't repeat his threat to annex Canada as the 51st state and did not mention the crisis in the Middle East.
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