Trump to lay out govt overhaul plan in key address to US Congress

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress on March 4 and set out his vision for the United States and the world, both already shaken up by his “America First” worldview and emboldened executive actions.

His speech at the US Capitol – scheduled for 9pm (10am on March 5 in Singapore) – comes just six weeks after his inauguration and four years since his supporters stormed the building following his 2020 election defeat.

Mr Trump is expected to tout the bevy of executive orders issued during his first 43 days in office, and outline the remaining term.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Trump loyalist and former football coach, said on Instagram he expected the President to “highlight his administration’s wins so far and lay out a game plan for the next four years”.

“One thing is for sure: It will be a lot different than the clown show we had to sit through the last four years under President (Joe) Biden,” he said.

Mr Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have already shown their intent to push hard and fast to implement the President’s “Make America Great Again” agenda – even if it means testing the constitutional limits of his authority, or straining ties with allies.

Since his inauguration, Mr Trump has moved to unilaterally dismantle federal agencies, fired thousands of government workers and begun holding undocumented migrants at the US’ military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He has also publicly mused about

annexing Canada

, using economic force if necessary, and claimed the European Union was created to “screw” the US.

Mr Trump’s extraordinary

public clash with President Volodymyr Zelensky

in the Oval Office on Feb 28, in which he berated his Ukrainian counterpart, was just the latest example of a US paradigm shift.

Only a few members of his Republican Party, which narrowly controls both chambers of Congress, have publicly pushed back against him.

Legal attempts to thwart Mr Trump and Mr Musk’s government overhaul efforts continue to work their way through the courts, with the conservative-dominated Supreme Court expected to weigh in on several major questions.

Members of the nine-member court, three of whom were appointed by Mr Trump during his first term, may attend his speech on March 4, as per custom.

‘Golden Age’

US House Speaker Mike Johnson – a staunch Trump ally – invited the President in January to address Congress to share his “America First vision for our legislative future”.

“America’s Golden Age has begun,” Mr Johnson’s letter said, invoking a phrase used by Mr Trump in his inaugural address.

Mr Trump’s tight grip on the Republican Party has only grown stronger since his 2024 comeback, and few are willing to risk losing their seat by antagonising him and his base.

But with a narrow majority and several competing factions, the party could struggle to push through his legislative agenda, including major tax cuts.

Democrats, meanwhile, are struggling to organise a united front capable of combating Mr Trump’s media and political onslaught.

Michigan’s new senator, Ms Elissa Slotkin, will provide the traditional opposition rebuttal to the President’s address.

The 48-year-old former Central Intelligence Agency analyst, described by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as a “rising star” in the party, said in a statement that she looked forward to “speaking directly to the American people”.

“From our economic security to our national security, we’ve got to chart a way forward that actually improves people’s lives in the country we all love,” she said, without mentioning Mr Trump. AFP