US President Donald Trump has declared his intention to maintain tariffs on international trade partners, insisting that nations are "happy" with the arrangements, even as the Supreme Court recently overturned key aspects of his import tax policy. This stance was a central theme in his State of the Union address, delivered to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
Tariffs Take Effect Amid Legal Turmoil
The president's latest trade tariffs, which came into effect on Tuesday, impose a 10% rate on imports from the United Kingdom. This figure is notably lower than the 15% rate he had threatened over the weekend, following his signing of an executive order in response to the Supreme Court's decision on Friday. The court's ruling had invalidated parts of his tariff framework, but Mr Trump moved swiftly to reinstate measures, underscoring his commitment to aggressive trade policies.
Trump's Defence of Tariff Strategy
In his speech, Mr Trump argued that tariffs have been instrumental in reshaping global trade dynamics. "Almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made," he stated. "Knowing that the legal power that I, as president, have to make a new deal could be far worse for them, therefore, they'll continue to work alongside the same successful path that we had negotiated before the court's unfortunate involvement."
He further claimed that these policies have led to significant financial gains for the United States. "Countries that were ripping us off for decades are now paying us hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet these countries are now happy and so are we. We made deals. The deals are all done. And they're happy." Mr Trump also linked tariffs to diplomatic successes, saying "many of the wars I settled" were due to the "threat of tariffs."
Broader Economic and Political Claims
Expanding on his vision, Mr Trump predicted that tariffs would transform the US tax system. "Tariffs, paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love," he asserted. He boasted that "trillions and trillions of dollars will be pouring into the United States of America, because we finally have a president who puts America first."
Other Highlights from the Address
Beyond trade, the president announced a "war on fraud" led by Vice President JD Vance, alleging that members of the Somali community in Minnesota had "pillaged an estimated 19 billion dollars (£14 billion) from the American taxpayer." He claimed, "We have all of the information. And in actuality, the number is much higher than California, Massachusetts, Maine, many other states are even worse."
Mr Trump also called on Congress to pass legislation preventing states from issuing commercial driving licences to illegal aliens. He described the US as "bigger, better, richer than ever before," proclaiming "this is the golden age of America."
Controversial Moments and Reactions
The speech was not without controversy. Texas Democratic representative Al Green was escorted from the chamber early on after unfurling a sign reading "Black People Aren't Apes!" as Mr Trump entered, an apparent reference to a social media video posted by the president depicting former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes.
Democrats also heckled Mr Trump when he said they should be "ashamed of yourselves" for not standing to support his statement that the government's duty was "to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens." He repeatedly questioned their lack of support, called them "crazy," and accused "Democrats are destroying our country" over issues related to young people transitioning gender.
Among the invited guests were the Winter Olympic gold medal-winning US men's ice hockey team and Erika Kirk, widow of murdered activist Charlie Kirk, whom Mr Trump described as "martyred." However, the reception to his address was mixed, reflecting deep political divisions.
