Trump declares 'America is back' in speech before Congress

President Donald Trump kicked off his address before a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening. 

"To my fellow citizens, America is back," Trump declared after thanking the members of Congress and first lady Melania Trump. 

"Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America," he said. "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." 

The audience was heard chanting "USA, USA, USA" amid the president's opening remarks. 

Trump arrived to the podium shortly after 9:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Tuesday, where he was greeted by cheers from conservative lawmakers, while Democrats overwhelmingly remained seated. 

The speech marks Trump's first before Congress since his return to the Oval Office in January. The address, though similar to the State of the Union, does not carry the same official title as Trump has not been in office for the past year. 

TRUMP TO DELIVER FIRST ADDRESS OF HIS SECOND TERM TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS 

Lawmakers arrive for a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Donald Trump's primetime address Tuesday night from Capitol Hill, billed as a chronicle of his "Renewal of the American Dream," comes at a critical juncture early in his second term, as voters who elected him to tackle inflation and improve the economy are beginning to weigh the impact of his agenda. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The White House previously told Fox News Digital that "The Renewal of the American Dream" was the theme of the speech and will feature four main sections: accomplishments from Trump's second term thus far at home and abroad; what the Trump administration has done for the economy; the president's renewed push for Congress to pass additional funding for border security; and the president's plans for peace around the globe.

'HE'S BACK': TRUMP'S JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS TO BE BLANKETED WITH 6-FIGURE AD BUY TOUTING TAX PLAN  

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 04: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy attend U.S. President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.     Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS

TRUMP SET TO CONTINUE UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF ACTIONS, ADDRESS CONGRESS IN 7TH WEEK BACK IN OFFICE

Trump did not participate in any formal speech preparation – such as advisers coaching him on how to gesticulate during the address – but he was involved in the editing process of the speech, Fox News' Peter Doocy reported ahead of the address. 

First Lady of the U.S. Melania Trump reacts on the day of U.S. President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Several Democratic members previewed they would boycott Trump’s address ahead of Tuesday, including Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also skipped attending, instead holding a live prebuttal of the speech.

Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, and US Vice President JD Vance speak while arriving for a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Donald Trump's primetime address Tuesday night from Capitol Hill, billed as a chronicle of his "Renewal of the American Dream," comes at a critical juncture early in his second term, as voters who elected him to tackle inflation and improve the economy are beginning to weigh the impact of his agenda. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

THEME OF TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS REVEALED

Democrat congresswomen who did join the speech were seen wearing pink in protest of Trump and his policies, notably ones they say impact women. 

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Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.