**Who Gets to Speak for the State** US President Donald Trump addressed the US Congress on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in an atmosphere described as tense, with Washington's political divisions prominently visible. The speech occurred shortly after President Trump ordered a pause in US military aid to Kyiv. Republicans cheered his entrance, while Democrats remained seated and stony-faced. During his entrance, Democrat Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico congresswoman, held up a sign reading "This is not normal," which was subsequently snatched by a Republican politician. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ultra-Trumpist politician, wore a red "Trump was right about everything" cap, violating a ban on headwear introduced almost two centuries ago. Republicans chanted "USA! USA!" as President Trump arrived at the podium. First Lady Melania Trump, wearing a charcoal gray suit, waved to acknowledge applause. President Trump began his address, themed "Renewal of the American Dream," by stating, "To my fellow citizens, America is back!" **The Chamber as a Stage** Minutes into the speech, Democrat Congressman Al Green stood up and yelled, "You don't have a mandate." He was escorted out of the chamber after refusing to sit down, amidst jeers from Republicans. When President Trump referred to his predecessor, Joe Biden, as the "worst president" in history, some Democrats whistled and denounced the comments as "lies." Many Democrats wore scarves, striped ties, or lapel ribbons in the yellow and blue colors of the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity with Ukraine, an ally they believe the Trump administration has betrayed. Additionally, some Democrats wore pink outfits to protest what they perceive as the Trump administration's anti-women policies. Some House Democrats left the chamber before the speech concluded, and Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett removed her jacket to reveal a t-shirt emblazoned with the word "Resist." The atmosphere of this address was notably different from President Biden's March 2022 address to Congress, which occurred five days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was marked by unity from both sides of Congress. The unanimity seen then is now absent in the Washington of the "America First" movement, for which Trump is the standard-bearer. Supreme Court justices were present in the front row. Elon Musk, described as the world's richest man and Trump's point man on drastically downsizing the federal government, observed from the galleries, and President Trump invited applause for him. **The People Outside, the Bosses Inside** Outside the US Capitol, a dozen protesters waved signs reading "Stand up to tyranny" and "Musk must go." President Trump concluded his speech with a warning: "We're just getting started." The report was filed by Robin Legrand of AFP. The scene laid out the usual hierarchy in bright lights: the president at the podium, the richest man in the galleries, Supreme Court justices in the front row, and the public outside with signs while the machinery of state power performed its ritual of legitimacy. The speech came after Trump paused military aid to Kyiv, and the chamber responded not with any answer from ordinary people, but with choreographed applause, protest signs, and expulsions.
