WASHINGTON—President Trump delivered a State of the Union-style speech Tuesday night, giving an unapologetic address to a joint session of Congress after his whirlwind early weeks back in the White House.

Here are the top takeaways from the roughly hour and 40-minute address, during which he declared “America is back”:

Doubled down on tariffs

Trump spent a significant part of his speech outlining his trade agenda, including his barrage of tariffs that rattled markets this week. Trump’s 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada took effect first thing Tuesday, along with an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports. That was on top of another 10% levy imposed on China a month ago.

The president didn’t give any indication that he planned to roll back those levies. Earlier in the day, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Fox Business that Trump might “ work something out ” with Canada and Mexico.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a copy of an executive order honoring Jocelyn Nungaray during a joint session of Congress, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Trump has declared that the illegal transit into the U.S. of migrants and drugs—chiefly fentanyl—is a national emergency, and he has targeted Mexico, Canada and China with tariffs to force them to halt the flow. “We need Mexico and Canada to do much more than they have done,” he said.

He also said he would move forward with his plan for reciprocal tariffs. In February, Trump ordered federal agencies to explore how to adjust U.S. tariffs to match those of other countries, a move that threatens international rules in place for decades.

“Whatever they tariff us the other countries, we will tariff them,” he said. “Whatever they tax us, we will tax them.”

Trump made a brief reference to the prospect of higher consumer prices because of his tariffs, an outcome feared by economists and some Republicans in Congress . “There will be little disturbance,” he said. “We’re OK with that.”

‘Stop this madness’ in Ukraine

Trump called for an end to the war in Ukraine, which he described as a “horrific and brutal conflict,” but he didn’t detail next steps in the peace process. “It’s time to stop this madness,” he said.

Ahead of the president’s speech, Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelensky tried to repair his relationship with Trump, calling his tense Oval Office meeting with Trump last week “regrettable.” He also said Ukraine was ready to sign a mineral-rights agreement with the U.S., which had been put on hold after the two leaders’ fiery meeting, and negotiate a peace plan.

Trump said he appreciated Zelensky’s comments. On Monday, the White House said it would pause all military aid to Kyiv until Trump determined that Zelensky was making a good-faith effort toward peace negotiations with Russia .

Selling Musk’s cost-cutting agenda

Trump praised billionaire Elon Musk’s cost-cutting efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency, listing some programs he described as “appalling waste.”

“This is just the beginning,” Trump said, adding his administration was also looking into fraud in the Social Security program, pointing to people over the age of 100 still in the system. A 2023 inspector general report found that 18.9 million people born in 1920 or before were in the system but very few were actually receiving benefits.

The elimination of federal jobs, programs and contracts has alarmed some voters, who have questioned Republican lawmakers at town halls in their home districts.

Musk received a standing ovation and cheers from Republicans.

Elon Musk 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

Biden blame

The president continued to blame his predecessor, who he called “the worst president in U.S. history,” for several of the complex problems facing his administration, such as inflation, the price of eggs and the war in Ukraine.

Trump had been highly critical of former President Joe Biden even after Kamala Harris replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket, and he continued to bash him Tuesday night.

“We inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up the cost of groceries, and drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions of Americans,” he said.

The president defended his hard-charging early weeks in office by pointing to the rightward swing across the country in the 2024 election. Over boos from Democrats, he noted that he had won the popular vote and swept the seven most competitive states.

“The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it,” he said.

Democratic resistance

Roughly four minutes into Trump’s speech, some Democrats, including Rep. Al Green of Texas, began booing and heckling the president as he described the results of the 2024 election as a sweeping mandate.

Green, who waved his cane at Trump, was ejected from the chamber. “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some people who are going to stand up” to Trump, Green told reporters.

Several Democrats also held up paddle signs that read, “Musk steals” on one side and “False” on the other, and some walked out as the president criticized Biden.

When Trump criticized federal workers, saying the days of being ruled by unelected bureaucrats were over, several Democrats in the chamber pointed to Musk.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson applaud during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Ramping up deportations

Trump called on Congress to approve more funding for his deportation campaign and reiterated his plans to establish a “gold card” that would provide permanent U.S. residency in exchange for $5 million. But he also made clear the executive branch would play a large role.

“The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation to secure the border—but it turned out that all we really needed was a new president,” he said.

Since taking office, Trump has overseen far-reaching policy changes aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. But Trump and top administration officials haven’t been satisfied with the pace of arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Illegal border crossings along the southwestern U.S. border have declined during the first weeks of the Trump administration, accelerating a trend that started under Biden.

A night of theatrics

The speech was light on new policy announcements but Trump, who is known for his showmanship, created emotional moments using his guests during the speech. The address was the longest of its kind in history.

The president stopped his speech to sign an executive order renaming a wildlife refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who loved animals and was murdered by two immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Her mother, Alexis Nungaray, who was one of Trump’s guests in the chamber, mouthed “thank you” to Trump.

Trump also made another one of his guests, DJ Daniel, a young boy suffering from cancer with dreams of becoming a police officer, an honorary member of the Secret Service. Daniel appeared stunned and delighted as Secret Service Director Sean Curran hugged him.

Write to Tarini Parti at tarini.parti@wsj.com