Trump Outlines His Administration's Achievements to Republican Representatives

In a speech today at a joint meeting of Republican representatives in the House of Representatives, Trump seized the opportunity to rally the party ahead of the midterm elections, defend his administration's record for 2025, and criticize the poor performance of Democrats, the media, and the previous administration's policies. His main talking points focused on electoral victories, recent military operations in Venezuela, immigration and border policies, reduction in energy and drug prices, and urging Republicans to unite in key votes. Trump described 2025 as '12 months of unprecedented success' for his administration and 'the most successful Republican majority in decades,' stating that despite a slim majority, a 'united majority' has formed in Congress. He urged Republican representatives to maintain this unity as they approach the 2026 midterm elections, promising that Republicans would achieve 'an epic victory in the midterms,' which he claimed would defy the usual pattern of the president's party losing in midterm elections. Trump dedicated a significant portion of his speech to praising key party figures in the House, including Mike Johnson, the Speaker, Steve Scalise, and Tom Emmer, describing Johnson as a 'devout, quality, yet tough' individual who has his 'full and absolute support.' While emphasizing unity, he implicitly criticized several Republican representatives who, according to him, 'almost never vote for us,' labeling them as 'problematic,' but expressed hope that they could be 'brought to their senses' and kept on the party's path. The President stated that in the first year of his new presidential term, the U.S. economy has been 'the hottest economy in the country's history,' with approximately $18 trillion in investments 'pouring' into America, and the stock market 'breaking historical records' multiple times. He noted that stock market growth means strengthening the investment and retirement savings accounts of the middle class, identifying this as a key campaign issue for Republicans in the upcoming elections. Trump dedicated a detailed section to the recent military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, calling it 'one of the most complex and courageous military operations' that involved about '152 aircraft' and 'ground forces.' He stated that no American soldiers were killed in this operation, but 'heavy losses' were inflicted on Maduro's forces, particularly the Cuban troops, emphasizing that this success once again demonstrates that the U.S. military is 'the most powerful and fearsome military force in the world.' Referring to the events of January 6 and congressional investigations, he highlighted that on that day, he had asked his supporters to 'peacefully and patriotically' go to Congress, but this part of his speech was censored by the 'unelected committee' and the media. He accused Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer of 'rejecting the proposal for 10,000 protective forces for Congress' and labeled mainstream media as 'fake news,' claiming they provide '97 percent negative coverage' of his administration, but 'no longer have credibility among the people.' Trump reiterated his previous campaign's main theme, criticizing the Democrats' 'open border' policy, stating that during his term, 'the best performance in border control in history' was achieved, but this fact has been 'forgotten' and needs to be reminded to voters. He identified undocumented immigrants as a primary factor in the increase of violent crimes in cities like Washington and Chicago, stating that '2 percent of the population commits 90 percent of the crime,' and by driving them out of the country, crime rates would decrease. He specifically mentioned the 'Train de Aragua' gang from Venezuela, describing it as 'worse than any American gang.' Another part of the speech criticized the participation of transgender individuals in women's sports; he cited examples from weightlifting, track and field, swimming, and boxing, calling the situation 'humiliating for women' and 'completely ridiculous,' asserting that this issue is a '98 to 2' matter in favor of Republicans. Trump expressed that he does not wish to bring this issue up too soon to prevent Democrats from having the opportunity to change their position and 'correct themselves,' emphasizing that this and similar issues will be important tools to mobilize the Republican base in the days leading up to the elections. Trump referred to his tax bill as a 'big and beautiful law,' stating that many of its provisions have not yet been well explained to voters; he specifically mentioned tax exemptions for tips, overtime, and retirement benefits (such as parts of Social Security) that he claims benefit workers and seniors. He also discussed a new idea allowing car buyers to deduct car loan interest from taxes, describing this measure as 'equivalent to halving the price of cars' for many middle-class families. Trump promised that by implementing a mechanism similar to 'maximum international discount' or 'most favored nation' in drug pricing, he has managed to reduce the cost of some prescription drugs by '80 to 90 percent and even 900 percent' compared to previous prices in America, asserting that this policy should be one of the main focuses of the Republican campaign. He recounted a lengthy conversation with leaders of countries like France, stating that by threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods, he forced them to raise drug prices in their countries so that America could procure the same drugs at lower prices, comparable to the cheapest markets. Trump criticized the massive profits of insurance companies, which he claims have seen '1700 percent' stock value increases, suggesting that government subsidies in the healthcare sector should be paid directly to the people so they can choose their own insurance and healthcare services, rather than this money going to insurance companies. He urged Republicans to work on this idea to transform the 'healthcare issue,' which has traditionally favored Democrats, into a 'Republican issue,' while also adopting a flexible stance on topics like IVF and fertility to avoid becoming targets of new Democratic attacks. Trump once again called for 'mandatory voter ID cards' nationwide, claiming that Democrats' opposition to this issue signifies 'corruption' in the electoral process. He severely questioned the mail-in voting system, claiming that the United States is 'almost the only country that conducts mail-in voting on such a large scale,' and urged Republican lawmakers to vote on a proposal known as the 'Save Act' (Protecting the Voting Rights of Americans), which would create fundamental reforms in the electoral process. In conclusion, Trump once again described Democrats' policies in immigration, gender identity, and the economy as 'disastrous,' emphasizing that Republicans, if they 'maintain unity and properly utilize these issues,' can change the election outcome in their favor.