 "'Stupid campaign speech': JD Vance-Johnson talk on Biden caught on hot mic")
Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson were overheard on a hot mic Tuesday evening (local time) discussing President Donald Trump's address to Congress. While standing at the front of the Chamber before Trump's arrival, a live microphone partially captured their conversation.
"I think the speech is going to be great, but I don't know how you do this for 90 minutes," Vance commented to Johnson. In response, Johnson said, "The hardest thing was doing it during Biden when the speech was a stupid campaign speech."
Upon realising the microphone was live, Johnson discreetly moved it aside before continuing the discussion.
Johnson had previously attended former President Joe Biden's 2024 address, which was widely interpreted as a campaign-focused speech. During that address, Biden sought to project confidence amid concerns from Democrats and donors about his reelection prospects.
Donald Trump's address to Congress
Trump's address to the joint session of Congress at the House chamber took place amid ongoing economic uncertainty. His announcement of new trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada sparked strong criticism from both countries.
Trump focused his speech on what he called the “renewal of the American dream," highlighting his administration’s accomplishments.
He also outlined his approach to peace in South Asia and Ukraine, following his decision to halt military and financial aid to Ukraine. Additionally, he touched on various topics, including executive actions and tariff policies.
During the speech, Trump made a pointed reference to ‘Islamic terrorism’ during Ramzan, stating, “America is once again standing strong against the forces of radical Islamic terrorism.” He cited a 2021 attack in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of over a dozen American servicemembers and around 170 Afghan civilians.
Immigration policies
On his administration's strict immigration policies, Trump claimed his warnings played a key role in reducing illegal border crossings.
"They heard my words and chose not to come," Trump said. Reflecting on his first day in office, he claimed that "within hours of taking the oath of office," he had declared a national emergency at the Southern Border and ordered the US military to "repel the invasion of our country."
Describing it as "the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history," Trump claimed that illegal crossings in the past month had reached their lowest level. He attributed this decline to the deployment of border patrol officers and military personnel to counter what he referred to as a "border invasion."