US President Donald Trump took a victory lap in an address to Congress, drawing catcalls and interruptions from some Democratic politicians who held up signs and walked out mid-speech in protest.
The partisan rancour was reflective of the commotion that has accompanied Mr Trump's first six weeks in office in which he upended US foreign policy, ignited a trade war with close allies and slashed the federal workforce.
The prime time speech, his first to Congress since taking office on 20 January, capped a second day of market turmoil after he imposed sweeping new tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China.
"To my fellow citizens, America is back," Mr Trump began to a standing ovation from fellow Republicans.
"Our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again," he said.
Democrats held up signs with messages like "No King" and "This Is NOT Normal," and around 30 Democrats walked out mid-speech less than an hour into his remarks.
Democrat removed
One Texas congressman, Al Green, was ordered removed after he refused to sit down.
The Democrat had stood up, raised and shook his cane and shouted at Mr Trump, prompting jeers from Republicans across the aisle.
"The chair now directs the sergeant at arms to restore order. Remove this gentleman from the chamber," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said after warning Democrats to maintain decorum.
Mr Green, shaking his walking cane at Mr Trump, appeared to be shouting that the US president did not win a mandate in November's election after the Republican bragged about his party's victories.
As he was led from the chamber, some Republicans sang, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, goodbye".
After Mr Green's removal, Mr Trump said: "I look at the Democrats in front of me and I realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud."
Mr Trump spoke in the House of Representatives, where politicians huddled in fear a little over four years ago after a mob of Trump supporters entered the Capitol in an unsuccessful effort to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 victory over the then-incumbent Mr Trump.
Praise for Musk
The president praised billionaire businessman Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has downsized more than 100,000 federal workers, cut billions of dollars in foreign aid and shuttered entire agencies.
Mr Trump credited Mr Musk with identifying "hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud," a claim that far exceeds even what the administration has claimed so far.
Mr Trump said the United States economy is set to see some "disturbance" from tariffs, but he touted levies as a tool that would help domestic industries boom.
"Tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs. They're about protecting the soul of our country," he said.
"There'll be a little disturbance, but we're okay with that. It won't be much," he added.
The US president warned that those who do not make their products in the United States will have to pay levies, "in some cases a rather large one".
He also took aim at the European Union and countries including Canada, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Korea over what he called "unfair" practices.
"This is happening by friend and foe. This system is not fair to the United States, and never was," he said.
Further market instability
Mr Trump said he would impose reciprocal tariffs on 2 April, a move that would likely roil financial markets even more.
"Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades and now it's our turn to start using them against those other countries," he said.
On this point, many Republicans remained seated, a signal of how Mr Trump's tariffs have divided his party.
Mr Trump's 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, two of the country's closest allies, and an additional 10% on Chinese imports deepened investor concerns about the economy.
The Nasdaq Composite is down more than 9% from its record closing high on 16 December, near the 10% decline commonly called a market correction.
Financial markets steadied while Mr Trump spoke.
The dollar and US stock futures recouped a little of their losses. The dollar was up about 0.2% on the euro. S&P 500 futures were up 0.4%.
Just one in three Americans approve of his handling of the cost of living, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, a potential danger sign amid worries his tariffs could increase inflation.
World leaders were watching Mr Trump's speech closely, a day after he paused all military aid to Ukraine.
The suspension followed an Oval Office row in which Mr Trump angrily upbraided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in front of TV cameras.
The pause in aid threatened Ukraine's efforts to defend against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion three years ago, and further rattled European leaders worried that Mr Trump is moving the US too far toward Russia.
While Mr Trump has appeared to fault Ukraine for starting the war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found 70% of Americans – including two-thirds of Republicans - say Russia was more to blame.
Mr Trump urged Congress to extend his 2017 tax cuts.
Congressional Republicans have advanced a sweeping $4.5 trillion plan that would extend the tax cuts, tighten border security and fund a huge increase in deportations.
The proposal calls for $2 trillion in spending reductions over a decade, with possible cuts to education, healthcare and other social services.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Republicans in 2017 argued that the tax cuts would pay for themselves by stimulating economic growth.
But the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the changes increased the federal deficit by just under $1.9 trillion over a decade, even when including positive economic effects.
The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that Mr Trump's full tax agenda, including elimination of taxes on tips, overtime pay and social security benefits, could cost between $5 trillion and $11.2 trillion over a decade.
Democrats invited civil servants hit by DOGE firings or funding freezes to the speech to underscore the damage they say DOGE is doing to Americans.
Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former CIA agent, will deliver the Democratic Party's rebuttal.
First lady Melania Trump was joined at the address by selected guests, including the family of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter killed by the gunman who grazed Mr Trump with a bullet during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.
Others include Marc Fogel, a history teacher freed from detention in Russia in February.
