President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The Associated Press

President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to keep up his campaign of “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy in an unyielding address to Congress and the nation that left Democratic legislators to register their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out “lies” and one legislator’s ejection.

Trump’s prime-time speech was the latest marker in his takeover of the nation’s capital, where the Republican-led House and Senate have done little to restrain the president as he and his allies work to slash the size of the federal government and remake America’s place in the world.

The more than 90-minute address added up to a sales pitch for the policies that he promised during his campaign and leaned into during his first weeks back in office. Trump pledged to keep delivering sweeping changes to the country, rescuing it from what he described as destruction and mistakes left by his predecessor, while repeatedly needling Democratic lawmakers who protested his remarks.

Emboldened after overcoming impeachments in his first term and criminal prosecutions in between his two administrations, and with a tight grip on the Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has embarked on a mission to dismantle parts of the federal government and remake the relationship with America’s allies.

“It has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action,” Trump said of his opening weeks in office. “The people elected me to do the job, and I am doing it.”

Members of Congress hold up signs in protest as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The Associated Press

Trump, who has billionaire adviser Elon Musk orchestrating his efforts to slash the size and scope of the federal government, said he is working to “reclaim democracy from this unaccountable bureaucracy” and threatened federal workers anew with firings if they resist his agenda.

Musk, who was seated in the House gallery, received a pair of standing ovations from Republicans in the chamber, as Trump shared claims about alleged government abuse uncovered by the Tesla and SpaceX founder and his team.

Trump repeated claims that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments, prompting some Democrats to shout, “Not true!” and “Those are lies!”

Trump spoke at a critical juncture in his presidency, as voters who returned him to the White House on his promise to fix inflation are instead finding economic chaos. All the gains the S&P 500 have made since Election Day are now gone, while consumer sentiment surveys show the public sees inflation as worsening. For a president who believes that announcements of corporate investments can boost attitudes about the economy, the speech was suddenly a test of his ability to rebuild confidence in his economic leadership.

Trump seemed prepared to double down on his trade war, which experts have warned will raise prices for consumers.

Republicans stand and Democrats sit as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The Associated Press

“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them,” Trump said. He sought to ease concerns about price increases, saying, “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”

Trump said one of his “very highest priorities” was to rescue the economy and offer relief to working families. He promised to organize the federal government to lower costs on eggs and energy, blaming his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for the situation.

Trump also called for the extension of his first-term tax cuts and additional federal funding for his border crackdown, including for his promised efforts at “mass deportation” of people in the U.S. illegally.

Speaking about his promised tax cuts, Trump seemed to goad Democrats, saying: “I’m sure you’re going to vote for those tax cuts. Because otherwise I don’t believe the people will ever vote you into office.”

Trump also celebrated his sharp crackdown on migration to the U.S., fulfilling a key campaign promise, saying, “It turns out all we really needed was a new president.”

Republicans were boisterous as Trump stepped to the lectern in the House, chanting “USA! USA!” as the president basked in the cheers. The GOP lawmakers were jubilant, having won a trifecta of the White House, Senate and House in the elections. However, they face a high-stakes task of delivering on Trump’s agenda as well as avoiding a government shutdown later this month.

Across the aisle, Democrats set the tone early, with most remaining seated without applauding Trump as he was introduced in the chamber.

After several interruptions, House Speaker Mike Johnson jumped in and called for decorum to be restored in the chamber as Republicans shouted “USA” to drown out the cries from the other side of the aisle. Johnson then ordered Texas Rep. Al Green removed 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 after being thrown out of the chamber.

Other Democrats held up signs criticizing like “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans” during Trump’s remarks, seeking to drive public awareness to elements of Trump’s agenda they believed might offer them a pathway back to the majority.

Some Democrats chose to highlight the impact of Trump’s actions by inviting fired federal workers as guests, including a disabled veteran from Arizona, a health worker from Maryland and a forestry employee who worked on wildfire prevention in California. They also invited guests who would be harmed by steep federal budget cuts to Medicaid and other programs.