Trump Declares ‘Wokeness Is Gone’ in Controversial Congress Address

YOUR EX

March 6, 2025

President Donald Trump doubled down on his anti-LGBTQ+ stance during his presidential address to Congress on Tuesday (4 March), defending a series of anti-trans executive orders and making an unusual claim about “transgender mice.”

While discussing what he called “wasteful government spending,” Trump alleged that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered “$8 million for making mice transgender.”

“This is real,” he insisted.

However, fact-checkers have debunked the claim. According to CNN, between the 2021 and 2022 fiscal years, the National Institutes of Health allocated approximately $477,121 to three research projects that studied the effects of feminizing hormone therapy on monkeys to assess its impact on immune response and susceptibility to HIV. Mice were not part of the studies.

Despite his misleading remarks, Trump praised his administration’s executive orders, claiming, “We have accomplished more than most administrations in four or eight years, and we are just getting started.”

Targeting the Trans Community

A significant portion of Trump’s speech focused on his administration’s anti-trans policies. He reiterated his commitment to removing what he called “toxic ideologies” from schools.

Referring to the 2021 case of January Littlejohn—a mother linked to the anti-trans group Moms for Liberty—Trump accused a school of “secretly socially transitioning” her child and deceiving the family. However, the case was dismissed in January 2023 by a federal judge, who ruled that it did not meet the standard for a federal lawsuit.

“Stories like this are why shortly after taking office, I signed an executive order banning our schools from indoctrinating our children with transgender ideology,” Trump stated.

He also defended his executive order restricting gender-affirming care for trans and non-binary youth under 19, saying:

“I signed an order to cut off all taxpayer funding to any institution that engages in the sexual mutilation of our youth.”

Trump then urged Congress to go even further:

“I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalising sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body. This is a big lie.”

Far-Right Rhetoric and Religious References

Trump reinforced a common narrative promoted by far-right Christian groups, declaring:

“Our message for every child in America is that, ‘you are perfect exactly the way God made you.’”

His comments contrast with statements from religious leaders, including Pope Francis, who has welcomed LGBTQ+ individuals into the church, allowing them to be baptised and serve as godparents.

Trump concluded his speech by asserting that his administration had eliminated “wokeness” from schools, the military, and society as a whole.

“We don’t want it. Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone, it’s gone, and we feel so much better for it. Don’t we?” he asked the audience.