The accused confessed to selecting target passengers while distributing bedsheets and blankets. After identifying them, he would proceed to carry out his crime

Hirings in the US will be based on merit and the country “will no longer be woke”, President Donald Trump told a joint session of Congress today, as he stressed that his administration had ended the “tyranny” of diversity and inclusion programmes.

This was his first address to Congress since the thumping win in the November election and came four years after his supporters stormed the Capitol building to protest the 2020 election defeat.

Listing multiple diversity programmes funded by the US in several parts of the world and launching a no-holds-barred attack on the Joe Biden regime, Trump said the country had suffered its worst inflation in 48 years and his top priority was to rescue the economy.

Less than two months in the top post, the 78-year-old said he is “just getting started” and that “America is back”. As he spoke, several Democrats waved placards that read “false”. Congressman Al Green was asked to leave the gathering after heckled and shook his walking stick at the president.

“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years,” Trump said. “The American Dream is surging — bigger and better than ever before. The American Dream is unstoppable, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again.”

“Our country will be woke no longer. We believe that whether you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer or (an) air traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skills and competence, not race or gender,” he said, in an all-out attack against wokeism. “Wokeness is trouble, wokeness is bad, it’s gone and we feel so much better for it, don’t we?” he said. 

He said he was working tirelessly to end the Ukraine war and spoke at length about how his administration was working to curb illegal immigration into the US.

During his address, Trump praised his advisor and billionaire Elon Musk for his work leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with trimming the federal government.

“Thank you Elon, he’s working very hard,” he said as Musk stood up in the gallery to applause from Republican lawmakers. “Thank you very much, we appreciate it.”

Trump also spoke about the tariff war his administration has launched and referred to India in this connection. “Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades now. On an average, many nations… India, Mexico and Canada, they charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them. India charges us auto tariffs higher than 100 per cent… this is happening by friend and foe. This situation is not fair to the US. So from April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in. Whatever they tax us, we will tax them,” he said to loud cheers from Republican Congress members.

Experts have warned that the tariff war could weigh on US growth and lead to rise in inflation.

The US economy will see some “disturbance” due to tariffs, Trump said today, adding that “it won’t be much”. “Tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs. They’re about protecting the soul of our country. There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much,” he said.

Turning to crime, Trump said, “As we reclaim our sovereignty, we must also bring law and order back to our cities and towns. In recent years, our justice system has been turned upside down by radical left lunatics. Many jurisdictions virtually ceased enforcing the law against dangerous repeat offenders while weaponising law enforcement against political opponents like me. My administration has acted swiftly and decisively to restore fair, equal and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law starting at the FBI and DOJ (Department of Justice).” He gave a shoutout to newly appointed US Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI chief Kash Patel. 

Days after her harsh criticism of Team India captain Rohit Sharma drew a wave of criticism, Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed cheered the Men in Blue’s victory against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final last night, wishing them the best for the March 9 finale.

“I am very, very happy today that India has won the semi-finals against Australia under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Very happy, very very excited, and congratulations to Virat Kohli for scoring 84 runs and becoming the first player to score 1000 runs in ICC knockouts. I am very excited and looking forward to the finals,” she told ANI shortly after India chased down the target of 265 with four wickets to spare.

#WATCH | Delhi: On team India’s victory against Australia in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, Congress leader Shama Mohamed says, “I am very happy today that India has won the semi-final match against Australia under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. I congratulate Virat… pic.twitter.com/UbRi2k3lqs

— ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2025

Earlier, Shama Mohamed’s critical remarks and fat-shaming of Rohit Sharma sparked a massive row.

In a post on X during the India vs New Zealand match on Sunday, Ms Mohamed said Rohit Sharma “is fat for a sportsman”. “Need to lose weight! And ofcourse the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had,” she added.

When Pakistan-based sports journalist countered the Congress leader’s remarks and said Mr Sharma is a “mighty effective and world class performer”, she replied, “What is so world class about him when compared to his predecessors like Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni, Kohli, Kapil dev, Shastri & the rest! He is a mediocre captain as well as a mediocre player who got lucky to be the Captain of India.”

In a clarification later, Ms Mohamed compared Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli and said the latter always compliments other cricketers. “I just spoke in a generic manner. I fail to understand how in a democracy, we don’t have the right to speak,” she said.

The remarks drew a wave of criticism and the ruling BJP responded by questioning the Opposition party’s criticism. “Shame on Congress! Now they are going after the Indian Cricket Captain! Do they expect Rahul Gandhi to now play cricket after failing in Indian politics,” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said.

The Indian cricket board termed the remarks “unfortunate”. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said such comments in the middle of an ICC event could have a demoralising effect on a cricketer’s morale.

“Very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment when the team is in the middle of such a crucial ICC tournament. It may have demoralising effect on an individual or the team. All the players are performing to their highest potential and results are visible. I hope individuals will desist from making such derogatory statements for personal publicity sake,” BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told NDTV.

The Congress distanced itself from the remarks and said they did not reflect the party’s position. Pawan Khera, chairman of the party’s publicity department, said she had been asked to delete the social media posts. “Dr. Shama Mohammed, National Spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, made certain remarks about a cricketing legend that do not reflect the party’s position. She has been asked to delete the concerned social media posts from X and has been advised to exercise greater caution in the future. The Indian National Congress holds the contributions of sporting icons in the highest regard and does not endorse any statements that undermine their legacy,” Mr Khera posted.

Thirty-seven-year-old Rohit Sharma took over as Team India captain in 2023. Under his leadership, India won the T20 World Cup last year and two Asia Cup trophies earlier. He has a stellar record in IPL too. As Mumbai Indians captain, he has led the team to five IPL titles. Rohit Sharma is set for the big match as India takes on Australia in the first semi-final of Champions Trophy today.