President Trump's Tuesday night address was the longest joint session speech in American history.

His speech was marked by acrimony and divisive rhetoric. For instance, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) shouted at Trump, shaking his cane, as House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered decorum. After a tense moment, the congressman was escorted out by security.

Every thirty seconds, Republicans rallied cries of support and cheer, while Democrats jeered.

President Trump's speech meandered through tirades on undocumented immigrants, Biden's administration (calling him "the worst president in American history"), and the "flagrant waste" of taxpayer dollars. He also touted his administration's tariffs, crackdown on DEI, and reversal of Biden's climate policies.

Here are four takeaways for teens from Trump's speech:

Gender Policy

Trump inveighed against gender-affirming care for minors, sticking to his campaign promise. He said, "Our message to every child in America is that you are perfect, exactly the way God made you."

In February, Trump issued an executive order to bar transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams. He also signed an executive order in January to freeze funding for providers of gender-affirming care for minors.

His rhetoric seemed to blast Biden's policies, stating that "our country will be woke no longer." He touted his cuts to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and added that workers should be hired based on "skill and competence, not race and gender." Trump's crackdown on "protecting women's sports" has ignited controversy across school districts and the NCAA. In December, the NCAA president said that there are "less than 10 transgender athletes in college sports."

President Trump called on Payton McNabb, a former North Carolina high school athlete, who was hit by a volleyball during a match in 2022 and later said a "transgender athlete on the opposing team was responsible," according to the News & Observer. McNabb became an activist against transgender girls playing on female sports teams. Per the News & Observer, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association said that just two transgender females had been permitted to compete in high school athletics since 2019.

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Deepfake Crackdown

The president praised Melania Trump for her advocacy against deepfake images. The first lady was accompanied by 15-year-old Elliston Berry from Aledo, Texas, a victim of AI-generated deepfake images. Later, Trump commended Senate Majority Leader John Thune for galvanizing the legislation forward, titled the "Take It Down" Bill.

Then, Trump diverted and said, "I'm going to use that bill for myself, if you don't mind. Nobody gets treated worse than I do online. Nobody."

The "Take It Down" bill is bipartisan legislation to make revenge 'adult content' a federal crime. First lady Melania Trump said in her first public appearance, "It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes."

Berry, 15, was subjected to an AI deepfake image when a classmate posted false inappropriate images of her on Snapchat. The Texas teen has worked with Senator Cruz (R-Texas) to ban "nonconsensual intimate imagery," according to The Washington Post.

Restricting "Ideologies"

Trump remained adamant about banning critical race theory from public schools, claiming he "removed the poison." He then scorned the "toxic ideologies" in America's schools.

The president signed an executive order in January that fulfilled Trump's "core campaign promise" on education. His order stated that federal funding cannot be used for the "indoctrination" of children, including "radical gender ideology and critical race theory," according to the Associated Press.

The president's divisive rhetoric comes at a time of growing restrictions and tensions in public school classrooms. 'Critical race theory' is a term used by Republicans to oppose lessons that are seen as "too liberal."

RFK Jr.'s "MAHA" Movement

Trump commended RFK Jr.'s tenure as Health and Human Services secretary. He outlined his administration's health goals to "get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of our food supply, and keep our children healthy and strong."

Kennedy has been a vehement vaccine skeptic, and experts have criticized his handling of the rising measles cases in unvaccinated people. Kennedy wrote in a Fox News op-ed published Sunday that "the decision to vaccinate is a personal one." An unvaccinated child died in Texas in late February from the "highly contagious disease," becoming the first fatality in a decade.

President Trump also proclaimed that Kennedy will reverse the increasing trend of child cancer. He called on a child named DJ, who was diagnosed with cancer, and he was held up by his father as Republicans and attendees chanted his name.

Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement could rupture public health. His movement has two central goals, according to Axios. The first is to redirect federal funding to research that determines why people get sick. The second is to adjust federal health policies to give patients more options. Kennedy posted a video last September, cementing his opposition to what he calls the "mass poisoning of American children."

"Together, we're going to make America healthy again," Kennedy said towards the end.

Conclusion

Trump's first big speech to Congress wound through a gauntlet of topics, such as his overhaul of the federal government, his foreign policy in Ukraine, his crackdown on ideologies in public schools, and more.

His first few weeks in office have been marked by a flurry of executive orders and signings. In his congressional speech, President Trump doubled down on restricting "radical gender" and "critical race" ideologies in public schools, claiming that the federal government will freeze "federal funding" if schools don't adhere.

It's important for teens to stay informed on the most important updates, especially how they'll affect their education and future.