Nothing beats a spot of last-minute preparation for a big event – especially, it seems, if you are the leader of the free world.

Donald Trump has been caught on tape practising a landmark speech in his car on the way to Congress.

The US President was captured by television cameras reading from a copy of the address and trying out a series of different gestures and facial expressions, just minutes before arriving on Capitol Hill to deliver the speech.

Mr Trump can be seen sitting in the back of his presidential limousine alongside his wife, Melania, while apparently reading aloud from the text and testing out an array of animated expressions.

In the address, the Republican set out his plan for the next year. He vowed to create a new government agency to publish a weekly list of all crimes committed by immigrants in the US.

“I have ordered the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American Victims," he said.

"The office is called VOICE — Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement. We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests."

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In general, though, Mr Trump toned down much of his harsher rhetoric and urged Congress to put aside “trivial fights” in order to focus on helping American people.

The speech focused on a number of traditional Republican themes and was delivered from a prepared text. Absent were Mr Trump’s usual off-the-cuff barbs and off-topic monologues, as were his frequent attacks on the media. He did, however, make a number of seemingly untrue claims.

Mr Trump’s first speech to Congress was widely judged to be a more optimistic address than his recent performances and went down well with congressional Republicans, who gave the President a number of standing ovations.