Trump holds 100-minute conference on first year, tosses accomplishments

President Donald Trump held a more-than-100-minute news conference at the White House on Tuesday to recap his first year in office. The president displayed photographs of immigrants he said his administration had arrested, showed a stack labeled “Accomplishments,” and described both at length before tossing them on the floor. The conference occurred at a moment of international alarm and domestic tension: Trump’s weekend threats of tariffs on Europe in pursuit of Greenland had shaken the NATO alliance, and his administration had ordered 1,500 active-duty soldiers to be ready for possible deployment to the streets of Minneapolis under the Insurrection Act.

The extended briefing illustrated the challenge facing Trump’s administration as it tries to communicate its policy agenda to voters worried about affordability, a concern his fellow Republicans have urged him to emphasize more forcefully ahead of crucial midterm elections this year.

Display and Dismissal

For more than 10 minutes, President Trump displayed photographs of immigrants his administration had arrested, remarking on their alleged crimes. He eventually tossed the stack of mugshots on the floor next to his lectern.

After briefly fumbling with a binder clip and remarking that it could have severed his finger, Trump then held up a thick stack of paper labeled “Accomplishments,” saying it would take him more than a week to read. “It’s big stuff too. We have the hottest country in the world,” he said. He threw the stack on the floor with a loud thud.

Messaging Shortcomings

Trump acknowledged that his administration’s economic messaging was not reaching voters effectively. “Maybe I have bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across,” he said.

While discussing immigration enforcement, Trump said the immigrants his administration removed make the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang “look like the sweetest people on Earth.” He then praised the motorcycle gang directly: “I like the Hell’s Angels. They voted for me. They protected me, actually.”

Religion and Mental Health Policy

Discussing his executive order to reopen mental institutions and psychiatric facilities, Trump reflected on a childhood memory of walking to Little League baseball with his mother, who pointed out a nearby facility housing “very sick people.”

When asked whether he believed God was proud of him, Trump said, “I do. I think God is very proud of the job I’ve done, and that includes for religion.”

International Agenda

Hours before his scheduled departure for Europe, Trump outlined his administration’s international priorities, including acquiring Greenland and forming a new international peacemaking body.

His administration threatened tariffs on Europe to pressure nations to accept his Greenland goal. These threats have alarmed the NATO alliance, shaking confidence in Trump’s commitment to the alliance.

Trump’s fellow Republicans have urged him to focus more on addressing voters’ concerns about affordability as the party faces crucial midterm elections this year.