President Donald Trump held a lengthy news conference at the White House on Tuesday to recap his first year back in office, using winding remarks, asides, impressions of other politicians and critics, and then turning to questions from the media. The event stretched for more than 100 minutes.
The report said the conference blended the appearance of a formal review with theatrical elements. Early on, Trump displayed photographs he said immigration officers had arrested people in Minnesota, and he said, “I’m going through this because I think we have plenty of time.”
He then spent more than 10 minutes showing mugshots of people he said had been arrested, remarking on their alleged crimes. At one point, he asked the reporters, “You’re not getting bored with this, right?” After that, the report said he told them they were lucky he only went through “like 100” mugshots before tossing the stack on the Briefing Room floor next to his lectern.
Trump also used physical props during the briefing. The report said he handled a binder clip, remarked on how it could have taken his finger off, and assured the room, “I would not have shown the pain,” before throwing both the binder clip and other materials onto the floor.
Later, Trump hoisted a thick stack of paper labeled “Accomplishments,” which he said he described as a list that would take him more than a week to read. He added that, “It’s big stuff too. We have the hottest country in the world,” and then threw the “Accomplishments” papers onto the floor.
The conference also included comments that suggested Trump viewed his message as not landing with voters. He said, “Maybe I have bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across.”
The timing of the news conference came as international and domestic tensions rose, the report said. It noted that Trump over the weekend shook NATO by threatening tariffs on Europe to strong-arm what he has described as his aim of taking over Greenland. It also said the administration ordered 1,500 active-duty soldiers to be ready to possibly deploy to the streets of Minneapolis as Trump threatened to impose the Insurrection Act.
The report said the briefing came just hours before Trump was set to head to Europe for a meeting with global leaders anxious to discuss his designs on Greenland and other global issues. It also reported that fellow Republicans have been urging Trump to speak more to voters’ concerns about affordability ahead of crucial midterm elections this year.
In remarks that framed his effort as a broader improvement effort, Trump told reporters, “One of the reasons I’m doing this news conference, I think it’s important — we have taken a mess and made it really good.” He added, “It’s going to get even better.”
As Trump touted accomplishments, the report said he also drifted into tangents. When discussing immigration enforcement actions, he claimed immigrants his administration has removed from the U.S. make the Hell’s Angels “look like the sweetest people on Earth,” and then he complimented the motorcycle gang. He said, “I like the Hell’s Angels,” and added, “They voted for me. They protected me, actually.”
The report said Trump also discussed signing an executive order “to bring back mental institutions and insane asylums,” telling a story about walking to Little League baseball with his mother. Trump said his mother told him a nearby psychiatric facility was home to “very sick people.”
The conference also included a religious exchange. After a reporter asked Trump if he believed God was proud of him, Trump said, “I do,” adding, “I think God is very proud of the job I’ve done, and that includes for religion.”