President Trump has put America First with urgency — and he’s just getting started, the White House said.
Washington: US President Donald Trump marked the first year of his second term in office on January 20 by holding a press briefing that lasted close to two hours, where he aggressively defended his economic and immigration record and recalled his accomplishments.
Presenting a binder titled “365 Wins in 365 Days”, which the administration described as a collection of achievements since Trump's second inauguration, the president claimed that his administration had brought down inflation, boosted growth, and removed “vicious criminals" from the country.
Trump said the US economy was “booming", arguing that inflation had fallen sharply from levels he blamed on the previous administration. “I don’t think there’s been a term like it. I don’t think any President has had a better first year… I inherited a mess, and now we have the hottest country in the world."
On immigration, Trump accused the previous administration of allowing violent offenders to enter the country. During the briefing, he held up photos of individuals he said were apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming many were involved in serious crimes.
Trump also defended federal law enforcement agencies, praising ICE and Border Patrol officers for carrying out deportations and saying they were being unfairly criticised.
On foreign policy, Trump said he was open to working with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado following recent developments in the country. He repeated his claim of solving eight international wars, including the India-Pakistan conflict last year, during his one year of presidency. The US President went on to say that he deserved the Nobel Prize for each conflict he claims to have halted.
