U.S. President Donald Trump marked the one-year anniversary of his return to the White House on Tuesday with a wide-ranging news conference that drew renewed attention to his leadership style, as public approval of his presidency shows signs of decline.
Speaking from the White House briefing room shortly before departing for Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum, Trump was expected to highlight achievements from his first year back in office. Instead, the appearance frequently strayed off topic, touching on issues ranging from immigration raids and crime to the Nobel Peace Prize and foreign geography.
During an 81-minute opening monologue followed by 24 minutes of questions, Trump oscillated between self-praise and defensiveness. Immigration and crime featured prominently, with the president lauding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and dismissing protests against immigration crackdowns as the work of paid agitators. His comments followed recent controversy in Minnesota, where a federal agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen during an operation.
Trump defended his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities and reiterated his willingness to send regular military forces to Minnesota, a move opposed by local officials. He also claimed—without citing data—that crime had declined in Washington, D.C., since the arrival of National Guard troops last year.
Revisiting familiar campaign themes, Trump criticized his predecessor Joe Biden and again repeated the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. He also displayed a collection of documents titled “365 Wins in 365 Days,” which the administration says lists daily accomplishments since his second inauguration on January 20, 2025.
The compilation highlighted actions such as reducing illegal border crossings and regulatory changes affecting consumer products. At one point, Trump joked about a binder clip attached to the documents, suggesting it could have caused him harm.
The president also displayed mugshots of individuals he said were undocumented immigrants arrested for serious crimes, later discarding the images on the floor. His remarks included controversial statements about Somali immigrants, drawing criticism for their tone and accuracy.
Trump reiterated claims that he helped end multiple foreign conflicts and again expressed frustration at not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, disputing assertions that the Norwegian government has no control over the award process.
The news conference came amid polling indicating a dip in Trump’s approval rating after a year marked by polarizing rhetoric, aggressive immigration enforcement and heightened political tensions at home and abroad.
Source: Reuters
–Agencie