US President Donald Trump today marked one year since his return to the White House, focusing mainly on what he called major achievements during the first year of his second term.
Before he began his speech, his staff distributed a list of "365 victories in 365 days," which included immigration policies to expanding immigration opportunities in the United States.
In his speech, Trump focused largely on his immigration policies, noting that Minnesota has detained about 10,000 undocumented people, whom he described as “criminals and illegal immigrants.” He also showed photos of the detainees to illustrate his administration’s commitment to cracking down on illegal immigration. It was one of the main points of the speech, and the president appeared calmer and less bombastic than usual.
Trump also briefly mentioned Venezuela and praised María Corina Machado, the opposition leader there who had presented him with the Nobel Peace Prize during her visit to the White House. However, the White House chief of staff stopped short of directly endorsing her for president, saying Machado lacks support at home. This comes after the arrest and removal of President Nicolás Maduro in January, in an operation that has drawn international attention.
Another part of Trump's speech focused on international meetings and his visit to Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to discuss important issues with European leaders and highlight his plans for trade tariffs, especially regarding Greenland. He humorously said he was going to a "beautiful place in Switzerland" and added: "I'm sure they'll be happy to welcome me," prompting laughter from the room.
In addition to immigration and international politics, Trump has used the anniversary to highlight the country's economic performance, calling the US economy the strongest in the world and touting the revenue the country has generated from tariffs on imported goods. However, many citizens accuse his administration of increasing the cost of living, making it a sensitive issue domestically.
In the end, Trump's speech focused on his plan for the future, showing the administration's ambitions to continue his immigration and trade policies as the United States faces criticism and concerns from international allies and at home.
While the first year in power has been marked by dramatic developments in the White House, the world's attention remains on what Trump will do next, especially on the issues of Greenland and relations with Europe.