President Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of his second term with a press conference that observers described as markedly subdued. The president, appearing tired and paler than usual, presented a stack of papers labelled "ACHIEVEMENTS" and a separate folder titled "MINNESOTA: WORST OF THE WORST".
During the briefing, Mr Trump focused on images of individuals he described as "vicious, mentally insane killers" and "paid agitators", claiming that protesters in Minnesota were involved in serious crime. He alleged that some were from Somalia and had "low IQs", and that money from demonstrators was used to buy Mercedes-Benz vehicles. He also attacked Representative Ilhan Omar, saying she was corrupt and had never held a job, and questioned whether Somalia was a real country.
The president went on to make a series of other claims. He asserted that South American psychiatric hospitals were empty because of a conspiracy to send people across the US border to disrespect President Joe Biden. He also predicted that California would collapse, and suggested that if Gavin Newsom were president, the country would become like Venezuela.
As he reached the end of his visual aids, Mr Trump allowed the papers to fall to the ground. He then moved on to familiar themes, including border security, tariffs, and the economy. He criticised the term "unemployment numbers", arguing that it made the situation sound worse. He claimed that Democrats had artificially inflated employment figures by hiring millions on the federal payroll, and that those he had fired had found better-paid jobs in the private sector.
At several points, the president appeared to struggle. He said he "didn't like" having to discuss certain issues, and his delivery lacked its usual energy. He mentioned the Hells Angels, saying they had voted for him and protected him, then discussed criminals from the Congo, claiming he had ended the war between the Congo and Rwanda. He described people crossing the southern border as "Democrat... sort of aligned", before trailing off.
