OXON HILL, MARYLAND – President Donald Trump made a bold statement on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington, declaring that his administration’s efforts to fire thousands of federal employees and shrink the size of government have never been seen before.
Addressing a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, Trump confidently stated, “We’re going to forge a new and lasting political majority that will drive American politics for generations to come.”
Since taking office, Trump has been determined to fulfill his campaign promises of overhauling the government, securing the U.S.-Mexico border, and extending tax cuts. In his speech, he reminded the audience that the American people gave him a mandate to do so in the November elections.
In a speech that lasted over an hour, Trump predicted that the Republican Party would defy history, which has shown that a president’s party typically struggles during midterm congressional elections. He proudly proclaimed, “I don’t think we’ve ever been at this level before.”
Trump compared his administration’s first month to a successful round of golf, stating that the first four holes have given him the confidence to continue on to the fifth. He also announced that he has enlisted the help of billionaire Elon Musk to carry out the firings, with Musk vowing that more may be coming.
In a tweet, Musk stated, “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
While Trump also reiterated his plans for tougher immigration policies, his efforts have been overshadowed by the mass firings within the federal government. He announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been significantly reduced, will now have its Washington office taken over by Customs and Border Protection officials. He even joked that the agency’s name has been removed from its former building.
The president also addressed his previous promises to scrutinize the country’s gold depository at Fort Knox, inviting the audience to join him in the inspection. “Would anybody like to join us?” he asked to cheers from the crowd. “We want to see if the gold is still there.”
However, Trump also devoted a significant portion of his speech to last year’s presidential race, taking jabs at former President Joe Biden and mispronouncing the first name of his Election Day opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris. He also mentioned Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat who ran for president in 2020.
Trump expressed his frustration with the current immigration and border policies under Biden, stating, “I couldn’t stand it.” He then cautioned himself, “Donald, don’t get angry,” before using an expletive to describe his thoughts on Biden’s handling of border security. Despite acknowledging that evangelical conservatives have urged him not to use foul language, Trump remained unapologetic.
In a surprising turn, Trump had kind words for Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating, “I happen to like him.” However, he also mentioned that the U.S. has been treated unfairly by China and other countries.
On the sidelines of the conference, Trump met with conservative Polish President Andrzej Duda and Argentine President Javier Milei. He saluted Duda and called Milei “a MAGA guy, too, Make Argentina Great Again.”
Duda, a populist leader, has enjoyed a close relationship with Trump in the past. Poland is a longtime ally of Ukraine, and Trump’s decision to dispatch top foreign policy advisers to Saudi Arabia for direct talks with Russian officials has caused concern among U.S. allies. Trump is set to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the coming days.
Trump also engaged in a public back and forth with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he called a “dictator” and falsely suggested that Ukraine started the war. However, on Friday, he acknowledged that Russia attacked its neighbor. During his speech, Trump stated, “I’m dealing with President Zelenskyy. I’m dealing with President Putin,” and added, “It affects Europe. It doesn’t really affect us.”
In regards to ending the war in Ukraine, Trump expressed optimism, stating, “I think we’re pretty close to a deal, and we better be close to a deal.”
Later in the evening, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a reception and dinner at the White House for the National Governors Association, who were also
