Trump Says He Saved US Economy, Deported ‘Vicious Criminals’ In Briefing Marking One Year In Office

Last Updated:January 21, 2026, 01:10 IST

Brandishing a “book of accomplishments”, Trump marked one year in office by touting deportations, calling protesters paid agitators and blaming Biden-era border policies.

US President Donald Trump holds a document titled “Accomplishments” during a press briefing at the White House, on the one-year mark into his second term in office, in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday used a White House briefing marking one year into his second term to aggressively defend his economic and immigration record, claiming his administration had brought down inflation, boosted growth and removed what he described as “vicious criminals” from the country, while repeatedly blaming former president Joe Biden for what he called an inherited crisis.

Trump said the US economy was “booming”, arguing that inflation had fallen sharply from levels he blamed on the previous administration. “We inherited a mess, and now we’ve brought inflation way down,” Trump said, adding that economic growth had been “incredible”.

He claimed fourth-quarter GDP growth was on track to exceed 5 percent and said thousands of factories were being built across the country, crediting tariffs and what he described as record investment commitments from major global companies including Apple, NVIDIA, Ford, General Motors and Hyundai. Trump also said stock markets and retirement accounts had hit record highs, asserting that Americans’ real incomes had risen during his presidency.

Trump complained that his administration’s achievements were not being adequately communicated. “Maybe I have bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across,” he said.

Minnesota Protests Paid

On immigration, Trump launched a sustained attack on Biden-era border policies, accusing 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.

“These are serious criminals,” Trump said, describing them as “vicious” and blaming what he called “open borders” under Biden. He singled out Minnesota while discussing immigration enforcement and accused protesters opposing ICE operations of being “paid agitators”.

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. “We’re talking to her. Maybe we can get her involved in some way. I’d love to be able to do that,” he said, signalling continued US engagement in Venezuela.

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