Trump criticizes transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports
Mr. Trump briefly remarked on the issue of transgender athletes competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. The Supreme Court last week weighed the legality of state laws in Idaho and West Virginia that bar transgender women and girls from joining the sports teams that correspond to their gender identity.
“Men playing in women’s sports — doesn’t work,” he said.
Mr. Trump also noted that some of the liberal justices appeared sympathetic to arguments defending transgender athletes who want to compete on girls’ and women’s sports teams.
Trump suggests his economic message isn’t resonating
Mr. Trump seemed to acknowledge the affordability issue that has taken front and center in recent months, suggesting his economic message isn’t getting through to Americans.
The president lauded a number of economic accomplishments, saying his administration ended “Biden stagflation,” created “super high economic growth,” the “best stock market in history” and the “best 401(k)s in history.”
“We inherited a mess,” Mr. Trump said. “The numbers that we inherited were way up and now we brought them — almost all of them — way down.”
Still, Mr. Trump said “maybe I have bad public relations people, but we’re not getting it across.”
Trump highlights how many immigration enforcement officers are Hispanic
As he touted the work of Border Patrol and ICE agents, the president said he loves “the Hispanic,” and noted how many voted for him.
“Border Patrol is incredible,” Mr. Trump said, adding they’re “mostly Hispanic, by the way.”
“They’re like 60% Hispanic,” Mr. Trump said. “You know, they talk about Hispanic, they’re mostly Hispanic, right? And they’re unbelievable people. And then they say, ‘Oh, we discriminate against —’ I love Hispanic. They are unbelievable. Entrepreneurial, they have everything. I did great, I did the highest, nobody ever got numbers like I got from the standpoint of being a Republican.”
Mr. Trump also said ICE agents are “largely Hispanic.”
Trump on Renee Good shooting: “I understand both sides”
Mr. Trump said he “felt terribly” about the killing of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minnesota.
“I understand both sides of it,” Mr. Trump told reporters, before alleging that some of the people who have protested ICE’s conduct are “professional agitators.”
In an interview with CBS News last week, Mr. Trump said Good was likely a “very, solid wonderful person,” but that her actions before she was killed were “pretty tough.”
Trump says “I’m loving Venezuela” after ouster of Maduro
The president briefly discussed his position on Venezuela following the operation earlier this month to remove its former president, Nicolas Maduro.
“I’m loving Venezuela,” he said.
Mr. Trump also offered quick praise for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who met with the president at the White House last week. Machado presented the president with the Nobel Peace Prize medallion she was awarded in October.
The medallion and a certificate, signed by Machado, were placed inside a frame and given to the president. The certificate read, “Presented as a Personal Symbol of Gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan People in Recognition of President Trump’s Principled and Decisive Action to Secure a Free Venezuela. The Courage of America, and its President Donald J. Trump, will Never be Forgotten by the Venezuelan people.”
Speaking of Machado, the president said, “Maybe we can get her involved in some way. I’d love to be able to do that.”
The comment from the president appears to be a shift from earlier remarks made when announcing Maduro’s ouster. Mr. Trump said then that it would be “very tough” for Machado to take over because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.”
Delcy Rodriguez, who served as Maduro’s vice president, is serving as Venezuela’s interim president.
Trump highlights immigration apprehensions in Minnesota
The president quickly pivoted to highlight how his administration has apprehended, as he put it, “murderers and drug dealers” and “a lot of bad people” in Minnesota. He held up printed images of individuals, under the heading “Minnesota: Worst of Worst”
“Biden wouldn’t do this because he let them all in,” Mr. Trump said, arguing that the apprehensions wouldn’t have been necessary without the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Mr. Trump claimed that the individuals were all “criminal illegal aliens that, in many cases, they’re murderers, they’re drug lords, drug dealers.”
“In Minnesota, the crime is incredible. The financial crimes are incredible, and the problem is because of the agitators and insurrectionists,” he said.
Trump holds up White House’s talking points on first-year accomplishments
Taking to the lectern, the president held up a book of 365 talking points the White House passed out to reporters listing its accomplishments in the first 365 days.
Even as the White House keeps military options on the table for Greenland, the president highlighted his efforts to end wars overseas.
“Nobody’s really seen very much like it,” he said.
Trump set to depart for Davos later Tuesday
Mr. Trump is expected to leave for Davos tonight to attend the World Economic Forum. Before his arrival, European leaders have been expressing strong opposition to Mr. Trump’s attempts to obtain Greenland, and the president has been berating and mocking some of the European leaders he’ll see there before he departs.
He called the U.K.’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius — a deal his administration previously supported — an act of “great stupidity” and said it was another reason that the U.S. must control Greenland. He also posted a note from French President Emmanuel Macron had sent to him saying, “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland.”
Newsom says it’s “critical” that European leaders “develop a backbone” and stand up to Trump
Speaking at Davos, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday “it’s critical” that European Union leaders “develop a backbone” and push back more forcefully on President Trump’s threats to take over Greenland.
“Trump thrives on finding vulnerabilities and weakness, and he exploits them,” Newsom told CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe in an interview earlier Tuesday. “What he doesn’t respond well to, and what is effective, is strength. And he responds to that in a very different way.”
Newsom called the Greenland matter a “manufactured crisis” and said Mr. Trump has pinned himself in a corner on the issue because “it’s pretty damn obvious he’s not going to invade.”
“He now doesn’t have many cards to play,” Newsom said.
Newsom related the diplomatic row to Mr. Trump’s crackdown on higher education, media companies and law firms.
“I’m sick of the CEOs with their knee pads, universities selling out, law firms selling out, media selling out to this guy. Our allies are selling out alliances over 80 years because they’re not standing with more conviction,” he said.
More than 10 countries have signed on to Trump’s “Board of Peace,” sources say
More than 10 countries have signed on to join Mr. Trump’s “Board of Peace” for Gaza, sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News, though only five — United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Morocco, Hungary and Canada — have publicly accepted his invitation to join.
As the president envisions it, the group would comprise world leaders, with him as its chairman. Countries can contribute $1 billion to become permanent members, rather than holding a typical three-year membership, the White House said, although Canada has said it won’t pay to join.
Some countries will contribute far less, possibly around $20 million, one of the sources said.
The group’s formation is facing serious headwinds from U.S. allies, particularly as the president renews his push to acquire Greenland and has not ruled out the use of military force to do so. Low support for the board could be embarrassing for the administration in Davos.
Read more here.
Trump continues push to acquire Greenland
The president’s push for Greenland is only intensifying, with Mr. Trump saying he’ll impose heavy tariffs on countries that oppose his expansion plans.
The president hasn’t ruled out the use of military force to acquire the semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, and NATO allies are on edge, with some deploying military forces to Greenland for exercises that they say are meant to show their commitment to strengthening collective security.
On Tuesday, European Union Commission President called Mr. Trump’s threat to levy tariffs on eight NATO allies over their stance on Greenland a “mistake” that risks sending U.S. and European relations into a “downward spiral.”
Ahead of Davos, the president posted an AI-generated image showing him planting an American flag on Greenland, alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
9 major themes that defined the first year of Trump’s second term
In the year since his return to power, the president has shifted America’s approach to foreign policy and allies, targeted his political enemies, prioritized mass deportations and put his mark on Washington’s architecture.
Read more here about the themes that have shaped his first 365 days in office.