In a speech that resembled a post-inauguration victory lap, the president on Saturday promoted his first four weeks in office, despite ongoing legal battles and growing opposition within his own party.
Speaking for over an hour at a major conservative conference near Washington, it was his first rally-style address since officially taking office on January 20.
The early weeks of the administration have been marked by swift efforts to downsize the federal workforce and restructure government operations, a campaign spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency. However, several of these initiatives have been temporarily halted by the courts, including rulings from judges appointed by the president himself. Still, during his speech, he portrayed his early tenure as an unchallenged success.
“Welcome back to the nation’s capital, where our movement is thriving, fighting, winning, and taking over Washington like never before,” he told the packed audience just outside the city.
Although he has achieved some legal victories in his push to overhaul the federal government, many of his early policy efforts have faced significant judicial scrutiny. Nevertheless, in his speech, he dismissed setbacks and instead framed even legal challenges as triumphs.
“I signed an order that will end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens,” he declared, drawing loud applause from the crowd.
Just days earlier, a federal appeals court panel had denied an emergency request from the Justice Department to enforce the executive order restricting birthright citizenship, which grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil regardless of immigration status. The issue had been a central focus of his campaign, despite ongoing constitutional concerns.
Another federal court ruling also blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury-held data, including Social Security numbers, sparking bipartisan concerns and criticism from government oversight groups.
Despite these setbacks, the president’s first major political address since taking office largely ignored the legal obstacles, presenting his administration’s actions as a resounding success.
