Trump touts first-year accomplishments in lengthy White House briefing before heading to Davos

In a final question, the president was asked to list what he sees as the top accomplishments of his first year. 

The president listed rebuilding the military, including the Venezuela operation; sealing business deals and investments in the U.S.; and attaining most-favored-nation pricing for prescription drugs. 

The president was in the briefing room for nearly two hours. 

Given his insistence on acquiring Greenland, the president was asked if reclaiming the Panama Canal is still on the table. It's something he spoke about doing during the first months of his administration. 

"I don't want to tell you that," the president responded, before adding, "Sort of."

When asked why winning the Nobel Peace Prize is so important to him and how it would improve the lives of everyday Americans, Mr. Trump said "it wouldn't improve" their lives. But, he asserted, he improved the lives of the people living in war-torn countries.  

"I saved probably tens of millions of lives in the wars," Mr. Trump said, again repeating his claim that he has resolved eight wars around the world. "I saved millions of people. So that to me is the big thing." 

Mr. Trump questioned how much longer he should continue to field questions, saying he has a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan soon. 

One reporter asked the president if he'll try to speak with Nicolás Maduro in prison in New York. Mr. Trump said he will not. 

"No, I don't think I would be doing that," he said. "I think my lawyers would be very unhappy if I did that. They've learned some things." 

Mr. Trump was asked if he agrees with his top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, that he would need to go through Congress to approve the $2,000 checks he wants to send to Americans from tariff revenue. 

"I don't think we would have to go the Congress route but, you know, we'll find out," he said. 

Mr. Trump said the U.S. should be able to issue at least $2,000 to Americans, with an income limit, and pay down debt. 

"I believe we can do that without Congress," he added. 

Mr. Trump was evasive when asked how far he is willing to go to acquire Greenland.  

"You'll find out," he said. The president has repeatedly declined to rule out the threat of military force to acquire the semi-autonomous region.

Well over an hour into his remarks, the president opened the room up to questions. He was first asked if he wants his "Board of Peace" for Gaza to replace the United Nations. 

"Well, it might," he said. "I mean, the U.N. just hasn't been very helpful. I'm a big fan of the U.N. potential. But it has never lived up to its potential." 

"I believe you've got to let the U.N. continue because the potential is so great," he added.

The president questioned whether other NATO members would come to the aid of the U.S. 

"The big fear I have with NATO is we spend tremendous amounts of money with NATO," Mr. Trump said. "And I know we'll come to their rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they'll come to ours."

Article 5 of the NATO charter says that an attack on one member of the alliance is treated as an attack on all. It has only been invoked once: in response to the 9/11 attacks, when European countries joined the U.S. in the war in Afghanistan.

Mr. Trump claimed that he has done "more for NATO than any other person alive or dead."

The president added, "NATO has to treat us fairly, too."

Mr. Trump lamented that he didn't receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end conflicts around the globe. He blamed Norway's government for the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decisions.

"I should have gotten the Nobel Prize for each war, but I don't say that," Mr. Trump said. "I saved millions and millions of people. And don't let anyone tell you that Norway doesn't control the shots, OK? It's in Norway."

Mr. Trump cited the Peace Prize in a text message to Norway's prime minister over the weekend, linking his failure to receive it to his pursuit of Greenland. 

An hour into the president's appearance in the briefing room, he has yet to take questions. He's addressed the situation in Venezuela, his frustrations with Minnesota, the economy, immigration, growing up in Queens, his efforts at peace around the globe, how much he thinks he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and other topics. 

The president railed against Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. as a teenager, while questioning whether Somalia is a country. 

"I always hate to see this Ilhan Omar — she comes from Somalia, a backward country, probably the worst country in the world," Mr. Trump said. "She'll come here, comes, and then she wants to tell us how to run our country… I can't stand her."

Mr. Trump has directed his ire at Omar in recent weeks over a string of Minnesota fraud schemes. 

The president also claimed that Somalia is "not a country."

"They say it's the worst country in the world, if it's a country — I don't even think it's a country — there's no organization, no anything," he said. "They don't have police, they don't have military, they don't have anything."

The president said ICE will "make mistakes sometimes" and can be "too rough" with people, but justified that by saying they're dealing with "rough" people. 

"They're going to make mistakes sometimes," Mr. Trump said of immigration officers. "ICE is going to be too rough with somebody. Or, you know, they're dealing with rough people. Are they going to make a mistake? Sometimes it can happen."

"You feel terribly," he continued. 

"I felt horribly when I was told that the young woman who was, had the tragedy — it's a tragedy, it's a horrible thing," Mr. Trump said, seemingly talking about Renee Good. "Everybody would say it, ICE would say the same thing." 

Mr. Trump said Good's parents were "tremendous" fans of his. 

"He was all for Trump," Mr. Trump said of her father. "Loved Trump. And, you know, it's terrible. … I hope he still feels that way." 

Mr. Trump claimed the U.S. has "taken out almost 100% of the drugs coming in by water" after dozens of military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September.  

"Now, we're going to be, very shortly, starting drugs coming in by land," Mr. Trump said. "We know exactly where they're coming from." 

Members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have expressed growing concern about the strikes and have introduced several war powers resolutions to limit further action around Venezuela without congressional approval. The attempts have so far been unsuccessful. Another vote on a war powers resolution is expected later this week in the House. 

Mr. Trump said he told administration officials, "You got to lighten up," amid a broad crackdown on immigration. 

"We have a lot of heart for people," the president said. "They came in illegally, but they're good people, and they're working now on farms and they're working in luncheonettes and hotels." 

Mr. Trump said the focus should be on people with criminal records, but acknowledged that immigrants without such a history have been detained. 

"So in theory, they should be [deported], but we're focused on the murderers, the drug dealers, the mentally insane," he said. 

Internal data from the Department of Homeland Security indicates about 47% of ICE's detainees had criminal charges or convictions in the U.S.

Addressing reporters with less enthusiasm and energy than he often does, Mr. Trump said he doesn't like doing press conferences like this.

"The fake news doesn't want to write about this," Mr. Trump said after mentioning his administration's successful efforts to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to bring some drug prices down. "That's why I do this. I don't like to do this, to be honest with you. But I do it because, got to get the word out." 

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.

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."

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." 

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."

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.

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.

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.

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."

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 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.

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. 

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.