DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — President Donald Trump used a lengthy press conference Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, to mark the first anniversary of his return to office, outlining what he called major accomplishments on immigration, crime, the economy, trade, national security and government reform.
Trump opened by pointing to the crowd and the anniversary date, calling the past year “an amazing period of time.” He said his administration had compiled a book of accomplishments, adding, “I could stand here and read it for a week and we wouldn’t be finished.”
Much of the speech focused on immigration enforcement and crime. Trump said federal agents are arresting and removing what he described as violent criminals who entered the country illegally. “These are rough people,” he said while referring to arrest photos, adding that many were “murderers,” “drug dealers” and “gang members.” He singled out Minnesota and California as examples, saying, “This is just Minnesota. One state out of many.”
Trump blamed the Biden administration’s border policies, saying, “If you didn’t have open border policies of Biden, none of this would have happened.” He said countries are now cooperating with deportations, adding, “They didn’t respect our country before. They respect us now.”
The president claimed border crossings have dropped sharply. “For eight months in a row, zero illegal aliens were admitted to our country,” he said, adding that enforcement is focused on “the criminals, the murderers, the drug dealers.”
Trump also spoke at length about transnational crime and drugs. He said fentanyl has been designated a major national security threat and claimed drug smuggling by sea has dropped sharply. “We’ve taken out almost 100% of the drugs coming in by water,” he said.
Turning to the economy, Trump said inflation has fallen and economic growth has increased. “We ended Biden’s stagflation,” he said, adding that inflation is now “down to a normal number.” He pointed to gas prices, saying some areas are seeing prices below $1.99 a gallon.
Trump said the stock market has reached record highs and that retirement accounts have gained value. “We added $9 trillion in value to retirement accounts,” he said, adding that “401Ks did great.” He also said real incomes have risen, claiming, “Under Biden, real incomes declined. Under Trump, they went up.”
On trade and manufacturing, Trump said tariffs have driven investment back to the United States. “They’re leaving other countries and they’re coming here,” he said, citing new or expanded factories. He claimed the trade deficit has been reduced significantly and said exports are up.
Trump also discussed health care costs, saying his administration secured agreements to lower prescription drug prices. “A pill that was selling for $1,300 is now costing $87,” he said, adding that drug prices would fall more than ever before.
The president highlighted a major tax and spending law, saying it delivered “the largest tax cuts in history.” He cited provisions such as “no tax on tips,” “no tax on overtime,” and “no tax on Social Security,” along with tax deductions tied to U.S.-built vehicles.
Trump said his administration has reduced regulations and cut the size of the federal workforce. “We cut 129 old regulations for every one added,” he said. He argued that many former federal workers have moved into higher-paying private-sector jobs, saying, “They’re getting better jobs and much higher pay.”
Foreign policy and national security were also addressed. Trump said certain gangs and cartels have been designated as terrorist organizations and claimed progress against organized crime networks. He also referenced NATO, tariffs tied to national security and ongoing legal challenges related to trade authority.
Throughout the speech, Trump criticized Democrats, the media and political opponents, while praising law enforcement and border agents. “All they want to do is get these people out of our country,” he said of immigration officers, calling them “patriots.”
Trump closed by repeating that his administration has made the country “stronger,” saying, “We have the hottest country anywhere in the world,” and that his focus remains on border security, economic growth and crime enforcement.
