President Donald Trump held an impromptu press conference before departing on Air Force One on January 19, 2025, celebrating his first year in office with sweeping claims about American economic recovery and renewed controversy over Greenland. Trump declared the United States has become “the hottest country in the world” with unprecedented investment levels, while Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum credited the administration’s policies for declining inflation and energy prices. The president doubled down on his administration’s pursuit of Greenland despite Danish sovereignty, dismissing the territory’s historical connection to Denmark and suggesting he would impose massive tariffs on French products if President Macron remained uncooperative with his “Board of Peace” initiative. Trump confirmed he has selected his choice for a Federal Reserve position and previewed his upcoming Davos appearance as an opportunity to showcase American economic strength. Assistance from Claude AI.
For a fact-check, see Comprehensive Fact-Check: Trump Pre-Departure Press Gaggle – January 19, 2025.
Participants
- Donald Trump – President of the United States
- Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior
- Press Corps – Multiple reporters (names not specified in transcript)
Detailed Meeting Breakdown
Opening Remarks: Economic Claims and Investment Announcements
President Trump began the gaggle by referencing a football game he had attended, congratulating Indiana, before pivoting to economic messaging. He claimed the country is experiencing an unprecedented wave of factory and building openings, stating that “we have more money being invested in our country than any country in history.” Trump predicted visible results would arrive soon, though he noted “you’re already really seeing them.”
Secretary Burgum reinforced Trump’s economic narrative, attributing several positive trends to presidential leadership. According to Burgum, the administration has achieved declining inflation, rising investment, falling taxes, and reduced energy prices. He characterized 2026 as potentially “a banner year” and claimed “the interest in building and investing in our country’s never been greater.”
Trump then emphasized the scale of investment by making a comparative claim, asserting the United States is receiving “many times more” investment than China or any other country. This exchange established the economic optimism theme that would dominate much of the gaggle.
Davos Preview: Messaging American Economic Strength
When asked about his message to leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump framed his upcoming appearance around contrasting America’s current state with its condition “a year and a half ago.” He claimed that at that earlier point, “we were a dead country, and now we have the hottest country in the world.”
Trump personalized the economic message to reporters, suggesting they check their 401(k) retirement accounts and asserting “your numbers are the best they’ve ever been.” He cited the stock market reaching “an all time high” as evidence the country is “just doing great.”
The president indicated he had “a lot of meetings scheduled” at Davos and characterized the gathering as an opportunity to showcase “how incredible our country is doing.” This preview suggested Trump intended to use the international platform primarily for promoting American economic performance rather than engaging in detailed policy discussions.
Greenland Controversy: Nobel Prize Question and Sovereignty Claims
A reporter asked Trump to address a letter he had written to a prime minister regarding the Nobel Peace Prize influencing his thinking on Greenland. Trump’s response revealed several layers to his Greenland position.
First, Trump dismissed the significance of the Nobel Prize itself, stating “I don’t care about the Nobel Prize.” He acknowledged that “a very fine woman” believed he deserved the award and “really wanted me to have the Nobel Prize,” expressing appreciation for her support. Trump then made a claim about Norwegian control over the prize, asserting that despite having a board, the Nobel Prize “is controlled by Norway” and declaring “I don’t care what Norway says.”
Trump then reframed the Greenland issue around security and humanitarian concerns. He stated “what I care about is saving lives” and claimed “I’ve saved tens of millions of lives.” As evidence, he pointed to his involvement with India and Pakistan, describing them as “two nuclear powers” that had been in conflicts lasting thirty to thirty-five years until “I got it done.”
The president then made a sweeping claim about his peace efforts: “We stopped eight wars and maybe we’ll be stopping a ninth very soon.” This statement connected his Greenland interest to a broader narrative about conflict resolution and global security.
European Response and Danish Sovereignty Challenge
When asked about potential European pushback on Greenland at Davos, Trump expressed confidence that “they’re not gonna push back too much.” He then outlined his rationale for pursuing Greenland despite Danish sovereignty.
Trump acknowledged Denmark has “wonderful people” with “very good people” as leaders, but challenged their connection to Greenland by noting “they don’t even go there.” He then questioned the historical basis for Danish sovereignty, arguing that “because a boat went there 500 years ago and then left, that doesn’t give you title to property.”
The president positioned his Greenland interest within his NATO relationship narrative. Trump claimed “I’ve done more for NATO than anybody else” and suggested the alliance might not exist without his involvement. He took credit for getting NATO members to increase their defense spending commitments from 2% to 5% of GDP, asserting “I’ve done more than any other American president for NATO, by far.”
Despite this broader NATO context, Trump emphasized that “Greenland is very important,” leaving the statement without further elaboration on strategic rationale.
When asked about Denmark sending forces to Greenland, Trump minimized the deployment as “a few people” rather than a significant military presence. He noted that Denmark claimed the deployment was “to guard against Russia,” but pointed out that “NATO’s been warning Denmark about the Russian threat” for approximately twenty-five years. Trump also added that the threat comes “not only Russia, it’s also China,” broadening the security concerns beyond a single adversary.
Board of Peace Initiative and Diplomatic Tensions
Reporters asked Trump about his “Board of Peace” concept, specifically whether he had invited President Putin to join. Trump confirmed simply: “Yeah, he’s been invited” and later elaborated that Putin was “one of the people” included as “world leaders.”
The exchange took a contentious turn when a reporter asked about French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly declining to join the Board of Peace. Trump’s response combined dismissiveness with threats of economic retaliation.
Trump questioned whether Macron actually made the statement, suggesting the reporter might be “giving it to me a little bit differently.” However, he then pivoted to attacking Macron’s political standing, claiming “nobody wants him because he’s gonna be out of office very soon.”
The president then outlined a potential tariff strategy against France, stating: “What I’ll do is if they feel like hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join.” This threat of massive tariffs on signature French products represented Trump’s approach to leveraging economic pressure for diplomatic compliance.
Trump concluded his comments on Macron by reiterating “he’s gonna be out of office in a few months,” suggesting the French president’s political weakness diminished any concerns about his non-participation.
First Year Assessment and Inherited Conditions Narrative
When asked to reflect on his first year in office (the interview took place one day before his first anniversary), Trump delivered an enthusiastic self-assessment. He characterized the year as “amazing” and claimed “I don’t think there’s been a term like it. I don’t think any president has had a better first year than we’ve had in terms of success.”
Trump then contrasted current conditions with what he described as inheriting from the previous administration. According to his account, he took over a country that was “a failure with open borders, no business, everything going badly, terrific inflation, the highest inflation in history, prices that are through the roof.”
The president claimed his administration had reversed these trends: “we’ve brought prices down. We have very little inflation. We have a great economy, and the prices are coming down still further.” He summarized by reiterating “I inherited a mess, and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
This narrative of dramatic transformation from “failure” to global economic leadership formed a central theme of Trump’s first-year messaging, providing context for many of his other claims during the gaggle.
New York Giants Coaching Decision
In a lighter exchange, a reporter asked whether Trump had influenced the New York Giants signing Coach Harbaugh and how he thought the coach would perform. Trump’s response revealed a personal connection to the Harbaugh family.
Trump disclosed that Coach Harbaugh and “his brother” had visited him at the White House “about three months ago” along with their parents. Trump explained the family connection by noting “the mother likes me and the father likes me, and I think they like me.”
The president praised Harbaugh as “a great coach” who would “do well with the Giants, just like his brother does so well.” Trump attributed their coaching success to genetics, claiming “they got something very special in their blood.”
Trump concluded by acknowledging he had publicly advocated for the hiring, stating “I put out a strong word, ‘Hire Coach Harbaugh.’” While he didn’t explicitly claim credit for influencing the decision, the comment suggested he believed his endorsement carried weight.
Federal Reserve Selection
In a brief exchange about the Federal Reserve, Trump indicated he had made a decision about an appointment. When asked if he would announce before Davos, Trump stated concisely: “Yeah, I know who I want” for the Fed position.
When pressed on timing for the announcement, Trump remained noncommittal, saying “I’ll announce it sometimes, but I know who I want.” This suggested the selection had been made internally but Trump was controlling the timing of the public announcement for strategic reasons.
The brevity of this exchange stood in contrast to Trump’s more elaborate responses on other topics, suggesting he intended to maintain suspense around the Federal Reserve appointment.
Closing: Davos Anticipation
In his final comments before boarding, Trump circled back to the Greenland issue when responding to a question about NATO allies and Arctic security. After addressing the Danish deployment to Greenland and noting the dual threats from Russia and China, Trump concluded with a teasing preview: “Let’s put it this way. It’s gonna be a very interesting Davos.”
This closing remark encapsulated Trump’s approach throughout the gaggle—using the upcoming international forum as a backdrop for promoting American economic strength while previewing potential confrontations over territorial ambitions and diplomatic initiatives.
MLA Citation
“Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to Reporters Before Air Force One Departure – January 19, 2025.” Factbase, 19 Jan. 2025, www.factbase.com. Transcript.