Trump marks the first anniversary of his return to the presidency with an attack speech

Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of his historic return to the White House with a lengthy and unconventional press conference, characterized by complaints and attacks on his political opponents rather than the usual celebratory atmosphere. Trump returned to power on January 20th of last year, after defeating his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election, becoming only the second president in US history to win two non-consecutive terms, after Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

The context of the return and the thorny issues

This speech comes at a sensitive time for the US administration, as it seeks to consolidate its power a year after regaining control. Trump began by focusing intensely on the issue of illegal immigration, a central theme of his previous election campaigns. He didn't stop there, however, but moved on to address thorny international and domestic issues, ranging from military operations in South America to allegations of corruption in Minnesota, in a narrative that observers described as disjointed and remarkably similar to his campaign rallies.

The situation in Venezuela and foreign policy

In a notable foreign policy development, Trump addressed the recent US military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on January 3. The US president expressed his openness to cooperating with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, indicating that his administration was in contact with her. Trump praised Machado, who had presented him with the Nobel Peace Prize medal she won, a gesture he used to reiterate his criticism of the Norwegian Nobel Committee for not awarding him the prize personally, reflecting his continued tendency to personalize international issues.

Controversial achievements and questionable figures

On the economic front, Trump described himself as a “financial genius,” claiming that the United States had attracted $18 trillion in foreign investment. He also promoted claims widely skepticized by economists, including a 600% drop in drug prices—a figure considered mathematically impossible. To bolster his position, the White House distributed a 31-page document listing what it called 365 accomplishments during his first year in office in the areas of economics and foreign policy.

Insisting on the 2020 election narrative

Despite the passage of years, the 2020 election has remained a recurring theme in the president's rhetoric, as he has repeatedly claimed—without offering new evidence—that he was the true victor against his predecessor, Joe Biden. Analysts suggest that Trump's insistence on this narrative, even after his return to the presidency, reflects a persistent desire to settle political scores and retroactively reaffirm his legitimacy, which could contribute to the continued sharp political polarization within American society.