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President Trump praises law enforcement, touts rapid pond renovation and border enforcement in Rose Garden remarks
Summary
President Donald J. Trump used Rose Garden remarks for Police Week to praise law enforcement, describe a rapid renovation of the National Mall’s reflective pond he said saved hundreds of millions of dollars, and to tout arrests and removals at the southern border; he also said he signed an executive order on penalties for killing police officers.
President Donald J. Trump delivered remarks in the White House Rose Garden honoring law-enforcement officers ahead of Police Week, praising agency leaders and describing recent White House and security projects while touting arrests and removals tied to his administration’s border policies.
Trump opened by thanking officers and families who lost loved ones in the line of duty, saying the White House has been “brought back to shape.” He described a recent work on the National Mall’s reflective pond, saying the project had been completed quickly with an industrial-grade coating and that it cost “a couple of million bucks” rather than the $350–$400 million he said earlier plans would have required. “So, we saved at least, think of it, I saved $349 million,” Trump said.
The president framed his remarks around public-safety accomplishments and personnel he credited with restoring order. He named and thanked multiple federal law-enforcement leaders in attendance and praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security and local police. Trump said his administration had deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to restore safety in Washington, D.C., and that crime there had fallen substantially. He also praised officers injured in the line of duty, noting that U.S. Park Police Officer Ryan McDermott, who was shot, is expected to return to work.
On immigration and enforcement, Trump repeated several numerical claims and attributed them to his administration’s actions, including that nearly 615,000 removable criminal migrants had been removed by the Department of Homeland Security in the past 12 months and that his administration made “nearly 200,000 criminal arrests nationwide.” He also said, without independent verification in his remarks, that large numbers of criminals had been removed from the capital and stated that “zero illegal aliens have been admitted to the United States through our southern border” under the policies he described.
Trump also said he signed an executive order directing the attorney general to seek the death penalty for anyone convicted of killing a police officer. “That anyone convicted of killing a police officer should face the death penalty. 100%,” he said.
He criticized media coverage of the White House pond work, calling a New York Times report that the surface was merely a “paint job” inaccurate and labeling the outlet as “fake.” He credited Interior Secretary Doug Bergam and contractors for using a heavy-duty industrial coating and said the finished appearance would be “beautiful.”
Throughout the speech, Trump praised endorsements and support from law-enforcement groups and recounted encounters with association leaders. He closed by reiterating appreciation for police and saying he would join attendees for dinner.
The remarks were primarily ceremonial and promotional; the claims about construction costs, crime declines, removal counts and border admissions were presented by the president as his administration’s figures and were not independently verified in the remarks. The White House said the event honored Police Week and recognized law enforcement service.
