East Room

5:05 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s really nice. This is an honor because, when I was running, I think number one on our list was law enforcement, taking care of law enforcement, working with law enforcement. And really, we have to create guidelines and principles for the incredible job you’ve done. And you’ve done an amazing job.

And I will tell you, a lot of times you’re scorned and you’re looked at by the media because the media is very dishonest — much of it — in this country. Very, very dishonest. And the job that you’ve done, in light of all of the things that you have to go through — I guess, a little bit like me, also — but I will say that you have been really outstanding, incredible people.

Crime statistics are down. We’re really doing well, other than you take a couple of places around our nation where they have different policies than what we would put — and you know where I’m talking about. But there are a couple of places, they don’t believe in what we believe. But we have, together, done something very special.

I also remember so well, Sheriff, when we were together — I said we’re going to get you a lot of military equipment that you weren’t able to get. And it was sitting in warehouses all over the country, and in many cases, Mike, in other countries. You remember.

And we brought it back home, and you were able to get great military equipment like you couldn’t afford to buy in your budgets. And we gave it to you, and it protected a lot of people. We have a lot of people living today in your profession that would not, frankly, be around right now without the protection of that kind of equipment that we have sitting around waiting, and doing nothing, and just drawing dust.

So the fact that you gave me this award is something very meaningful. I will put that in a place of great honor in the Oval Office. But I really appreciate it. Thank you very much. It’s a great honor. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you all.

Q Mr. President, any comments on the anonymous op-ed in the New York —

Q Mr. President, the anonymous op-ed, sir? Do you have a reaction?

THE PRESIDENT: I don’t understand.

Q There’s anonymous op-ed in the New York Times that says, “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.” Just posted. Your reaction?

THE PRESIDENT: Hey, I’ll ask the sheriffs: Can you imagine? We have somebody in what I call the “failing New York Times” that’s talking about he’s part of the resistance within the Trump administration.

Q This person works for the administration, they said.

THE PRESIDENT: This is what we have to deal with. And, you know, the dishonest media — because you people deal with it as well as I do — but it’s really a disgrace.

I will say this: Nobody has done what this administration has done in terms of getting things passed and getting things through. A article was just printed, just came out a few minutes ago: Trump breaks the record for budget gridlock wins, “scores big win.” So for 20 years — it’s a 20-year record — for a 20-year record — they call it “the ‘fouled up’ budget gridlock” and “scores big win.” Here is the thing. So this just came out. So in 20 years, it hasn’t been like it is now. It’s — we broke — we broke it. That’s just really positive stuff.

And then, in addition to that, point after point after point, if you look, almost 4 million jobs created since the election. (Applause.) More Americans now employed than ever recorded in our history. So we have more people working today than at any point ever in our history.

We’ve created 400,000 manufacturing jobs. Manufacturing jobs are growing at the fastest pace in more than 30 years. Economic growth last quarter was 4.2 percent. And as you people know, it was headed down. Big. And it was a low number. A very low number. It would’ve been — in my opinion, it would’ve been less than zero. It was heading to negative numbers.

New employment claims recently hit a — think of that — the unemployment picture in the country is the best it’s been in 49 years. African American unemployment, lowest in the history of our country. Asian American unemployment, lowest in the history of our country. Hispanic American unemployment, lowest in the history of our country.

I mean, I’m just looking at these — just point after point. Under my administration, veterans’ unemployment reached its lowest in many, many years. The — let’s see — almost 3.9 million Americans have been lifted off food stamps, just since my election. Then you go into all of the benefits that we got from the tax cuts. All of you people benefitted tremendously from the tax cuts. (Applause.)

You go into regulation cuts. You go into Right to Try. Right to Try is where you have the right — if a person is terminally ill, you have a right to go and try, and see whether or not a drug that’s not approved yet can be used and utilized. They didn’t allow that.

Point after point: Getting rid of the individual mandate, the most unpopular thing there is in Obamacare. Coming up with new healthcare plans. We’ve never had a period — even if you look at the Olympics; got the Olympics. The World Cup just got — you just saw them; they were in my office. Got the World Cup. Nobody has — and we have started the wall. Nobody has ever done, in less than a two-year period, what we’ve done.

So when you tell me about some anonymous source within the administration, probably who’s failing and probably here for all the wrong reasons. Now — and the New York Times is failing. If I weren’t here, I believe the New York Times probably wouldn’t even exist. (Applause.) And some day — let me just tell you — and some day, when I’m not President, which hopefully will be in about six and a half years from now, the New York Times and CNN, and all of these phony media outlets, will be out of business, folks. They’ll be out of the business. Because there will be nothing to write, and there will be nothing of interest.

So nobody has done what this administration has done. And I agree, it’s different from an agenda, which is much different than ours, and it’s certainly not your agenda — that I can tell you. It’s about open borders. It’s about letting people flee into our country. It’s about a disaster and crime for our country.

So they don’t like Donald Trump, and I don’t like them, because they’re very dishonest people. Remember this also, about the New York Times: When I won, they were forced to apologize to their subscribers. They wrote a letter of apology — it was the first time anybody has ever done it — because they covered the election incorrectly. So if the failing New York Times has an anonymous editorial — can you believe it? “Anonymous” — meaning gutless. A gutless editorial.

We’re doing a great job. The poll numbers are through the roof. Our poll numbers are great. And guess what? Nobody is going to come close to beating me in 2020 because of what we’ve done. We’ve done more than anybody ever thought possible in — it’s not even two years.

So thank you very much. (Applause.)

END

5:15 P.M. EDT