WASHINGTON – President Trump praised an Hispanic-American Border Patrol agent as someone who “speaks perfect English” during a White House ceremony honoring those who enforce the nation’s immigration laws.

“Just over a week ago a human smuggler was arrested in Laredo for locking, and really locking, a horrible 78 illegal aliens inside of a trailer,” Trump said.

“The border patrol agent who caught the accused and likely, really saved many lives, he’s here with us,” Trump added, calling out for “Adrian.”

Border Patrol agent Adrian Anzaldua stepped up to hear the president laud his accomplishment.

“Thank you, that’s a lot of lives. That’s great,” Trump went on. “Adrian come here, I want to ask you a question … you’re not nervous right?” the president asked. Turning to the broader East Room crowd the president added, “Speaks perfect English.”

That wasn’t Trump’s only awkward moment.

On several occasions he called the CBP – Customs and Border Protection – the “CBC,” an acronym that in Washington stands for the Congressional Black Caucus.

Trump said he brought immigration and Border Patrol agents to the White House to remind them that they’re supported by the vast majority of Americans.

“We have a little opposition called the Democrats,” Trump said. “I guess they don’t mind crime, they don’t mind crime, it’s pretty sad.”

Trump knocked one Democrat in particular — Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“Any politician who puts criminal aliens before American citizens should find a new line of work because it’s not going to work,” Trump said. “And any politicians who get up and say that our country was never great. You heard that? I think that’s the end of that career,” he added, alluding to remarks recently made by the Democratic governor that America “was never that great.”

The president called those who’ve recently protested the immigration agency – mainly over the administration’s controversial policy of separating families at the southern border – “open-borders extremists” and “radicals.”

He also called them weak.

“They have no courage, they have no guts, they just have big loud mouths,” Trump said.

The White House event followed the release of a letter Trump wrote to state and local officials asking them to publicly defend immigration, customs and border agents.

“Tragically, the brave men and women of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] have recently been subjected to a nationwide campaign of smears, insults, and attacks by politicians shamelessly catering to the extreme elements of our society that desire lawlessness and anarchy,” Trump said in the letter.