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President Trump hinted at putting on a show for the return of the Americans detained in North Korea, and it didn't disappoint.

"It's everything that President Trump loves," CNN's Will Ripley said before the men's release. "It's a photo op. It's pretty dramatic. These three men who have been in North Korean custody walking out."

The trio landed at nearly 3 a.m. ET at Joint Base Andrews -- the military installation near Washington famous for housing Air Force One -- where they were greeted by the President and the First Lady on board the plane.

With an American flag at their back, the group descended stairs to the cheers of military members who were watching.

Hundreds of journalists were credentialed for the event, and Trump held an impromptu news conference with some of them once back on solid ground.

The President was in peak form -- he was complimentary of the Americans released and hinted at bigger things to come during his scheduled talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He used the opportunity to take a dig at The New York Times and joked that the coverage would have some of the highest ratings ever for 3 a.m.

There were a couple awkward or uncomfortable moments, notably when the President congratulated the detainees on "being in this country" and then when relaying a question from the press about how they were treated, after which Trump added "you have to give them the answer."