President Trump welcomed children of the journalists at Take Your Children to Work Day at the White House.
POTUS emerged from the Oval Office at 4:41 wearing a navy suit and yellow tie.
He received rapturous applause from the couple hundred staff members, parents, and children in the audience, in attendance for Take Your Children to Work Day.
“It’s a great honor to have you at the “White House,” the president began.
“It’s a very special day, officially called take our daughters and our sons to work day, right? That’s the politically correct term, and we always have to be politically correct, right?” the president joked. “I even love the media today, I see these beautiful children, products of the media, and I actually like you much more than your parents.”
Children of White House staff and press got a behind the scenes look at West Wing all day on Thursday. They were appointed junior rangers of the National Park Service, met Secret Service agents and some of their canine sidekicks, and had photos taken by official White House photographers.
The president, occasionally veering off-script, had some words for the latter. “Sometimes I wish they could make me look a little bit better,” he joked. “Sometimes I think they do it on purpose actually. Always my chin is pulled in, I look terrible, but that’s ok.”
The president also touted his accomplishments and the state of the country under his leadership.
“Or country is doing very well,” he said. “Our economy is at a level that perhaps it’s never been at and all over the world they’re talking about our great country and how well we’re doing.”
The president also marveled at the beauty and the history of the White House and surrounding area. “Sometimes I walk up these paths and I look around and I say wow, there’s no place like this anywhere on earth.”
“The White House is a place of history. 1799,” he continued. “That’s a long time. Now when President Xi comes from china, and i say 1799, he thinks that’s a modern house because their culture is very old. 5,000 years. But this is really something that no matter where you go, no matter the time no matter the date, there is nothing like our great White House.”
The president also boasted about his presidential limousine, nicknamed The Beast. “I guess it’s one of the worlds most expensive cars unfortunately. It’s like riding around in an army tank.”
He continued to give some heartfelt words for the parents in the audience, telling kids, “Your moms and dads are working very hard to keep our country safe from danger and to keep america prosperous, thriving and strong.”
To the kids, he urged, “Never take drugs, don’t stick alcohol, don’t smoke, enjoy your life. You don’t need it. It causes a lot of problems. If you learn one thing. I didn’t come up here to say that but I say it all the time to my kids.” In the briefing after the conclusion of the speech, one young boy was heard repeating the sage advice to his father.
The president wrapped up his remarks at 4:52, but spent another twelve minutes shaking hands along the south lawn rope line before walking back to the Oval Office.