At a packed event at Mount Vernon on Saturday, US President Donald Trump delivered remarks at the American Cornerstone Institute, an organisation founded by former Housing Secretary Ben Carson. The evening was part tribute, part campaign stump, and part cultural commentary, as Trump honoured allies like the late Charlie Kirk and Dr. Ben Carson while launching barbed attacks at former President Joe Biden and progressive causes.
In a nod to loyalty and shared values, he praised Carson’s conservatism and dedication, saying the former neurosurgeon didn’t even know the award announcement was coming. Trump also reaffirmed his intention to posthumously honour Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand recently assassinated on a university campus, and described him as “a great man” who was “devastatedly loved” by America’s youth.
Here are the key quotes from his speech:
'Charlie had an army… they loved him'
Trump also spoke emotionally about Charlie Kirk, who was killed earlier this month during a campus appearance. The POTUS recalled Kirk’s relentless energy, his influence on young conservatives, and his ability to mobilise support. Trump confirmed he would attend Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, and that the activist would be awarded the Medal of Freedom posthumously.
“Tomorrow we’re honoring a great man, Charlie Kirk... He had just an army of young people. They loved him so much. I mean, they’re devastated right now.”
'Biden was always a mean ... '
Trump took direct aim at former President Biden’s character, pushing back against public sympathy over Biden’s age and health.
“Biden was always a mean sob... Not working out too well for him right now. So, when you start feeling sorry for him, remember he’s a bad guy.”
'Ozempic… which we call the fat drug'
During his speech, Trump also referenced the weight-loss drug Ozempic to criticise healthcare pricing in the US, mocking a friend who paid vastly different prices between New York and London.
“And he sent down for, I guess it's Ozempic, which we call the fat drug. And he lives in New York in a beautiful apartment. Extremely crude individual. He doesn't mind me saying that, as long as I don't tell him his name, because we know a lot of people like him, though. Very successful fat neurotic. All the ingredients you need for success, right? And he said, president, you know, this is crazy. Doesn't affect him anything, but this is crazy. He said, I in New York, I paid $1,300 for this thing, and here I paid $88. I said, what is it? You. You lose weight? He said, didn't work on you? Didn't work. But what are you talking. He said, It's $88 in London, it's $1,300 in New York. And while that money doesn't bother this guy at all, he's got a lot of money, but the concept bothers him, you know, like, what the hell's going on?”
On wearing a tuxedo
Trump drew laughs from the crowd with a light-hearted anecdote about his reluctant choice to don formalwear for the occasion.
“I did try to get out of the tuxedo, I’ll admit it. I was getting ready, almost set to go, and they said, ‘Sir, it’s black tie tonight.’ I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ So I asked, ‘Do you think Ben would mind if I showed up in something else?’ And they said, ‘He’d be fine with it, sir.’ But I said, ‘No — I respect him too much to do that.’ So I put the damn tuxedo on. And here we are," he said.
'They like crime, we don’t'
Trump painted Democrats as soft on crime or even supportive of it saying, “We don't like crime and the Democrats obviously love it. How about that? They like crime, we don't. That's all you have to say, a sign. They like crime, we don't. I don't think it's possible to lose an election. I think that's. They were said today they better be careful. This is a Trump trap. It's an 80-20 issue. No, it's a 99 to 1 issue. And we don't know the one person. We can't find that one person.”
'We banned the chemical and surgical mutilation of children'
Trump tackled the issue of transgender healthcare, particularly in reference to minors.
“We also banned the chemical and surgical mutilation of children. Can you imagine? Could you imagine, let's say, 15 or 20 years ago, you're a politician and you say, we've banned the chemical and surgical mutilation of your children... Could you imagine having to make a statement like that?”
'Congratulations, Ben'
Trump capped off the evening by awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Ben Carson.
“Congratulations, Ben. He didn’t know this. He didn’t know it. I hope he’s happy.”