'Duped by Democrats': Here are 5 of the wildest moments from Trump’s rambling presser

16 Jul 2025, 17:02 by https://www.facebook.com/17108852506 · AlterNet

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, as he meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (not pictured), in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

Alex Henderson
July 16, 2025 | 01:02PM ETMSN UK

Early Wednesday afternoon, July 16, President Donald Trump held a rambling press conference in the White House. Trump covered a lot of ground during the presser, railing against his familiar targets — from former President Joe Biden to U.S. Federal Reserve Secretary Jerome Powell — while aggressively defending U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy.

Here are five of the press conference's wildest moments.

1. Trump said he won't 'rule out' firing Jerome Powell.

Trump once attacked Powell for refusing to raise interest rates, accusing him of doing a terrible job. And he made it clear that he would like to see someone else heading the U.S. Federal Reserve. When a reporter asked Trump about the possibility of firing Powell, he responded, "I don't rule out anything, but I think it's highly unlikely."

2. Trump praised his 'big, beautiful bill' as America's salvation.

Critics of Trump's "big, beautiful bill," which he signed into law over the 4th of July Weekend, are warning that its steep Medicaid cuts will cause millions of Americans to lose their health insurance — and that its tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires will cause the United States' already-massive federal deficit to increase even more. But Trump, during the presser, told reporters, "The big, beautiful bill is one of the greatest pieces of legislation ever…. The bill is life, and it saves our country."

3. Trump accused AG Bondi's MAGA critics of being 'duped' by Democrats.

In MAGA World, Bondi's critics are accusing her of a cover-up with the alleged Epstein files and are calling for her to be fired as attorney general. But Trump forcefully defended Bondi, telling reporters, "Whatever's credible, she can release."

Bondi's detractors on the right, Trump claimed, are being deceived by Democrats.

Trump told reporters, "Certain Republicans got duped by Democrats…. They got duped…. I think she's doing a great job."

4. Trump claimed Biden encouraged 'gang members' to enter the US.

Trump attacked his processor as "stupid Joe Biden" and "sleepy Joe Biden" during the presser, claiming that Biden's immigration policies encouraged "gang members" and "jailbirds" as well as "drug dealers" to enter the United States.

The president told reporters, "They couldn't come into any country in the world except our country…. We have it under check right now….. We've done a great job."

5. Trump claimed the U.S. would have collapsed if he'd lost the election.

Trump reiterated his I-alone-can-fix-it message of the 2024 presidential race, claiming the U.S. was in danger of total collapse.

"One year ago," he told reporters, "we were a dead country. We were laughed at all over the world."