Donald Trump made an unusual comparison between one of his past Independence Day addresses and Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
On Thursday (April 23), the president invited reporters into the Oval Office, where he addressed questions and discussed renovation work around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
As he spoke about projects his administration says it is carrying out, Trump shifted into a broader aside that moved away from the refurbishment details.
During the remarks, he argued that his July 4, 2019 appearance at the Lincoln Memorial drew a crowd comparable to — and, in his view, larger than — the crowd at King’s 1963 speech.
“That’s where Martin Luther King gave his great speech, and he had a million people, and I had the same exact crowd, maybe a little bit more, but they said I had 45,000 people,” the president told press.
“I have pictures of Martin Luther King’s crowd, my crowd, it’s the exact same everything, but it was 70 years difference.”
Trump added: “The exact same crowd. I actually had more people, but that’s OK. They gave him, they gave him a million people.”
He then turned to the condition of the White House, saying it “has been in bad shape,” before claiming the building is now in the best condition it has seen since it was first constructed.
A new 9,000-square-foot ballroom has been getting underway in recent months, planned for the space previously occupied by the East Wing area of the White House residence.
Trump is also expected to host King Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House on Monday (April 27) for a three-day state visit.
“We’re having King Charles come, he’s a friend of mine. We’re really looking forward to it, we’ve spoken and we’re going to have a great time. I tell you, if we’d had that ballroom built it would be full. I wish we had more seats,” Trump told reporters on Thursday.
The visit comes as the relationship between the US and UK has faced strain, following Trump’s recent criticism of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after the UK declined to become directly involved in the conflict in the Middle East.
Trump said the King’s trip to the US could “absolutely” help mend ties between the two countries.
“He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes,” he added.
“I know him well, I’ve known him for years. He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”