U.S. News

Trump describes White House as a 'happy place' during party

By Allen Cone   |   Dec. 15, 2018 at 9:36 PM
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks between first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with his wife Karen Pence at the Congressional Ball at White House on Saturday night. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI President Donald Trump speaks at a White House party Saturday night. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI First lady Melania Trump attends he Congressional Ball at White House on Saturday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (R) talks to Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner at the Congressional Ball at White House in Washington on December 15, 2018. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania, made a 29-minute appearance at the Congressional Ball at the White House on Saturday night, descibing the White House as a "happy place."

Trump, wearing tuxedo, and his wife, in a silver/white long-sleeve, high-neck gown, descended down the stairs as the band played Hail to the Chief, according to the press pool.

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The president spoke for 4 minutes before they mingled with guests at the bottom of the staircase. He noted some of the guests were not Republicans because "I have a lot of friends who are Democrats."

"It's been an incredible two years, it's been very, very special," Trump said. "No administration has done more in the first two years than the Trump administration," he said to cheers and applause.

He noted that included tax cuts, regulation reduction and "two great new Supreme Court Justices."

The president said he is looking forward to getting justice reform and farm bills approved and "I believe we're going to get really good healthcare.

On Friday night, a federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled that the Affordable Care Act, specifically its individual mandate requiring Americans to get health insurance, is unconstitutional.

"And the other thing they're going to start working on very shortly is an infrastructure bill, because that's something I think everybody wants to see."

Before meeting some of their guests, Trump said White House is special and they loved living in it. "To me it's a happy place," he said.

Melania Trump spoke briefly, wishing everyone well.