Trump at the American Cornerstone Institute: 'We are taking down the Venezuelan narco-terrorists'

Donald Trump participated as a keynote speaker at the annual dinner of the American Cornerstone Institute, a conservative think tank founded by Ben Carson. During his speech, the president talked about Charlie Kirk, Venezuelan boats and previewed a major announcement by Robert Kennedy Jr, secretary of Health and Human Services, on autism.

After joking about wearing a tuxedo, the president talked about Charlie Kirk. A few hours before the memorial service he was set to attend, he remembered the founder of Turning Point USA: "Everybody is devastated. So tomorrow we'll go down there, we'll fly down, and we'll see. There were words, but there are no words to really describe what happened. It should never have happened to him. No one deserves that, but he really didn’t deserve it.”

Trump also referred to the Venezuelan vessels being sunk by the United States. Pete Hegseth, secretary of war, announced Friday a fourth attack on a boat carrying drugs out of the country.

“We are taking down the Venezuelan narco-terrorists. They were destroying everything. Every time you see a boat, thousands of people die from the cargo it carries. Thousands of people die. And then the radical left says, ‘Oh, this isn’t right.’ But thousands of people are dying because of those boats loaded with drugs, fentanyl, and many other substances,” the Republican continued.

When it came to talking about health, the Republican anticipated a "major announcement" on autism: "I think it's gonna be a very important announcement. I think it's gonna be one of the most important things that we will do."

Finally, Trump confirmed that he will present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Carson. This is the highest civilian award in the United States. Although the surgeon already received the distinction in 2008 from George W. Bush, but there are no institutional impediments for him to receive the distinction again.