On Wednesday, the White House held an event honoring the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, and President Donald Trump made part of the message conveyed during the event a celebration of wins during his time in office.
.@POTUS: "I want to thank you all and welcome you to the White House on this very special occasion... we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month — that's a big deal." pic.twitter.com/Wbt4ezWx2q
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
Before the president got to that, though, he opened on a sorrowful note, speaking about the recent passing of his longtime friend, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
.@POTUS: "I want to begin by expressing our sadness at the passing of a person who I knew very well... he was a good man. He was a real hero, and I just want to pay my highest respects to Reverend Jesse Jackson." pic.twitter.com/50Wf67BNo3
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
READ MORE: Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leader and 2-Time Presidential Candidate, Dies at 84
Trump Eulogizes Jesse Jackson, Underscoring the Rev.'s Conflicted Relationship With Barack Obama
President Trump introduced Alice Johnson, who was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, then received a commutation and a pardon from him. Now, she serves as the WH Pardon Czar:
AMEN, Alice! 👏♥️
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 18, 2026
"Don’t let ANYONE tell you that this president right here, Donald Trump, is not for black America, because he IS.
I’m standing here today as a TESTAMENT to how he feels about black Americans. There has never been a position like this...but I worked with him… pic.twitter.com/n5V8rhxzOW
The president spoke about Black Americans and their role in American history fighting for our country:
.@POTUS: "Nearly 10,000 African Americans fought for the patriot cause in the Revolutionary War... helping secure our independence—and in every generation since... black Americans have stepped forward to defend the flag, and to defend our country like few others." pic.twitter.com/OCkbF6rigK
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
Leo Terrell, Chair of the DOJ Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Senior Counsel at the Justice Department, came up to the microphone, and spoke while taking a jab at the legacy media:
.@LeoTerrellDOJ: "We have the hottest country in our lifetime, and I want to sure the Mainstream Media knows this... President Trump was the president who fully funded Historically Black Colleges and Universities... President Trump make sure that we had Opportunities Zones." pic.twitter.com/SsbrVPlDfl
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
Trump also brought up his part in fully funding HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities), creating oppurtunity zones, and more:
.@POTUS: During my first term, I was honored to deliver unprecedented victories for black Americans, and all Americans...I single handedly secured record long-term funding for HBCUs. I created nearly 9,000 opportunity zones...I signed historic criminal justice reform into law. pic.twitter.com/7ZzpHCwkrt
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
Next, Pres. Trump listed just some of the winning policies he's accomplished since he took office:
Since @POTUS took office:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 18, 2026
—African American employment has increased by 182,000 jobs
—Nearly half a MILLION black Americans have rejoined the labor force
—Wages for workers have increased 1,000-5,000 a year
AMAZING 👏🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Yd4Ok2K7xy
Picking up on the theme, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sec. Scott Turner thanked former HUD secretary Ben Carson for his mentorship, and said he felt "humbled" by getting to take part in the Trump administration's work on behalf of all Americans:
.@SecretaryTurner: "I just want to say to everyone... as we celebrate this special day, not only in black history, but American history... the Lord has been so gracious to us, and he’s been faithful, and @POTUS has been a tremendous leader..." 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/o59yCHC1B4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
Trump also spoke about the ongoing support of rap star Nicki Minaj for the administration's work, saying, "She gets it":
.@POTUS: "I LOVE Nicki Minaj."
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 18, 2026
"She was here a couple of weeks ago, so beautiful, her skin so beautiful, her nails...they're like that long. I said Nicki, are they real? She didn't wanna get into that. But she gets it. Most importantly she gets it."
This friendship is awesome. pic.twitter.com/MTWeiObIJk
READ MORE: Nicki Minaj's Jest About Bribing Her 'Barbz' to Ensure SAVE Act Passage Prompts Media Meltdown
Nicki Minaj Thanked Trump for Condemning Christian Genocide in Nigeria. Now She Has Backlash.
Pres. Trump invited a small business owner to speak about a policy win that she said is helping her company thrive:
.@POTUS welcomes to the podium a small business owner seeing the benefits of the Trump economy:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
"I ran that business with just myself and one employee — then here comes No Tax on Tips. I was able to hire 7 more employees just by what you did." pic.twitter.com/FjjvAubPdI
He also provided something of a lighthearted moment with an aside to Ben Carson that referenced former President Joe Biden's famous falls:
LOL — @POTUS tells Ben Carson to be careful & takes a jab at Biden 🤣
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 18, 2026
"Be careful, God forbid if you fall, that’s the end. You can never recover from a fall...my predecessor taught me that." pic.twitter.com/5ppgkjp1pM
These were just some of the interesting moments with Pres. Trump during the Black History Month event. Stay tuned for more coverage on it here at RedState.
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