Donald Trump gave a speech Tuesday to the National Federation of Independent Business, a rabidly conservative group of "small business owners" who support Tea Party politics.
It was a friendly crowd, and the president responded by launching into a rambling speech that featured many absurd statements and mistruths.
Here are some of the oddest moments.
Trump maintained that he does not like taking migrant children away from their parents, even though he decided to take the children away.
“We want to solve family separation. I don’t want children taken away from parents, and when you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally — which should happen — you have to take the children away."
Trump ranted about Canadians smuggling shoes back home to avoid tariffs.
“They buy shoes and they wear ‘em. They scuff ‘em up to make ‘em sound old, or look old.”
Trump broadly criticized the character and skills of the people who come here seeking asylum and opportunity.
"These countries that we give tremendous foreign aid to in many cases, they send these people up and they're not sending their finest. Does that sound familiar? Remember I made that speech and I was badly criticized? Turns out I was 100% right and that's why I got elected."
Trump claimed that he had no choice but to take the children away—which the U.S. had not been doing until now.
He said we have two choices, "totally open borders" or "criminal prosecution for lawbreaking."
Trump claimed that his most satisfying accomplishment has been the low African American unemployment rate.
He did not mention that the employment rates for Americans—which includes the number of people who have stopped looking for work—remains much worse than it was before the 2008 economic crisis.
"Remember, I'd go around and say what you have to lose? The Democrats have always been with you, vote for me, bad education, the most unsafe parts of the country... I'd say 'What do you have to lose?'"
Trump claimed that the United States rebuilt China—from what China was rebuilding was never made clear.
"We have no choice. This should have been done many years ago. We have no choice.... I've always said we rebuilt China, they've taken so much. It's time.... We are actually getting a lot of support, but we have to do something. Maybe something happens where they come in they say 'we agree, it's been unfair.'"
Trump claimed that Germany is lying about its crime rate which he maintains is inflated by migrants.
"They don't like reporting that kind of crime so they put it down as different kind of crime," he said.
Trump said MS-13 members are likely to vote for Democrats.
"Democrats love open borders. 'Let the whole world come in... MS-13, gang members from all over the place, come on in!' Someday they are going to vote for Democrats, because they can't win on their policies... they found that out in the last election!"
Oh, and then Trump literally hugged an American flag as he walked off stage to "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
