The US president has taken the opportunity at the conservative conference to double-down on his policy agenda. The self-proclaimed billionaire has singled out Europe, criticizing Sweden, France and Germany.
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Trump at CPAC: Now is the time for action
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US President Donald Trump on Friday singled out Germany, Sweden and France for allegedly reaping the consequences of irregular migration.
"Take a look at what happened in Sweden. I love Sweden: great country, great people … The people over there understand I'm right," Trump told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
"Take a look at what's happening in Germany. Take a look at what's happened in France," he added after offering a story about a Francophile friend called Jim who stopped visiting Paris.
Last week, critics mocked Trump for remarks made at a rally in Melbourne, Florida, in which he decried an alleged incident "last night in Sweden" concerning migrants.
However, the president later backtracked, saying he had seen a report on American broadcaster "Fox News."
Trump has come under scrutiny for criticizing Washington's decades-long allies, including Germany.
In an interview with German daily "Bild" and British newspaper "The Times," Trump said German Chancellor Angela Merkel had made a "catastrophic mistake" by allowing migrants into the country, many of them asylum seekers fleeing conflicts in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
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The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
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From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
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Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
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What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
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"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
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Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
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Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
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Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
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Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
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Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Lemm
The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
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Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
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Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lane
Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.
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'Hell out of our country'
Meanwhile, the US president took the opportunity to double-down on his policy agenda at CPAC, promising to defeat terrorism in part by curbing migration to the country.
"We are going to keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country. We will not be deterred from this course, and in a matter of days, we will be taking brand new action to protect our people and keep America safe," he said.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order that barred citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US, citing national security concerns. However, a federal judge in Seattle a week later suspended enforcement of the travel ban.
The US president has since promised to issue a subsequent executive order after decrying the judiciary for blocking his attempt at allegedly bolstering national security.
"I will never, ever apologize for protecting the safety and security of the American people - won't do it. If it means I get bad press, if it means people speak badly of them, it's OK. It doesn't bother me. The security of our people is number one," he added.
'No more sources'
Concerning the press, Trump took another stab at media organizations for citing US officials who request anonymity, a tradition long-held in newsrooms when sources offer sensitive information.
"I'm against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn't be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody's name. Let their name be out there," Trump said. "Let there be no more sources."
Since his inauguration last month, Trump has described traditional American news outlets, including CNN and "The New York Times," as "fake news," and even the "enemy of the people."
Press freedom watchdogs have warned of the dangers of Trump's remarks on the press, likening it to rhetoric used by authoritarian regimes.
"These verbal attacks on American journalists are very concerning as they come from the President of the United States, the country which is supposed to have a strong free press protected by the First Amendment," said Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) Margaux Ewen.
In 2016, the US ranked 41 out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index.
