Trump at White House press briefing: For how long did the POTUS speak today?

Trump spoke for over an hour at the White House briefing, which began around 1:50 p.m. ET, more than 50 minutes later than scheduled.

Updated on: Jan 21, 2026, 03:48:19 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

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President Donald Trump spoke for over an hour at the White House press briefing on Tuesday. His speech from the White House started at around 1:50 p.m. ET, more than 50 minutes after its scheduled start time.

President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20. (AP)

Trump joined the White House press briefing with the press secretary Karoline Leavitt Tuesday afternoon as a “special guest.” The appearance was to mark the one-year anniversary of his taking office last year in January.

The 79-year-old spoke for over an hour, before he started taking questions from the press. It was one of the longest address the president has delivered in recent times.

The Associated Press reported that Trump spoke for over an hour at the White House press room podium with "no signs of stopping." Earlier, during the press briefing, Trump showed a host of mugshots of people arrested in the Minnesota ICE raids. As he did that, he said: “I’m going through this because I think we have plenty of time.”

Then, as he spoke more on the Minnesota raids, Trump asked a reporter at one point: “You’re not getting bored with this, right?" He seemed to acknowledge that his speech was possibly getting monotonous.

Also read: Who are Hells Angels? Trump says notorious motorcycle group voted for him; ‘they protected me’

Trump Tones Down On Greenland

In his address, Trump hinted at a compromise with NATO over Greenland. In what has thus far been a highly aggressive posturing from Trump over a possible US attack on Greenland, Trump seemed to tone down at highlighted the need for a solution agreeable to all parties.

“I think that we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we’re going to be very happy,” Trump said, when a reporter enquired about his push to take Greenland.

Trump, however, said that he won't attend the emergency meeting called by France's Emmanuel Macron to discuss the situation in Greenland. As for his reason for not attending, Trump seemed to cast doubts on Macron's leadership, suggesting that he will not be the President of France for long.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

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