President-elect Donald Trump quipped Thursday that Election Day should be considered the start of his second term, joking that Congress “should pass a bill” to make it official.
Trump, 78, speaking at the America First Policy Institute Gala, touted that “almost every single day” since his Nov. 5 victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, the country has “set new records in the stock market.”
The once and future commander in chief argued that those booming economic stats should be counted as coming under his presidency in the historical record.
“We’re doing good now,” Trump said in his keynote speech at the Mar-a-Lago event.
“The only thing is, Mr. Speaker – I think it’s important – maybe you should pass a bill,” he continued, addressing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who was at the event. “You have to start my term from Nov. 5, OK? Or Nov. 6 if you want.
“The market has gone through the roof,” Trump reiterated. “Enthusiasm has doubled — it’s doubled in the last short while.”
The president-elect also teased Johnson about the number of House Republicans he’s been plucking out of Congress to serve in his incoming administration.
Trump has tapped Reps. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY), as well as now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), for administration gigs.
“I promised Mike [Johnson] that I wouldn’t be taking too many more before we start counting the votes. He said, ‘Please, could you slow down a little bit?’” the 45th president said.
“I just like the people in Congress, Mike. I’m sorry, but – no, don’t worry about it.”
Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone introduced Trump at the black-tie bash, which was attended by Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cheryl Hines, Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, Argentinian President Javier Milei and Gaetz.
The “Rocky” legend likened the incoming president to America’s first.
“We are in the presence of a really mythical character,” Stallone said of Trump, arguing that “nobody in the world could have pulled off what he pulled off.
“When George Washington defended his country, he had no idea that he was going to change the world, because without him, you could imagine what the world would look like. Guess what? We got the second George Washington,” he added.
During his remarks, Trump also revealed that on Friday he intends to formally announce North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as his pick to lead the Department of the Interior.
