Key facts
- President Donald Trump joked at a White House Hispanic Heritage Month reception that only a Hispanic person could survive a fall from the construction site of his planned ballroom.
- Trump stated he was 'not overly worried' about attendees' safety near the unfinished ballroom.
- The reception was the first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration of Trump's second administration.
- Recent polling indicates Trump's approval rating among Hispanics has fallen to 26 percent.
- Trump described immigration enforcement as 'the hardest job I've had'.
President Donald Trump drew cheers at a White House Hispanic Heritage Month reception on Wednesday, where he joked that only a Hispanic person could survive a fall from the construction site of his planned ballroom. Trump invited attendees in the East Room to walk through the unfinished White House ballroom area, describing it as part of a larger project. He told the group, 'Don’t fall over the edge, because it’s a long way down... And only a Hispanic could survive that fall. So, I’m not overly worried.'
Wednesday’s reception was the first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration of Trump’s second administration. The White House had skipped an in-person event last year, though the president signed a proclamation recognizing the occasion. Trump’s speech, which ran nearly an hour, often drifted from the event’s Hispanic theme. He spent time discussing the ballroom project, saying the renovation work 'relaxes' him, and touched on foreign policy and midterm dynamics before returning to the occasion.