Donald Trump, the 79-year-old former president, delivered a lengthy and somewhat disjointed response during a healthcare affordability event held at the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 18, 2026. During the event, he announced that his administration is planning to add over 600 generic medications to its direct-to-consumer drug sales website, TrumpRx, in collaboration with billionaire Mark Cuban, who was also present. The announcement came amid growing scrutiny of Trump's inner circle, including his so-called "most beautiful" advisor, who recently showcased extravagant meals aboard Air Force One while many Americans struggled financially.
Press Interaction and Controversial Statements
At the event, Trump fielded questions from the press, including one from Liz Landers, a White House correspondent for PBS News Hour. She asked, “The Justice Department has this new fund that was announced today, $1.7 billion. Why should taxpayers pay for the January Sixers?”
Trump’s response was rambling and seemed to avoid directly answering the question. He stated, “Well, it's been very well received. I have to tell you, I know very little about it. I wasn't involved in the whole creation of it, and the negotiation, but this is reimbursing people that were horribly treated, horribly treated.”
He continued, “It's anti-weaponization. They've been weaponized, they've been, in some cases, imprisoned wrongly. They paid legal fees that they didn't have. They've gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed, and they turn out to be right.”
Trump concluded by saying, “I mean, it was a terrible period of time in the history of our country, and they worked on it. I know the Justice Department—it's really been working on it very hard. There's been numerous other occasions over the years where things like this have been done, but these were people that were weaponized and really treated brutally by a system that was so corrupt, with corrupt people running it, and they're getting reimbursed for their legal fees, and the other things that they had to suffer.”
What Happened on January 6?
On January 6, 2021, a violent and unprecedented attack took place against the U.S. Capitol, the Vice President, and the democratic process. Rioters attempted to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress, breaking into the Capitol building, vandalizing and stealing property, and ransacking offices.
The segment of Trump speaking was shared on X, where users expressed their frustration and criticism. One user wrote, “No it’s not well received! People, your people are lying to you! Wake up trump! $1.6 BILLION DOLLARS!” Another commented, “Four lies in four sentences—one in each sentence.” A third user said, “Trump is the biggest fraud ever and his little sheep deserve nothing less than the worse. F--k all of them.”
Another user called him, “A f--king liar with no honesty or integrity whatsoever. A pathetic excuse for a human who keeps robbing taxpayer dollars. A Total clown.” A sixth critic slammed, “This is a nightmare from the beginning. Now Trump is paying them using taxpayers money for something he initiated and refused to pay them himself. This is really dam bad.”
Legal Consequences of the January 6 Riots
More than 1,500 people across the United States have been charged with federal crimes related to the January 6 riot. Hundreds of individuals who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally. Others faced felony charges, including assault for attacking police officers. Leaders of extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy for allegedly plotting to use violence to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden.
Approximately 250 people have been convicted of crimes by a judge or jury after a trial. Only two individuals were acquitted of all charges by judges after bench trials. No jury has fully acquitted a Capitol riot defendant. At least 1,020 others had pleaded guilty as of January 1. Over 1,000 rioters have already been sentenced, with more than 700 receiving some prison time. The rest were given a combination of probation, community service, home detention, or fines.
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