“Today we pay tribute to the generations of black legends, champions, and warriors that made sure to help drive our country forward to greatness,” Trump told the crowd on Thursday. “You really are great.”

Trump criticized former President Joe Biden‘s approach to race, contending that he concentrated too much on slavery rather than freedom.

“The last administration tried to reduce all of American history to a single year, 1619, but under our administration, we honor the indispensable role black Americans have always played in the immortal cause of another date, 1776,” he said.

Trump was welcomed with shouts of “We love you” as he walked into the East Room two hours behind schedule.

Woods, who was wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom that Trump awarded him in 2019, initially declined his invitation to address the audience before saying it was “a great honor” to be at the White House.

“Tiger Woods, he’s an incredible guy and an incredible athlete, incredible player,” Trump said.

Thursday’s event, originally scheduled for last week before it was postponed because of inclement weather, was attended by black Trump supporters including Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. John James (R-MI), U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas nominee Herschel Walker, and Alice Johnson, whom he pardoned in 2020 after calls from reality TV star and prison reform advocate Kim Kardashian.

In addition to a National Garden of American Heroes, Trump announced Johnson would be his “pardon czar,” promising to consider her recommendations.

“I’m really proud to say that we now have more black Republicans serving in the U.S. House than at any time since 1870,” he added. “That’s a long time.”

Other guests included former ESPN host Sage Steele, former NFL player Jack Brewer, and rap stars Kodak Black, Lil Boosie, and Rod Wave. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was booed when Trump asked him to make some remarks after his work producing the COVID-19 vaccine.

Although he did not win the demographic, Trump’s black support was pivotal to his undermining of 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her 2024 counterpart, former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“We received — listen to this — more votes from black Americans than any Republican president ever,” Trump said. “One of the big reasons I’m president today is because of the black vote, and I always appreciate it.”

Trump increased his black support from 8% in 2016 and 2020 to 13% last year, according to CNN exit polls. The same trend was evident among Latino voters, from 28% in 2016 and 32% in 2020 to 45% four years later.

“Should I run again, you tell me?” Trump said to chants of “Four more years.” “There’s your controversy right there.”

Trump issued a proclamation to mark Black History Month on the last day of last month, despite signing his “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” executive order a week earlier.

“This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration,” Trump wrote in the proclamation.

The proclamation also encouraged “public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”

The proclamation appeared to conflict with the executive order, which directed the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, with help from the attorney general and director of the Office of Personnel Management, to end all so-called “discriminatory” federal programs.

A day after Trump signed the order, the OPM circulated a memorandum among department and agency heads that instructed them to end their DEI programs and place their DEI staff on paid administrative leave by 5 p.m. the following day.

“These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination,” the memo reads.

OPM officials additionally told the heads to tell employees to report “if they know of any efforts to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.”

A week later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued guidance to his workforce under the heading “Identity Months Dead at DoD.”

In his memo, Hegseth underscored how “unity and purpose” are “instrumental” to the Pentagon meeting its warfighting mission.

“Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months,” Hegseth wrote.

The former Fox News TV host specifically named Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, and National Hispanic Heritage Month as examples.

Private companies, executives of which are seeking to improve their relationships with the new administration, have adopted similar policies, including Google, which removed Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Pride Month from its calendar.