During a poignant moment at the White House, former President Donald Trump paused his remarks with an unexpected comment that captured attention. He was in the midst of a solemn tribute to families who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, including honoring 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley.

In an unscripted turn, Trump shifted his focus when he noticed Patty Morin, a mother in the audience, wearing glasses. Morin is the mother of Rachel Morin, who was tragically raped and murdered in 2023 by Victor Martinez-Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, during a hike in Bel Air, Maryland.

Addressing the audience, Trump asked, “Are your eyes OK?” His question was directed towards the group of grieving families, known as “angel families,” who had gathered for the event.

Trump then shared a personal anecdote, saying, “I gave her money to get her eyes fixed. A lot of money to get her eyes fixed.” He added with a hint of humor, “That doctor ripped me off, but that’s OK,” explaining the situation to those unfamiliar with it.

‘Are your eyes OK?’ Trump questioned as he looked at to the crowd of angel families gathered at the White House on Monday.

‘I gave her money to get her eyes fixed. A lot of money to get her eyes fixed,’ Trump explained to those who didn’t already know. ‘That doctor ripped me off, but that’s OK.’

Morin said that she was having surgery on Wednesday.

‘Well, you get them done,’ Trump instructed. ‘She’s almost blind – cataracts.’

Donald Trump interrupted his own remarks during an event with angel families on Monday, February 23, 2026 to have a conversation with one mother who he said he gave money for a cataracts correction operation

Trump said that gave Patty Morin (pictured), the mother of a woman killed by an illegal immigrant, money to get eye surgery

‘I hope you have a good doctor. He’s an expensive doctor, top of the line,’ he added, saying he was surprised she was still wearing glasses after he gave her money for the surgery.

It came after Trump stopped himself from continuing to talk about how New York City volunteer snow-shovelers needed government ID as he complained that the state doesn’t require voters to do the same.

‘It’s so crazy, you know the mayor of New York – and he’s a very nice person, I met him – but his ideology’s not too good. But we’re having a massive snow storm right now. And I’ve heard that he’s asked people to come out and shovel the snow,’ Trump rambled.

‘Ok, so you get a shovel and you start shoveling, right? What the hell, you’re not going to help too much, but you can help and – hello darling, how are you?’ he said, abruptly interrupted his tangent.

‘No, right behind you. Look, my friend, right? Are you OK? Yes, you. Are you OK?’ he said beginning an exchange with Morin.

It wasn’t the only time his remarks went off topic.

The president also compared himself to those he says are the most consequential presidents, including John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were assassinated.

Trump welcomed angel families onto the stage as a he signed the National Angel Family Day Proclamation

‘They only go after consequential [presidents],’ Trump realized. ‘So maybe I want to be a little bit less consequential. Can we hold it back a little bit?’

‘Let’s be a normal president for a little while,’ he added.

Later in his remarks at the White House on Monday, Trump said: ‘I don’t know how long I’ll be around. Got a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?’

It comes after an armed man was shot and killed by authorities when he raised a shotgun after breaching the security perimeter at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club over the weekend.

Trump was not in Florida at the time of the incident and was instead spending a rare weekend in Washington, DC.