Trump called the jobs report "an affirmation of all the work we've been doing" over the course of his administration and said earlier predictions were "the greatest miscalculation in the history of business shows."

He compared the economy to a "body" that was "strong" but needed an operation, and said it is now "a rocketship."

While the numbers still reflect enormous levels of American unemployment, the jobless rate improved from the dramatic 14.7% in April, which was the worst rate since monthly record keeping began in 1948.

Also on Thursday, Trump tweeted a letter from his lawyer that referred to the protesters forcibly dispersed near the White House ahead of a photo opportunity as "terrorists."

The White House is fortified ahead of a second weekend of expected protests, with a new layer of fencing the Secret Service says will be up through June 10.

Economists had expected the unemployment rate to be even worse in May, rising to nearly 20%.

He touted progress on the coronavirus vaccine front, cited the country's clean air and clean water, compared the Green New Deal to "baby talk," railed against governors that continue to lock down, and claimed his poll numbers are "looking really good."

Trump also criticized China, saying he views the trade deal "a little bit differently," but "they are buying a lot."

Amid ongoing protests, Trump urged governors to call in the National Guard.

"Call me, we'll be ready for them so fast their heads will spin," he said, noting success in Minneapolis, criticizing the city's mayor.

In one of the more bizarre tangents of the President's wide-ranging speech in the Rose Garden, he suggested he'll travel to New York with first lady Melania Trump in an RV.

"It's great, people are traveling.