Trump admin updates: Trump teases 'big day' at White House

President Trump weighed in on his virtual call on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders ahead of his meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Friday.

"We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelenskyy was on the call. I would rate it a 10. You know, very, very friendly," Trump said while taking questions from reporters at the Kennedy Center.

Trump again said he would call Zelenskyy immediately after his sit-down with Putin. Trump said it was not his call to not invite Zelenskyy to Friday's summit in Alaska, and that he would push for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin as well as the U.S. if necessary.

"There's a very good chance that we're going to have a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first, because the first is I'm going to find out where we are and what we're doing," Trump said.

Though Trump suggested a second meeting won't take place if he doesn't get what he needs from Putin.

"Now, there may be no second meeting because if I feel that it's not appropriate to have it because I didn't get the answers that we have to have, then we're not going to have a second meeting," Trump said.

In remarks on crime in D.C., President Trump defended his takeover of the city's police force.

"The Democrats are afraid to do anything because they don't want to be criticized. But fighting crime is a good thing," Trump said.

"Instead of saying he's a dictator, they should say we're going to join him and make Washington safe," Trump said.

President Trump pledged to make Washington "crime-free" as he spoke at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday.

"We're going to be essentially crime-free. This is going to be a beacon, and it's going to also serve as an example of what can be done," Trump said.

This week, Trump announced a federal takeover of the Washington police force and a deployment of National Guard troops in response to what he said was a problem with crime and homelessness in the nation's capital.

"I'm determined to make Washington, D.C., safe, clean and beautiful again. It's going to take place very rapidly. Be prepared," Trump said on Wednesday.

Trump went on at length about various aspects of Washington he wanted to see updated, including the grass.

"We're going to be redoing the parks, redoing the grass. You know, grass has a lifetime, like people have a lifetime and the lifetime of this grass has long been gone," he said. "When you look at the parks where the grass is, old, tired, exhausted. We're going to redo the grass with the finest grasses. I know a lot about grass because I own a lot of golf courses. And if you don't have good grass you're not in business very long."

President Trump on Wednesday announced this year's recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors.

The honorees are country music singer George Strait, English performer Michael Crawford, American actor Sylvester Stallone, disco singer Gloria Gaynor and the rock band KISS.

Trump said he agreed to host this year's ceremony.

Before speaking on each recipient's accomplishments, Trump joked he always wanted to be honored and maybe would honor himself.

"Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been among the most prestigious awards in the performing arts. I wanted one. I was never able to get one this year. It's true. Actually, I would have taken if they would have called me. I waited and waited and waited and I said, 'The hell with it, I'll become chairman and I'll give myself an honor.' Maybe I'm going to honor -- next year, we'll honor Trump."