Dallas – Former President Donald Trump returned to the CPAC stage on Saturday to push his baseless election claims, slam his enemies and hint at a possible 2024 campaign by saying: “We might have to do it again.”
“If I stayed home, the persecution of Donald Trump would stop immediately, but I can’t because I love my country and I love the people,” he said.
In his nearly two-hour speech, he said: “America’s comeback will begin this November and will continue with the unstoppable momentum that we will develop in November 2024.”
Trump did not announce a re-run for the White House in 2024, but he still won the CPAC straw polls as easily as in previous years. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads with 64 percent and Sen. Ted Cruz with 6 percent in polls where Trump was removed from the list support is far ahead. All others were below 5%.
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Trump has frequently pointed to polling results on stage, especially his approval ratings among conservative attendees of the conference.
Trump spent a good part of his speech discrediting moderate Democrats Senators Joe Manchin and Kirsten Sinema, who both signed the climate deal the Senate is voting on while Trump is on stage are also voting.Vice President Kamala Harris A tie-breaking vote was cast to advance Legislation as Trump speaks. The bill has the support of all 50 Democrats, but no Republicans. After her vote, the Senate begins debate, which will last up to 20 hours, before the Senate begins voting on the amendment.
Trump has vowed to go to West Virginia, which he won by nearly 20 percentage points, and run against Manchin in his 2024 re-election bid and Sinema in Arizona that same year.
Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr resigns after 2020 election over Trump’s false claims, CBS News’ Kathryn Herridge warned earlier this week If Trump wins in 2024, he will be “a 78-year-old lame duck clearly bent on revenge above all else”.
The crowd booed when Trump mentioned Barr. He also blasted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for allowing the deal to enter the Senate. Trump called McConnell “disloyal” last month, and McConnell refused to defend Trump’s actions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Saturday, Trump said the senator was loyal to him only because of his fundraising.
Trump mentioned the House committee on Jan. 6 — Public hearings have been held Presenting their findings on the US Capitol attack – calling them “disgusting”.
During an earlier speech by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, there were chants of “release J6 defendants” from the crowd. Referring to those accused in connection with the attack, Trump said, “Look at these people whose lives have been destroyed.”
He also mocked the testimony of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who said she heard Trump try to grab the steering wheel of the president’s car.
Trump said: “So my hand fell on another powerful person, as strong as hell…I know these people well, and this is not my deal.”
He added jokingly, “When that story came out, people said, ‘I never knew you were so strong.'”
Trump reiterated his claim that he wanted to call in the National Guard ahead of the Jan. 6 attack, saying it was witnessed by former Defense Department official Kash Patel.This January 6 Commission shared footage Question Trump’s claims about having 10,000 troops ready.
“From my perspective, I have never been given any instructions or orders, and I am not aware of any plans of this nature,” Trump’s acting defense secretary, Christopher Miller, said in a recorded testimony. tweet last month.
The biggest applause of the night, however, came when Trump discussed culture war issues, such as parental rights, and said he would “repeal the Department of Education” and “keep men out of the women’s movement.” He also said he would not allow critical race theory to be taught.
But Trump hasn’t focused on some of the GOP’s biggest culture war issues over the years, making only a passing reference to the Second Amendment. He made no mention of the Supreme Court’s June decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, though it was prominent throughout the session.
Trump stuck to many of the themes of his previous speeches, speaking of crime, inflation and the United States as a “fading country.”
Trump began his speech by announcing the attendance of many of his allies who are running for office or have already taken office. Among them was Cary Lake, who introduced him just after her victory in the Arizona Republican primary on Saturday.
Trump delivers closing remarks on last day of three-day meeting, which also includes far-right Hungarian leader Victor Orbanwho once said he did not want the Hungarians to “be mixed”.
Saturday was the second speech in as many days by the former president, who visited Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Friday night, where he made gains after multiple victories for his candidate in Tuesday’s primary. victory.
“It’s been a special week, very special, for the America First movement,” Trump said on Friday.
Trump targeted Arizona — one of the states turning to President Biden in 2020 — in Tuesday’s primary in an attempt to settle his loyal following. Candidates he backed in Arizona have won Republican primary races for the Senate, governor and secretary of state, the state’s top election official.
Trump also has Support David Farnsworth, a candidate in Arizona’s 10th state Senate district is running against Rusty Bowers, who has testified that Trump and his allies tried to install fake voters for Trump after the 2020 election. Farnsworth also won that election.
