Here, Donald Trump is hailed as a hero

Of: Emelie Svensson

Published: February 27, 2021 at 11:10 p.m.
Updated: February 28, 2021 at 00.13

NEWS

ORLANDO. Donald Trump has a recent electoral defeat and two national courts in his luggage.

But at Cpac, the most important annual conference for conservatives in the United States, he is hailed as a hero.
– Trump fought for us, it’s exactly what we need, says Christina Brosey, 26.

Donald Trump makes a political comeback this weekend: In his first appearance since moving out of the White House, he is expected to cement his role as Republican leader.
But the participants in the conservative conference are already convinced: they want to see him again as a presidential candidate in 2024.

In the exhibition hall, a six-foot-tall gold statue towers over Trump, which an artist shot there. Just steps away, Trump supporter Ronald Solomon, 61, sells his own designed hats, T-shirts and flags. Among the reasons is Joe Biden portrayed as a dictator.

Photo: John Raoux / TT

The statue is two meters high.

But the most popular prints are “Trump 2024”, or Trump portrayed as the action hero Terminator, with the text “I’ll be back.”
This despite the fact that the former president has not yet announced if he will run again.
– People love it and buy like crazy. They want to show they support him and they want him to stand up again, says Ronald, adding:
– Sales have only increased after the Supreme Court.

Trump in the spotlight

The annual CPAC – Conservative Political Action Conference – is often a barometer of the Republicans’ forward direction.
Here, senators, governors, and members of Congress are trying to show their feet through speeches and roundtables, hoping to cut through the noise to lead the party in the next election.

But this year, all the speakers are overshadowed by Sunday night’s main event: Trump’s return to the spotlight.

Then he is expected to demonstrate his iron grip on Republicans, amid the party’s identity crisis that unfolds in front of an open curtain; with Trumpism on the one hand and the more traditional Republicans on the other.

– Let me say this: Trump is not going anywhere, Trump said – Texas Allied Senator Ted Cruz, on stage at the conference on Friday, and was greeted with cheers.

Most of the Orlando conference attendees seem to agree with him. At least one of them, Jonathan Riches, 42, knows at least what his expectations are for Trump’s Sunday address:

– He will announce that he will run again for president in 2024, says Jonathan confidently.

It was expected that there would be talk of electoral fraud, again

There is already some information on what Trump will talk about. In part, that will see Biden’s immigration policy, but also that he will continue to spread the myth of widespread voter fraud.

Jonathan Riches, who wears a “Joe Biden Sucks” mouth guard, sees himself as one of the former president’s biggest fans.

He has followed Trump to 33 election rallies across the country and recently traveled to Palm Beach to see Trump outside his home in Mar-a-Lago.

But neither the Supreme Court nor the storm of Congress will reduce Trump’s chances of a new term, according to Jonathan.

– He’s “Teflon-Don”! People know it was a witch hunt. The Democrats followed him and did not let him be president. He had to fight throughout his administration, he says.

Conference member René Borghese, 53, of North Carolina, also hopes Trump will run again.

– He was a good leader who did many good things for the nation. He put America first, that’s what we need. Our economy must open up, because so many Americans are hurting right now.

Many people believe that the accusation of electoral fraud

Trump’s dominance in the party runs like a common thread through the CPAC. From the stage, tributes to him are repeated, and seven conference events are organized under headlines on voter fraud.

Many at Cpac believe that the allegations of election theft are true, despite the fact that the courts, the United States Department of Justice, and the FBI have repeatedly stated that there is no evidence for it.

Christina Brosey, 26, a Maryland nurse, says that if Trump becomes the party’s nominee in four years, which she hopes, there is a good chance he will move into the White House a second time.

– I never thought he lost, I think the elections were stolen. Millions of Americans still support Trump and I think he can win again.

Favorite among Republicans

Polls show that Trump is by far the favorite of Republican voters in the United States and that they want him to play a crucial role in the future of the party.
Cpac is clear evidence of how quickly and clearly the Republicans have changed shape.

Just over ten years ago, Mitt Romney, a Republican senator from Utah, was a huge favorite at the conference, winning informal votes on who should lead the party for four different years.

This time he is not even welcome at the conference. That’s after he, as a outspoken opponent of Trump, voted to bring Trump to justice twice.

Conference participant Christina Brosey says the reason the party has changed so much in just a couple of years is because she believes the American way of life is under attack. Protecting your way of life requires tough leaders.

– We have had people like John McCain and Mitt Romney, and those types of people have failed at all times. When they gain some power, they retreat. That is not Trump. He fought for us. That is what we need.

Published: February 27, 2021 at 11:10 p.m.

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