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Donald Trump launched his bid for a political comeback on Sunday, sparking a possible 2024 run for president and denouncing Joe Biden for “the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history.”
The former president delivered his first speech since leaving the White House at the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, to an effusive reception.
Trump claims, completely falsely, that he actually won the 2020 election, but was fraudulently denied his victory.
He told CPAC that the Democrats “just lost” the White House, even though Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on January 20, sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts. And officials at all levels said the elections were the safest in American history.
Trump said, to wild cheers: “I may even decide to beat them a third time.”
The twice-accused former president unleashed pent-up frustration after two months of silence on social media (Facebook and Twitter banned him for inflammatory comments) and only a handful of television interviews.
Trump made clear that he intends to remain a political force by stating, “I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over.”
“We all knew the Biden administration was going to be bad, but none of us imagined how bad they would be and how far they would go … Joe Biden has had the most disastrous first month of any president today. history.
And he adds: “Biden’s radical immigration policies are not only illegal, they are immoral, they have no heart, and they are a betrayal of our nation’s core values.”
Trump called on Biden to reopen schools despite continuing safety fears due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The former president was also expected to invoke his nationalist “America First” agenda by insisting: “We believe in standing up to China, shutting down outsourcing, taking back our factories and supply chains, and ensuring that America, not China, dominates the future. “. . “
Despite the recent bipartisan vote in his impeachment, where he escaped conviction, Trump claims the Republican party is “united,” according to excerpts. “The only division is between a handful of political pirates from the Washington DC establishment and everyone else across the country.”
Most commentators expect the 74-year-old Trump to leave open the possibility of running for re-election in 2024 without making a final commitment. He has continued to be an imminent presence at CPAC, with speaker after speaker pledging allegiance to him and his “Make America Great Again” agenda, while a golden calf-style idol in his image was even displayed in the halls. of conventions.
Numerous speakers and panels have also indulged and promoted Trump’s blatant lie that his election was stolen.
Matt Schlapp, president of the Conservative Union of America, who is chairing the conference, said: “CPAC is your first chance to see what really happened on Election Day. And there was widespread electoral fraud in too many states, especially in the big cities run by the Democratic machine. That is a fact and we provide them with evidence to underscore that fact. “
Tom Fitton, president of the right-wing group Judicial Watch, told attendees: “On Election Day, President Trump had the votes to win the presidency. These vote totals were changed due to an extraordinary and unprecedented count after Election Day. Judicial Watch has long warned of chaos and the increased risk of fraud from recklessly mailing 100 million ballots and ballot requests. “
These claims have been repeatedly proven to be false. Voting by mail increased due to the coronavirus pandemic, but state officials, including Republicans, did not report significant irregularities. The former president and his allies lost more than 60 legal challenges, including those weighed by Trump-appointed judges. Trump’s own attorney general, William Barr, has dismissed the fraud allegations.
Despite all the talk of party unity, CPAC was notable for the absence of former Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other prominent Republicans.
Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator from Louisiana, insisted that CPAC does not represent the entire Republican party. “Now if we plan to win in [midterm elections in] 2022 and [the presidential election] In 2024, we have to listen to the voters, not only those who really like President Trump, but also those who are perhaps less confident, ”he told CNN’s State of the Union program. “If we idolize a person, we will lose. And that is quite clear since the last elections. “
Watchdog Accountable.US condemned CPAC for putting Trump on a pedestal despite his role in inciting an insurrection on the United States Capitol on January 6. Kyle Herrig, President of Accountable.US, said: “When Donald Trump receives the hero’s welcome at CPAC, it will be the largest gathering of sedition supporters since the Capitol riots.
“The more evidence emerges of Trump’s guilt, the more conservative leaders will join him. Trump lit the match for the insurrection, and CPAC leaders would obviously prefer to keep stoking the fire for as long as possible. “
At the previous conference, Robert Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods, told attendees: “It is an honor to be here. But my greatest honor today will be that, I believe that we will be on the same stage as, in my opinion, the real, legitimate and still current president of the United States, Donald J. Trump ”.
