Donald Trump described himself as a “proud political dissident” and promised a “judgment day” to his political opponents in a speech that offered a chilling vision of democracy in imminent danger. .
In classic carnival barker fashion, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination has accused Joe Biden of weaponizing the government against him in a “Stalinist show trial.” He has promised to crack down on border security and carry out the largest deportation in U.S. history if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
“For hardworking Americans, November 5th will be a new day of liberation,” President Trump told a packed ballroom at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland. Told. “But for the liars, fraudsters, fraudsters, censors, and fraudsters who have taken over our government, today will be their day of judgment!”
He added, “Your victory will be our ultimate revenge, your freedom our ultimate reward, and the unprecedented success of the United States of America will be my ultimate and absolute revenge.” Ta.
The overwhelmingly white crowd, many wearing Make America Great Again regalia, stood and roared in approval.
The former US president was speaking hours before he was almost certain to become the party’s nominee after defeating Republican rival Nikki Haley in the South Carolina primary.
Meanwhile, organizers held a straw vote to decide President Trump’s running mate at the convention. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem tied with tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswami at 15%, followed by former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, current New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and South Carolina Rep. Ta. Senator Tim Scott. Nikki Haley was at the bottom with 2%. Approximately 1,500 people voted.
According to his campaign, this was President Trump’s 14th appearance at CPAC, breaking the record held by former President Ronald Reagan. He was unrestrained and at times seemed unrestrained. The 77-year-old was bilious and brooding, but energetic and even humorous at times, less of a commander-in-chief than a stand-up comedian. He made a self-deprecating joke about his wife Melania’s assessment of his speech (“I ask the first lady, I say, “So, baby, how good was it?” He said it was okay.”
The childish parody of the 81-year-old Biden’s way of speaking, pointing and walking drew bursts of laughter. Trump then recalled his days as host of the reality show “The Apprentice” and delighted the audience by yelling, “Crooked Joe Biden, you’re fired!” Get out of here. You are trying to destroy our country. you have been fired. Get out of here! ”
But like the provocateurs of the past, comedy and showmanship were smuggled in on an ominous undertow. Trump’s ability to play with crowds by shifting their emotions from euphoria to anger as easily as flipping a switch has repercussions that are difficult to ignore.
The mood was set before he even appeared on stage. It spawned a series of popular hits, including Abba’s “Dancing Queen,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Mind.” . This was followed by the harsh sounds of “Justice for All,” a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner sung by a defendant jailed for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. The CPAC audience rose solemnly to the dirge, which was recorded over the prison’s phone line.
As usual, Trump said Lee Greenwood’s “God bless America,” hugged the American flag, and painted an impossibly grim picture of an America rife with bloodshed, chaos, and violent crime. “If crooked Joe Biden and his thugs win in 2024, the worst is yet to come,” he said. “This country will fall and sink to unimaginable levels.”
“These are the stakes of this election. Our country is being destroyed, and I’m the only thing standing between you and it disappearing.”
Trump, who faces 91 criminal charges in four separate incidents, has projected himself as both a martyr and a potential savior of the nation. “A vote for Trump is a ticket back to freedom, a passport out of tyranny, and the only escape from Joe Biden and his gang’s fast track to hell,” he continued.
“And in many ways, we’re living in hell right now because of the fact that Joe Biden is a threat to democracy. He really is a threat to democracy.”
Speaking days after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, President Trump hinted at self-comparison by adding, “I want to speak to you today not only as your past and hopefully future president, but also as a proud president.” I stand before you as a political dissident,” he added. I’m a dissident. ”
The crowd cheered and applauded. Trump noted that he has been indicted more often than mobster Al Capone on charges he described as “fake.” The audience jumped to its feet again, some waving their fists and shouting, “We love Trump!” We love Trump! ”
“The Stalinist show trial being conducted at the behest of Joe Biden has ignited not only our nation’s governing structure, but hundreds of years of Western legal tradition,” President Trump claimed without evidence. he claimed.
“They replaced law, precedent, and due process with a mob of fanatical Democratic radical leftists masquerading as judge, jury, and prosecutor.”
President Trump also spent time addressing his signature issues. He said his “first and most urgent action” as president would be “to close the border, stop the invasion… and send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home.”
“They’re coming from Asia, they’re coming from the Middle East, they’re coming from all over the world, they’re coming from Africa, and we are,” said the former president, who has demonized immigrants for years. I’m not going to stand for that… They’re destroying our country. ”
He promised to carry out the largest deportation in American history. “That’s not something to say, and I hate to say it, but the clowns in the media will say, ‘Oh, he’s so mean.’ No, they’re killing our people. people. They are killing our country. We have no choice. ”
He added, “A language is coming into our country, a language that no one in this country has ever heard.” That’s scary. ”
But Trump interrupted with a series of strange riffs from his teleprompter. One was a complicated story about flying into Iraq in the dark. “I was sitting with the pilot…the most beautiful human being I’ve ever seen.” Not my thing…but they’re handsome. central casting. Cooler than Tom Cruise. And also tall. ”
Once again, he made his followers eat out of the palm of his hand – an alarming scene for defenders of democracy. “By the way, isn’t this better than reading out a noisy teleprompter?” he asked. The crowd cheered.
“Nobody can ramble like this,” he said, “and they’ll say, ‘He was rambling, he’s cognitively impaired.’ , actually the opposite is true.” That’s sheer genius – “You know that.” The crowd cheered even more.
