ORLANDO, Florida (AP) – Former President Donald Trump stepped down for the first time since his inauguration, calling for former GOP unity, even as he exacerbated divisions between parties by attacking fellow Republicans and promoting lies about the election in a speech that made it clear. he intends to remain a dominant political force.
Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday, where he was seen as a recurring hero, and Trump blew up his successor, President Joe Biden, trying to lay out a vision for the future of the GOP that despite his loss revolving strongly around him. in November.
“Do you still miss me?” Trump said after performing the stage to his old rally soundtrack and cheering from the supportive crowd.
In his speech, Trump tried to downplay the civil war that gripped the party over the extent to which Republicans should embrace him, even though he deployed a list of enemies and called the 10 Republicans of the House and seven GOP senators by name and voted to plead guilty to inciting the U.S. Capitol riot. He ended with the exception of Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican no. 3, who faced a huge setback in Wyoming because he said Trump should no longer play a role in the party or be the headline of the event.
While insisting that the division was merely a spit ‘between a handful of Washington, DC, political heels and everyone across the country’, Trump sent a message to the incumbents who dared to cross him: ‘Get rid of’ everyone. ”
The conference, which took place in Orlando this year instead of the Washington suburbs to evade COVID-19 restrictions, served as a tribute to Trump and Trumpism, complete with a golden image in his likeness exhibited. Speakers, including many potential 2024 hopefuls, argued that the party should embrace the former president and his followers, even after the deadly uprising in the Capitol on 6 January.
They also reiterate in panel after panel his unfounded allegations that he lost re-election only because of fraud with large voters, although such claims were rejected by judges, Republican government officials and Trump’s own administration.
Trump, too, went on to repeat what Democrats called the “big lie,” calling the election “awkward,” insisting he won in November, even though he lost by more than 7 million votes.
“As you know, they just lost the White House,” he said of Biden, rewriting history.
It is highly unusual for former presidents to publicly criticize their successors in the months following their resignation. Former presidents usually step out of the spotlight for at least a while; Barack Obama was seen on holiday surfing kites after he left, while George W. Bush said he believed Obama “deserved my silence” and started doing the painting.
Not Trump.
He gave a scathing rebuke about what he proposed as the new administration’s first month of failures, particularly Biden’s approach to immigration and the border.
“Joe Biden had the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history,” Trump said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the expected criticism last week. “We will see what he says, but our focus is certainly not on what President Trump is saying at CPAC,” she told reporters.
Apart from criticizing Biden, Trump has used the speech to crown himself as the future of the Republican Party, even though many leaders believe they should move in a new, less divisive direction after Republicans not just the White House , but lost both chambers of Congress.
Although Trump came up with the idea of forming a third party, he promised on Sunday to remain part of ‘our beloved’ IDP.
‘I’m going to keep fighting right next to you. We are not starting new parties, ”he said. “We have the Republican Party. It is going to be strong and united like never before. “Yet Trump spent much of the speech on those he considered insufficiently loyal and were called ‘RINOs’ – Republican only – because he did not stand with him.
“We can not have leaders who are more passionate about condemning their fellow Americans than they have ever been about standing up to Democrats, the media and the radicals who want to turn America into a socialist country,” he said. said Trump.
Trump did not use his speech to announce plans to run again, but he repeatedly teased the prospect because he predicted that a Republican would win back the White House in 2024.
“And I wonder who it will be,” he offered. ‘Who, who, who will it be? I wonder. “
However, it remains unclear how much appetite there is for another Trump term, even in the room of staunch supporters.
The annual unscientific scatter level of just over 1,000 participants in the conference found that 97% approve of the task Trump did as president. But they were much more ambiguous when asked if he should bid again, with only 68% saying he should.
If the 2024 primary is held today and Trump was in the race, only 55% said they would vote for him, followed by the Florida government, Ron DeSantis, with 21%. Without Trump in the field, DeSantis garnered 43% support, followed by 8% for the government of South Dakota, Kristi Noem and 7% for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Ted Cruz, senator from Texas.
Although he no longer has his social media megaphone after being banned from Twitter and Facebook, Trump returned to public life even before the speech. He called conservative news agencies after the death of radio star Rush Limbaugh and issued statements, including one that exploded Mitch McConnell after Senate Republican leader Trump excited about the incitement of the Capitol riot. McConnell has since said he will “absolutely” support Trump if he is the nominated GOP in 2024.
At his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump also quietly met with assistants and senior party leaders as he built his political operation toward the president. While he has supported several pro-Trump candidates, including one who is an accused supporter, aides have been working over the past week to develop criteria for those seeking his endorsement to make sure the candidates are serious and established full-fledged political and fundraising. organizations before getting involved.
They are also planning a new super-PAC that can raise unlimited amounts of money, although one assistant warned that they are still deciding to create a new entity or re-establish an existing America First super-PAC.
Trump hinted at the effort Sunday and expressed his commitment to help Republicans and call on the participants to join him.
“I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together is far from over,” he said.