Whether it was with gleeful anticipation or a sense of foreboding, most conservative eyes were turned toward Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night for Donald Trump’s announcement that he was running for his second term as president of the United States. Should he win, he would become the 45th and 47th president.
Trump took the stage at 9:00 Eastern, with his wife Melania in attendance, to the strains of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” After thanking the audience, he told everyone watching that they were the heart and soul of a great movement in the greatest country in the world, adding that such a movement may never come again. “America’s comeback starts right now,” he said.
“I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” said Trump, to cheers from the audience. “This won’t be my campaign. This will be our campaign together…. We’re going to bring people together. We’re going to unify people.”
He noted that the country had been doing great and thriving like never before, and that there had never been a time like his presidency. The country had even turned the page on globalist policies. He added that all the Biden administration needed to do was sit back and watch as the U.S. enjoyed low taxes, a secure border, decreased drug trafficking, and energy independence that was verging on dominance.
Trump also asserted that he had secured respect from America’s enemies and neutralized ISIS. He lamented the turn the country had taken, noting the disaster in Afghanistan, skyrocketing drug use, and a porous border. He said blood soaks the streets of our “once great cities” and that under his watch, the war in Ukraine would never have happened. He also mentioned the missile incident in Poland.
He said that now we have a “president who falls asleep in global conferences,” is held in contempt by other countries, and has brought us to the verge of nuclear war. “Despite environmental concerns, there is no concern about nuclear weapons,” he warned.
America, he said, has been “mocked, derided, and brought to its knees like never before,” but the people were there tonight to declare that it does not have to be this way. “We were a great nation,” he said, “and will be a great nation again.”
Trump said the decline of America is being forced by Biden and the radical Left but that decline was not a fate that had to be accepted. “One week ago,” he said, “the Congress won back the House,” with Congressman Kevin Kylie, who had his endorsement.
He said his endorsement success rate in the midterms was 232 wins to 22 losses and noted that the success was due to his administration changing the nation on trade, a safe border, and dealing with Islamic terrorism. He also cited cutting taxes and regulations to create a great economy. He added that despite the state of the Senate, people should get out and vote for Herschel Walker.
Trump renewed his promise to be the voice of the people, and said he would not let the Washington establishment silence anyone. He stated that he is running because he believes that the world has not seen the true glory of the nation. He promised that from now until Election Day in 2024, he will “fight like no one has ever fought before to defeat radical Democrats that are trying to destroy our country from within.”
Trump noted that many nations “hate us gravely.” He said that he will ensure that Joe Biden does not receive four more years, and the country cannot take four more years of the Biden regime.
He commented that in 2020, he received the largest number of votes of any sitting president and will do so again. Noting the gains he made with Latino voters, he forecasted an even greater turnout since Latinos also appreciated the promise to build the wall and secure the border.
“This campaign will be about visions, issues, and success, and we will not stop or quit until we have achieved the highest goals and make our country greater than it has ever been before.” He called for big ideas, bold ambitions, and daring dreams. He contrasted the Left’s embrace of extreme ideology and government control versus individual responsibility and common sense. He said that it was time to rebuild the economy that Biden destroyed. Trump vowed to tackle inflation and keep it at 1% to help the people in the country succeed without devaluing the currency and increasing inflation.
Tonight’s announcement was a foregone conclusion, as earlier in the day, Trump filed his paperwork with the FEC.
While it was not unexpected, many Republicans were hopeful that Trump would wait until after the Georgia runoff between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock.
Trump also took heat following the 2022 midterms, when many conservatives were convinced that he was a drag on races across the country. Trump raised eyebrows when he belittled Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who many people are hoping will be a presidential candidate in 2024. People were perplexed by Trump’s comments that he played a major role in the election of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. There have also been concerns that Trump’s presence would give the Democrats the ammunition they need to attack GOP candidates across the board.
However, many are still proud of Trump’s accomplishments while in office, including his foreign policies, energy policies, and fiscal policies, along with his common-man approach. Dick Morris called the announcement a “comeback.”
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