NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — Near the conclusion of the four-day Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), President Donald Trump spoke. The 45th president was scheduled to hit the stage at 3 p.m., but conservative activists of all different ages, races, and both genders waited in the Potomac Ballroom of the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center for hours to hear him speak.
The president ran a little late, but the audience was treated to highlight videos about Trump and his history with CPAC, and the efforts of the American Conservative Union launching CPACs in other regions of the country, as well as around the world in Australia, Japan, and elsewhere.
Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, went on stage first to introduce President Trump. Schlapp said that he believes Nancy Pelosi would love to rip up the speech that Trump would soon be giving, but said of Pelosi, “You can’t rip up the spirit of the American people, and those yearning for freedom across the globe.”
“We have one simple goal: to put the final nail in the coffin of socialism in America,” he continued. “President Trump is leading the battle against socialism.”
When the president took to the stage, he received a tremendous standing ovation from the audience.
He told the story of how Matt Schlapp suggested to him at CPAC several years ago that he run for president, and how some people suggested when he first decided to run for president that it wasn’t a serious thing and that he was just doing it for fun.
“Does anybody think this has been fun?” he asked.
The audience responded with laughter.
While Trump certainly has had more than his fair share of constant attacks, he noted, “No administration has done as much as we’ve done in the first three years.”
"No administration has ever done what we've done in the first three years" @realDonaldTrump lists some of his accomplishments of his presidency so far #CPAC2020 pic.twitter.com/dVbp3MDhmI
— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 56479) (@CPAC) February 29, 2020
Trump noted his administration is defending our faith, our values, our borders, and of course, draining the swamp.
“We’re exposing the corruption of the Washington Democrats, and we’re draining the Washington swamp. I just didn’t know how deep it would be, how dirty it would be.”
Trump also told the audience that he wasn’t a big fan of the “drain the swamp” line when it was first suggested by his speechwriter during his first campaign. He thought it was hokey but he tried it once, and it was a big hit, and the slogan stuck.
“I never knew the swamp was so bad, but we’re winning.
He later noted, “It would be so much easier for us if we had a press that told the truth.”
"It would be so much easier for our country if we had a press who told the truth" @realDonaldTrump #CPAC2020 pic.twitter.com/Y0rZExgDPk
— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 56479) (@CPAC) February 29, 2020
He continued by explaining that seven million new jobs since he was elected, which is five million more than government experts projected. He also told the crowd he has the lowest average unemployment of any president in history. On his watch, ten million Americas have been lifted off welfare rolls, and seven million off food stamps. Trump said his administration has been achieving the progress, hope and change liberals promised for years, “and it’s driving them crazy.”
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Matt Margolis is the author of Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama’s Legacy and the bestselling book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattMargolis
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