Former President Donald Trump criticized President Joe Biden for the country's high inflation and gas costs, as well as Russia's unjustified invasion of Ukraine, which he described as "an outrage and an evil."
Trump reaffirmed that he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was "smart," echoing his widely panned remarks earlier in the week in which he lauded the autocrat's intelligence.
Trump Criticizes Democratic Policies
Trump also praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has received plaudits from across the world for standing up to Russian aggression. The former president praised Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko as a "wonderful man."
Trump's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Orlando, Fla, gave hints about how he might campaign for the Republican nomination in 2024 if he decides to run, as well as if he can keep his hold on the Republican Party's most passionate followers.
The former president's 90-minute speech, which was constantly interrupted by applause from a crowd dressed in red MAGA hats, was replete with his usual laundry list of grievances, including erroneous accusations that the 2020 election had been rigged.
He praised truckers who blocked many streets in Canada's capital in protest of COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates, slammed Democratic policies, and called the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court a "radical left zealot." Trump even hinted that he had made up his mind about running for president again, as per Yahoo News.
CPAC, the country's largest conservative conference, routinely offers screams of "four more years" from a sea of fans wearing red "Make America Great Again" caps, who clapped on cue as Trump raged against "waking tyranny" and "cancel culture." A valuable insight into the direction the Republicans plan to take over the coming months.
According to organizers, Trump was scheduled to give out a forward-looking "vision for America" as the Republicans seek to reclaim control of Congress in November's midterm elections. Instead, he focused on his loss in the 2020 election and his bogus claims that he was robbed by extensive voter fraud, encouraging the gathering to "fight like hell" or risk the destruction of their country.
It was a speech similar to that which prompted a mob of his fans to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, for which he was impeached for the second time. His comments came as Russian rockets pounded the outskirts of Kyiv in an escalating crisis that became a prominent topic of conversation at CPAC, NDTV reported.
Ex-POTUS Tightens Grip on Republican Race
Former President Donald Trump set a precedent for other potential Republican presidential candidates in 2024 by receiving 59 percent of the vote at a large conservative meeting in Florida.
Trump's victory was expected, but he gained five points over last year, with Governor Ron DeSantis, who delivered a stirring speech at the rally on Thursday, coming in second with 28 percent.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received two percent of the vote, while Vice President Mike Pence received one percent, with Nikki Haley, Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem, and Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
However, because CPAC is a meeting of extreme conservatives, the results tend to favor the Trumpist faction of the party. DeSantis would receive 61 percent of the vote if Trump were not running.
Attendees also feel Hillary Clinton (22 percent) has the best chance of winning the Democratic nomination, ahead of Michelle Obama (17 percent). President Joe Biden is expected to be the nominee by 14 percent, while Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be the nominee by 11 percent.
The idea of a Clinton return has gained traction in the conservative media, and it has even been broached by some Democratic strategists as a way to highlight the lack of options to Biden and Harris as their poll ratings plummet, according to Daily Mail.
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