Donald Trump slammed President Joe Biden, trying to keep a grip on the future of the Republican Party on Sunday during his first major political address since leaving the White House last month, only to reveal a possible offer sometime in 2024.
Trump told a high profile Conservative activists gathering in Orlando, Florida that his trip was “far from over” and that he might decide to beat the Democrats for the “third time,” alluding to his false claims that he won the 2020 election to have.
“I want you to know that I will continue to fight right by your side,” said Trump.
When Trump said the Republicans would beat the Democrats in 2024, the crowd stood up and sang “USA, USA”.
It is widely expected that Trump will finally make an offer for the president in 2024. Unlike previous presidents, he made it clear that he had no intention of withholding comment on his successor’s actions and followed up on Biden on Sunday.
“We all knew the Biden administration was going to go bad – but none of us imagined how bad it would be or how far it would go,” Trump said.
Consistent with his penchant for dramatic exaggeration, Trump described Biden’s first month in office as “the most disastrous first month of a president in modern history, that’s right”.
“In just a short month we went from America to America first,” said Trump, citing a “new and terrible crisis on our southern border.”
Trump’s political ambitions put Republicans in a difficult position in the election. The 74-year-old remains hugely popular with the party but failed to beat Biden in the 2020 election after losing support among moderates and independents.
Trump was named the winner of a CPAC straw poll with 55% of the vote on the Sunday before his speech. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took second place in the 2024 presidential poll with 21% and first place in a straw poll without Trump.
After losing the presidential contest, Trump refused to admit for weeks and was charged by the House of Representatives with inciting the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6.
While the Senate eventually acquitted him, top Republicans, including Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, have issued stinging reprimands against Trump’s actions. Trump reiterated his false claim that the election was “rigged” during his address.
Trump pursued a litany of Republicans Sunday including Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah and the other lawmakers who voted for his impeachment.
“Get rid of them all,” said Trump. “The RINOs with which we are surrounded will destroy the Republican Party and the American worker,” said Trump, using an acronym for Republicans only in their name.
Donald Trump Jr., the son of the ex-president, attacked Cheney on Friday at the CPAC, saying she was “tied to an establishment that did nothing but fail us”.
Earlier this month, Trump denounced McConnell in a statement as a “grumpy, sullen and unsmiling political hack”.
Despite his attacks on members of the GOP, Trump used the address to refuse to report that he was considering forming a new party.
“We’re not starting new parties,” said Trump. “We have the Republican Party, it will unite and be stronger than ever. I’m not starting a new party.”
“Wouldn’t that be brilliant? Let’s start a new party, share our vote so we can never win,” Trump added sarcastically.
Trump said he would “actively work” to support the Republicans in his form.
While Trump has refused to leave the limelight, he has had less direct access to the public since he was banned by Twitter for violating its guidelines against incitement to violence. The company has announced that the ban will remain in place even if Trump runs for office again.
Trump said during his speech that “we oppose the abandonment culture” and that GOP-led states should seek big tech companies that censor conservatives.
Sunday’s address also included a number of topics that were central to the Republican Party’s political agenda, such as: B. the tough attitude towards China and the demand for stricter immigration rules.
“The future of the Republican Party is a party that defends the social, economic and cultural interests and values of working American families – of all races, colors and creeds,” Trump said. He added that the party was a party of “love”.
In part of his speech on Covid-19, Trump urged Biden to “open schools now,” highlighting his administration’s successful efforts to speed up vaccine production.
Since leaving the White House, Trump has been facing increasing legal threat in New York in which Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is apparently investigating potential banking and insurance fraud related to Trump and his firm, the Trump Organization .
Vance received year-long tax returns from Trump and related documents on Monday after a protracted legal battle that made it to the Supreme Court twice. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and accused Vance of being politically motivated.
Subscribe to CNBC Pro for the live TV stream, deep insights and analysis of how to invest during the next president’s term.
