He’s back.
Love him, hate him, have no real opinion on him (is that possible?) – one thing is certain as of Wednesday 16 November, 2022 – Donald Trump is officially seeking a second term as President of the United States of America, effective immediately.
The worst-kept secret in world politics was formally realised on Tuesday night in America as Trump made his big announcement that he is seeking the Republican nomination for 2024 in beaming, typically over-the-top fashion.
Trump’s address puts him in direct competition with Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, whom Trump has labelled “Ron DeSanctimonius” (not his best, let’s be honest) ahead of time.
On Tuesday night, he said lots of Donald Trump things. Let’s start at the beginning.
“In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for President of the United States,” Trump said from behind a plinth at his home in Mar-a-Lago, to a chorus of cheers from those gathered.
“Thank you, all of you. Thank you. So many incredible friends and family here tonight; it’s such a beautiful thing,” he continued. “Some people say, ‘How do you speak before so many people all the time?’ – when there’s love in the room, it’s really easy, if you want to know the truth, it really is. You ought to try it sometime!”
‘Corrupt Forces’
Trump noted that “together we will be taking on the most corrupt forces and entrenched interests imaginable” as he sought to stir up the paranoia-fuelled pot while also making an effort to appear more inclusive.
“Our country is in a horrible state. We’re in grave trouble. This is not a task for a politician or a conventional candidate – this is a task for a great movement that embodies the courage, confidence and the spirit of the American people.
“This is a movement. This is not for any one individual. This is a job for tens of millions of proud people working together from all across the land, from all walks of life; young and old, black and white, Hispanic and Asian, many of whom we have brought together for the very, very first time.
“If you look at the numbers, if you look at what’s happened with Hispanic, with African-American, with Asian – this is a party that has become much bigger, much stronger, much more powerful, can do much more good for our country.”
Trump next addressed all manner of Americans who cannot “stay quiet any longer” – “you’re angry about what’s happening to our country,” he explained. “Our country is being destroyed before your very eyes.”
‘Great People’
Trump also had time for the police force, noting that they are “being treated so badly” in the America of 2022.
“These are great people. They can straighten out the crime. They’re the ones that know how to do it. We have to give them their respect and their dignity,” he outlined.
In praising “the greatest people on Earth” – that would be Americans – Trump said his latest bid for the White House will bring “both sides” together and “unify people”, something he said was happening under his previous reign.
He also made sure to go after China and use a familiar, problematic phrase in the process.
“What was bringing them together was success. Prior to Covid coming in, the people were calling me, that were calling me – you wouldn’t believe it. People that were so far left I figured they’d never speak to me and I would never speak to them, but our success was so incredible.
“Like never before – and then Covid started coming in from China. We call it ‘the China virus’ – some people call it other things, but it was devastating and we built it back and did an incredible job. When people say – Republicans or Democrats or Liberals or Conservatives – I say we can all get together.
“And we were doing that. That was happening just prior. Because the success was greater than this country has ever had, We were leap-frogging China and leap-frogging everybody else. And everybody wanted a piece of it.”
Trump’s announcement arrives following mixed success in US mid-term elections for the Republican party. Nonetheless, he promised to be the voice for those who oppose the Biden administration.
“I am running because I believe the world has not yet seen the true glory of what this nation can be,” he said. “We have not reached that pinnacle, believe it not.”
Analysing the speech on CNN, fact-checker Daniel Dale said that while Trump’s address wasn’t quite as nonsensical as others he has made, it was “still less accurate than anything you’ll hear from basically anyone else in politics – just wildly incorrect claims”.
Those claims included ISIS being defeated in three weeks, America going decades without a war, and no previous President taking even one dollar from China. “These claims are not even close to true,” said Dale.
“He can say whatever he wants about the pre-pandemic economy, but he is suggesting the economy was thriving two years ago when he left office – look, he left office with the unemployment rate about double what it is today.”
Dale also pointed out just how wide of the mark Trump was on remarks concerning climate change, nuclear issues and gas prices. So, uh, four more years?
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