Former President Donald Trump used his speech at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, D.C., on Saturday to rail against President Joe Biden in anticipation of a 2020 rematch in November.
The remarks lasted roughly 90 minutes and featured some of Trump’s trademark antics, such as kissing the American flag, as well as his plans for a second term — including a pledge to secure the southern border and “drill, baby, drill” upon returning to office.
At multiple junctures, Trump employed the “Crooked Joe Biden” nickname. He mocked Biden’s mental state, even throwing in a couple impersonations to the delight of the audience, and insisted that the people running the country are “destroying it.”
Trump pitched himself as a “common sense” force who can guide the United States out of the “Biden nightmare” and restore the country’s standing in the world if re-elected.
“We’re going to be respected like we’ve never been respected before, and it won’t take long,” he said.
Trump said “migrant crime” has become prevalent during Biden’s tenure, among other issues with border security. On the topic of foreign policy, Trump criticized Biden over the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and Russia’s war in Ukraine. And Trump dubbed himself a “political dissident” as he decried the myriad prosecutions he faces while running his campaign.
“To achieve a great future we first have to throw off the chains of our out-of-control political class and that begins with telling Crooked Joe Biden, ‘You’re fired!'” Trump said, employing a catchphrase from his reality TV show “The Apprentice” on NBC.
Trump took aim at the “Washington cesspool” and said the movement behind his 2016 victory “gave these corrupt insiders their chance to change, and with Biden, they answered with hoaxes and witch hunts, censorship, lockdowns, and with total repression.”
Looking ahead to the general election, Trump said, “For hard-working Americans, November 5 will be our new liberation day. But, for the liars and cheaters and fraudsters and censors and imposters who have commandeered our government, it will be their judgment day.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a top campaign surrogate for Biden who is widely seen as a presidential contender for the Democrats in the future, also got a mention.
Trump said “in a certain way,” he hopes Newsom runs because the governor “destroyed” his state.
The speech took place as voters cast ballots South Carolina’s GOP primary. Trump still has a Republican rival in Nikki Haley, the former governor of the state, but he did not use his CPAC remarks to dwell on the nomination fight for very long.
After contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and the Virgin Islands, Trump has 63 delegates while Haley has 17. A candidate requires 1,215 delegates to win the nomination.
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