Trump launches re-election bid before jam-packed arena, vows to 'Keep America Great'
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
President Trump formally launched his 2020 re-election campaign Tuesday night before a jam-packed crowd in Orlando's Amway Center arena, and quickly unloaded on the media organizations and government actors he said tried their hardest with "everything they had" to bring down both his candidacy and presidency.
To chants of "USA," Trump took the stage after brief remarks by Vice President Mike Pence and first lady Melania Trump, and recalled his unlikely rise to power.
"We stared down the unholy alliance of lobbyists and donors and special interests who made a living bleeding our country dry," Trump said. "The swamp is fighting back so viciously and violently. For the last two and a half years, we have been under siege.”
And after polling the boisterous crowd, Trump appeared to settle on a new campaign slogan: "Keep America Great."
He went on to tout the economy and the planned Space Force, celebrate the "obliteration" of ISIS, and declare that "Republicans believe that every life is a sacred gift from God" amid a newly energized national pro-life movement.
Just over four years ago, Trump descended through the pink marble and brass atrium of Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for president, the first step on a journey few analysts believed would take him all the way to the White House.
This time, thousands of Trump supporters arrived more than 40 hours in advance to secure a spot in the Amway Center, despite sweltering heat. Some had been camped in chairs for several nights.
Trump told attendees he had begun not only a "great political campaign but a great movement" committed to the idea that a government must "care for its own citizens first."
He called his election that year as a "defining moment in American history" -- and then directed the crowd to "ask them, right there," referring to the media assembled in the back, which many in the crowd jeered.
In one of the most dramatic moments of the rally, Trump charged that Democrats want a "do-over" of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report -- and then, his voice approaching a shout, Trump blasted Democrats' apparent lack of interest in misconduct within their party.
Supporters of President Trump waiting in line hours before the arena doors opened Tuesday in Orlando. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
"Our patriotic movement has been under assault from the very first day," Trump said. He specifically called out the "phony" dossier used by the FBI to secure a secret surveillance warrant to surveil one of his former aides, Carter Page.
After Trump noted that the dossier was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee (DNC), the crowd again broke into a chant, this time cheering, "Lock her up."
"If you want to know how the system is rigged, just look at how they came at us for three years with everything they had, versus the free pass they gave to Hillary and her aides after they set up an illegal server, destroyed evidence, deleted and acid-washed 33,000 emails, exposed classified information, and turned the State Department into a pay-for-play cash machine," Trump said, his voice rising with the crowd's.
"Lock her up," the crowd responded again.
DOJ REACHED DEAL WITH CLINTON LAWYERS TO KEEP CLINTON FOUNDATION EMAILS FROM FBI
"33,000 emails deleted, think of it!" Trump said. "You know, there was a lot of corruption on the other side. But, you know, they get a subpoena from the United States Congress, and they decide they're not gonna give it, so, Lindsey Graham, they delete and they acid wash -- which is very expensive, nobody does it -- those emails, never to be seen again!
"But we may find them again somewhere deep in the State Department," Trump mused. "Can you imagine if I got a subpoena? Think of this -- if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it's the electric chair for Trump."
For the most part, the rally focused on Trump's policy successes, on a range of matters including criminal justice reform and the economy.
"Our country is soaring to incredible new heights," Trump asserted, to loud applause. "Our economy is the envy of the world, perhaps the greatest economy we've had in the history of our country, and as long as you keep this team in place -- we have a tremendous way to go -- our future has never, ever looked brighter or sharper."
Trump continued: "The fact is, the American Dream is back. It's bigger, and better, and stronger than ever before."
The president emphasized his success in appointing federal judges, and lamented Democrats' treatment of now-Justice Brett Kavanuagh, telling the crowd, "They didnt just try to win, they tried to destroy him with false and malicious accusations" in the name of "political dominance and control."
Trump called Kavanaugh a "great gentleman" who is "highly respected" throughout the judiciary, and said Democrats also targeted his family. Kavanuagh, speaking to Fox News last year, said his wife had received numerous death threats.
"Just imagine what this angry left-wing mob would do if they were in charge of this country," Trump said.
"We just finished [confirming judge] number 107, already approved, sitting on the bench -- how about that?" Trump then asked. "By the time we're finished with the rest, we will have record percentages [of judges appointed] -- our percentage will be a record, except for one person. One person has a higher percentage ... George Washington."
At one point, outgoing Press Secretary Sarah Sanders took the stage, bringing the crowd to its feet.
"We want people to come into our country based on merit," Trump said, after praising Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials as underappreciated heroes securing the border.
He went on to condemn "crazy" Bernie Sanders, and vowed again that America would "never" become a socialist country.
The festive and lively environment was evident both outside and inside the arena. Caps and shirts and mugs and ponchos were being hawked in corners far and wide in Orlando, with slogans ranging from "God, Guns and Trump" to "Trump’s Deplorables" to "Working to Defeat Liberals since 1854."
"Think of this -- if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it's the electric chair for Trump."
— President Trump
"Bikers For Trump" volunteer security members managed traffic in and out of the rally areas as jubilant Trump devotees partied to a band while in line, occasionally breaking into "USA, USA" chants.
Others wandered the blocks around the venue urging people to sign a petition to "prevent voter fraud."
"Only U.S. citizens should be able to vote," explained Donny, a Jacksonville native. "That’s what we want in Florida."
Joe Biden, the frontrunner among Democrats in both polling and fundraising, sought to blunt the momentum from the Tuesday launch shortly before Trump took the stage.
ON THE GROUND BEFORE TRUMP'S BIG RALLY, A CARNIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE
"Donald Trump is launching his campaign for re-election tonight and the American people face a choice -- we can make Trump an aberration or let him fundamentally and forever alter the character of this nation," Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.
Hats and other merchandise were flying off the racks Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, ahead of Trump's rally. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
"Our country cannot afford four more years of Trump diminishing America's role on the world stage, cutting access to health care, ignoring the climate emergency that is an unprecedented threat to our national security, tearing children from their parents at the border, giving enormous new tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working families, and dividing our country by embracing toxic bigotry and racism that's antithetical to who we are," Bedingfield added.
Sanders, meanwhile, hosted an "Ask Me Anything" open forum on Reddit on Tuesday. The self-described democratic socialist condemned what he called Trump's "rejection of science," and lamented the "incredible attacks against working families that have taken place under unfettered capitalism."
Sanders, in a video response to Trump's address later in the day , issued a series of personal insults. He called Trump a "racist" and "sexist," among other attacks.
"The working class of this country has been decimated for decades by a coordinated attack from corporate America," Sanders told one Reddit user. "Bad trade deals have allowed corporations to ship millions of jobs abroad, companies have bitterly resisted unionization and the minimum wage has not been raised for almost 10 years."
Not all of the participants in Sanders' Reddit event gave him a warm welcome, however, with some pointing out Sanders' recent, dramatic rise to wealth.
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"People like you have destroyed the working class by taking more of their taxes to fund a corporate-run utopia that never can exist," one user replied. "Wealth is decided by the rarity of your skill set, not how hard you work, Mr. 3 mansions and an Audi R8."
Trump is ahead of his Democrat rivals in key battleground states and "voters overall" support re-electing him, a Republican National Committee (RNC) memo obtained by Fox News claimed. The memo came amid reports of the president struggling in polls putting him up against potential 2020 opponents, including Biden . A Fox News poll showed similar numbers.
But, according to the RNC, its own massive data operation told a different story. According to the committee's numbers, Trump has a higher approval than disapproval rating in the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania while a majority of Florida voters (53 percent) supported re-electing him.
Trump has an unprecedented $40.8 million in cash-on-hand, as of the start of the second quarter of fundraising on April 1. While that would be a massive war chest on its own, the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising committees had a combined $82 million cash-on-hand going into the second quarter.
Fox News' Mike Emanuel, Hollie McKay, Sam Dorman, Paul Steinhauser, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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“For the most part, the rally focused on Trump's policy successes, on a range of matters including criminal justice reform and the economy.
"Our country is soaring to incredible new heights," Trump asserted, to loud applause. "Our economy is the envy of the world, perhaps the greatest economy we've had in the history of our country, and as long as you keep this team in place -- we have a tremendous way to go -- our future has never, ever looked brighter or sharper."
Trump continued: "The fact is, the American Dream is back. It's bigger, and better, and stronger than ever before."
The president emphasized his success in appointing federal judges, and lamented Democrats' treatment of now-Justice Brett Kavanuagh, telling the crowd, "They didnt just try to win, they tried to destroy him with false and malicious accusations" in the name of "political dominance and control."
Trump called Kavanaugh a "great gentleman" who is "highly respected" throughout the judiciary, and said Democrats also targeted his family. Kavanuagh, speaking to Fox News last year, said his wife had received numerous death threats.
"Just imagine what this angry left-wing mob would do if they were in charge of this country," Trump said.
"We just finished [confirming judge] number 107, already approved, sitting on the bench -- how about that?" Trump then asked. "By the time we're finished with the rest, we will have record percentages [of judges appointed] -- our percentage will be a record, except for one person. One person has a higher percentage ... George Washington."
At one point, outgoing Press Secretary Sarah Sanders took the stage, bringing the crowd to its feet.
"We want people to come into our country based on merit," Trump said, after praising Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials as underappreciated heroes securing the border.
He went on to condemn "crazy" Bernie Sanders, and vowed again that America would "never" become a socialist country.
The festive and lively environment was evident both outside and inside the arena. Caps and shirts and mugs and ponchos were being hawked in corners far and wide in Orlando, with slogans ranging from "God, Guns and Trump" to "Trump’s Deplorables" to "Working to Defeat Liberals since 1854."
"Bikers For Trump" volunteer security members managed traffic in and out of the rally areas as jubilant Trump devotees partied to a band while in line, occasionally breaking into "USA, USA" chants.
Others wandered the blocks around the venue urging people to sign a petition to "prevent voter fraud."”
This was his 60th campaign rally since taking office. All paid for by the tax payers. Imagine if Obama had 60 campaign rally's in 2.5 years, all on the tax payers dime. I cannot even imagine the outrage from the right.
Only because a guy that has told over 10,000 lies told you so. Trump is so stupid it's laughable.
The sad thing is, they don't really care.
It is like they are under a spell.
One where their brain does not have to work.
The one truth is that we love our President and we really do not care that others from other regions don’t like him. The knowledge that others dislike him is motivation enough for us to go all out as volunteers and donors to make sure we re-elect him to Keep America Great!
America was greater before trump and it will be greater after trump. Trump is a shit stain on America's history.
Actually it was Obama’s Presidency that was really what you described.
This POS is so full of it. Now he is saying that Democrats want to terminate Medicare.
The cult of trump continues...
Look in my eyes, what do you see?
The cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I've been everything you wanna be
I'm the cult of personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I'm the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality
Neon lights, Nobel Prize
When a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You won't have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your TV
I'm the cult of personality
I exploit you, still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I'm the cult of personality
Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi
I'm the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality
Neon lights, Nobel Prize
When a leader speaks, that leader dies
You won't have to follow me
Only you can set you free
You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You gave me power in your God's name
I'm every person you need to be
I'm the cult of personality
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of
I'm the cult of personality
This seed is not about Obama but your post describes him perfectly.
Then why are you mentioning him??
Because the post I responded to is totally off topic to the seeded article and Obama fit it perfectly in both regards.
We are the deplorables. We support our President. He deserves re election. Tonight’s rally and its intensity of support is just the beginning.
The people that happily embrace the decree....
We wear liberals negative descriptions of us as a badge of honor. We will re elect our President.
Oh please call us another putdown name this cycle so we can embrace it as our own too.
Then you better tell Trump and, the others what year it is. I heard pieces of his rant that night and, it sounded like a rally from 2016, do you all know Hillary Clinton isn't running this time around?
We are better off now than we were four years ago so expect plenty of references to the Obama Hillary regime moving forward.
Not at a 40% approval rating.
It's really sad that no Trump supporter understands Hillary and, Obama aren't running this time. It's going to be fun watching you all freak out when the Democrat wins.
Oh, we understand that just fine.
We also understand the clown bus is full of hopefuls trying to do what Hillary could not do.
Maybe they actually have a chance at the nomination this time since Hillary won't be around to buy the DNC again.
Crazy Joe Biden will certainly try to buy the nomination through the DNC.
No democrat is going to win the presidency in the 2020 election.
You think Russia will decide the election again?
So, you're one of Trumps rich buddies or, maybe you aren't a Midwestern farmer who can't sell his crop because of Trumps tariffs?
You have the wrong "clown bus" here, the clowns are all on Trumps side of the road and, he's the head clown.
Nice. I know Trump would like that to happen.
With Trump never breaking 50% in the polls and, the likelihood that the Democratic nominee will break 60% in the polls you better start getting your crying towels ready, your going to need them.
America has always been great, sad to think people think it's only great because of the POS in the white house.
Key elected democrats disagree about America always having been great. The governor of New York a prime example.
There are also public school "educators" who state the same. Here are two of them:
Pete Buttigieg is another one.
So if America is only great now that the orange pos is in the whitehouse why is our deficit exploding.....
I believe it has been firmly established that neither party is fiscally conservative.
But don't you remember conservatives WHINING their rears off about Obama and the deficit.....but that was okay because it was Obama....now that the orange POS is exploding the deficit it's okay because it's the orange POS doing it.
HYPOCRITES!!!
Yes, I sure do remember conservatives whining about deficits.
And I remember liberals completely ignoring them when Obama was in office. Now that Trump is in, it is of great concern to liberals.
HYPOCRITES!!!!
THAT is why I said that neither party is fiscally conservative.
Who said it is okay?
Cheney said deficits don't matter. Conservatives whined about Obama and the deficit but stay silent when a republican is in the whitehouse.
Just like Dems were silent in the face of Obama's huge deficits, but like to complain now because a Republican is President.
BOTH SIDES ARE FISCALLY INCOMPETENT.
Is there something you don't get about that?
I get everything about the lying republicans who run on "fiscal conservative" platforms
Would you like to provide that full quote for it's context?
Your apparent refusal to see the hypocrisy ON BOTH sides is truly astounding.
You refuse to see that republican/conservatives who run on the issue don't practice what they preach.
That is not the full context.
Then I suggest you google it and find an article that is to your satisfaction.
Well, THAT certainly is a load of bullshit.
Guess you conveniently missed or ignored this:
I believe it has been firmly established that neither party is fiscally conservative.
And this:
Yes, I sure do remember conservatives whining about deficits.
And this:
BOTH SIDES ARE FISCALLY INCOMPETENT.
Any REASONABLE person would say that I didn't ignore a damn thing.
Obama had a reason for it, a massive recession... What's trumps excuse? He was handed a great economy and he is still blowing up the deficit... why?
well, one thing trump is not going to do? give iran over billion dollars in cash.
Good one!
The recession ended in June of 2009.
According to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research (the official arbiter of U.S. recessions) the recession began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009, and thus extended over eighteen months.
Great Recession - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession
Neither did Obama.. LOL
Only because Trump said he was going to "end the deficit", funny how that hasn't happened or, maybe he's hoping it will explode like a balloon.
didn't Michelle think it was only great because her hubby was elected?
It certainly was greater when her husband was elected. We've come a long way in regards to racial equality, but the election of Obama, which really pissed off so many worthless white supremacists and bigots who crawled out from under their rocks to elect Trump in retaliation, shows us just how far we still have to go. Thankfully, the majority of Americans are embarrassed but such a piece of shit bigot in the white house and we will continue to work towards being a more perfect union despite the nasty racists, the Nazi's, the KKK and white nationalist Russia lovers who will slowly but inexorably be removed like the disgusting engorged blood sucking tics they are.
Hillary was the worst candidate in history. So bad, that Trump was elected. You can blame it on who ever makes you feel better because you where used by the Democrats or you can accept it. The sooner the crazy liberals accept this the better off you will be and perhaps they will put forth a decent candidate. It has been over two years and the loss of Hillary is still haunting the TDS crowd.
I love how people think Trump beat Abuela as retaliation for something.
LOL!
That's all you got? TDS?
Awe...no emoji?
Good one!
Here:
haha
yepp, the usa was great for the first time in her life.
and they were going to fundamentally change our country as well...
but we fundamentally rejected that bs... LOL
good memory
'but we fundamentally rejected that bs... LOL'
It only took eight years. Duh.
yepp, and that is how long trump will be there also.
things might have been different if bush had weaponized the govt, used known fabricated evidence and tried to frame obama.
but ya know... we are not marxist.
cheers
What's hilarious about this point of view is how absolutely false it is. They say Hillary lost because she was the "worst candidate" yet 3 million more Americans voted for her than for Trump. Trump won by a very narrow 110,000 votes overall in 3 swing States to narrowly steal an electoral college win. That is in no way "the people" selecting Trump over Hillary, it was by no means a referendum on Democrats, we were in the majority then and still are today, the only problem is getting all registered Democrats energized enough to vote, and there's nothing that has energized them more than watching the embarrassment of Trump in the oval office. The 2018 elections showed 10 million more Americans voted for Democrats than for Republicans, but for some reason the rats are still dancing on their sinking ship. It's sad to watch, and I can only assume they are just too drunk on the Trump toilet wine to see what's actually happening. I supposed with the King of Lies at their lead, there is no group better at pure, unadulterated denial. Trump relabeled it "The Power of Positive Thinking", but there's no amount of wishful or positive thinking or praying that will save the Trumptanic now that it has hit the iceberg of the Mueller report and the people gave congressional Democrats the power to expose the damage this administration has done to our nation and has been hiding.
studies have shown conclusively that the stupidest people vote for the worst candidate
without the stupid vote in califonia and newyork... what would ya do?
obviously, most of the smartest people live in states that voted trump.
cheers
No one stole a thing. Trump won the required number of electoral votes(plus some) like every other President must do.
Because your beloved Abuela lost doesn't mean someone stole a thing.
Get over it already, will ya?
I was "over it" long ago. It keeps being brought up by some using the monumentally ignorant defense that somehow "the people" voted for Trump over Hillary because Hillary was so terrible. She was certainly no prized pig, but she was a far more competent option than Trump and the majority of Americans understood that and voted for her, millions more than those who voted for the sad sack of stupid Donald Trump. So every time a Trump sycophant brings up Hillary as some sort of defense of the stinky piece of shit President they're supporting I will point out what a ridiculously flawed and moronic an argument that is. By the self proclaimed "deplorables" pushing the pendulum of politics so far back, nearly to the 1950's where many Trump supporters wish they could go back to, when being a white male Christian meant the USA was your oyster, that pendulum is going to swing back hard. And when it does there are going to be many conservatives who will wish they hadn't pushed it so far back to cause it to swing forward so fast towards the inevitable progressive ideals our country was founded on. We will continue to become a more perfect union regardless of the bigoted barnacles at our feet trying to stop any progress.
So I have heard.
LOL!
It's not Democrats who are constantly wheeling out the Hillary Straw man to be re-attacked. In Trump speech last night he brought up Hillary at least SEVEN times even though she isn't running or even endorsing any candidates. I don't give a crap about Hillary, I couldn't care less about what she thinks, what she is doing, she could go jump off Trump tower and I really couldn't care less. The only ones who love bringing up Hillary are those who like to wheel out the dead horse, point at it and say "This is you!" and then continue bashing the unrecognizable pulpy mass of flesh. It's pointless, it's stupid, but there you have it, non stop parade for the last two years of conservatives carting around a decayed corpse as if it proves anything.
All the religious conservatives have really done is set the precedent for the next several years after Trump loses in a landslide in 2020 and his disgusting fat bloated effigy will be rolled out and beaten as a representation of everything Republican because so many Republicans abandoned their morals to cling to the sinking Trumptanic.
My, my, sorry I triggered you!
Not triggered in the slightest, just stating facts.
Okay!
LOL!
[deleted]
Sounds right. So you voted for the turd who is now 'president' then?
ya have to read all the words.... not just the ones you feel you can twist about.
seems ya missed this bit...
stupid people also think the national majority matters in a presidential election.
[Deleted]
Awe, do you feel better, dear?
I wouldn't know about over use of emojis. Not my deal. [Removed]
Awe...it will be ok.
Look how happy and smug the turd 'president' is.
[Removed]
I guess he'll stiff Orlando like he stiffs every other town where he has his 'rallies'
Trump had to pay up front for his Orlando rally after stiffing 10 other cities
Orlando, where Trump kicked off his 2020 election bid, made sure they were paid in advance before Trump came to town.
Trump launched his 2020 bid Tuesday night, but it cost him.
Trump has stiffed at least 10 cities by refusing to pay local police forces for their time spent providing security and safety at his rallies. Because of that, Orlando, the site of his official 2020 campaign kickoff, demanded that he pay them up front.
They're no fools. It's standard policy in Orlando that venues get paid before events. To their meager credit, the Trump campaign did make the first installment payment of $72,000 on time in early June. They were slated to make another payment on June 10, but it isn't clear yet if they did so.
The cost of the venue is only a small part of the cost to municipalities when Trump brings his hate-filled rhetoric to town. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the campaign was required to pay $145,771.34 to use the Amway Center the day of the rally. However, as an Orlando city spokesperson pointed out, there are "Additional impacts to the area outside of the event venue," and because this is a presidential visit, "these costs for police will be absorbed by the local agency."
In other words, Trump may have to pay a paltry amount to cities for the use of actual event spaces, but he doesn't have to pay for the massive police presence required when Trump's right-wing supporters come to town and try to wreak havoc.
On Tuesday, the Proud Boys, a white supremacist group that has violently attacked people in the past, arrived before the Trump rally. They wanted a confrontation with anti-Trump protesters but thankfully were stopped by a line of police before they could do so.
And it isn't as if the campaign can't afford to pay. Trump raised $30 million for his reelection bid in the first quarter of 2019 alone. Combine that with the money the GOP has raised to keep Trump in office, and the amount jumps to $82 million .
While Trump stacks up cash, El Paso is waiting for its $470,417 , Erie, Pennsylvania, is waiting for its $35,129.27 , and at least 8 other cities are waiting too. But given Trump's long history of refusing to pay his bills — a practice that well pre-dates his 2016 presidential run — they may have to wait forever.
Got to love those peace loving deporable mealy mouth azzwipes. Glad to see the police doing their jobs!
I meant to highlight that part! They didn't let the little dicked assholes in. Good job!
Trump rally's.....gun free zones... What a hypocrite.
Oh, FFS. Some clown almost always tries to pull this crap. Do you honestly expect the Secret Service to allow guns? Are you fucking serious? Do you think the event planners would allow guns? Get real, dude!
Its amazing to me that so many see trump as their savior, the second coming while the whole time trump gives zero fux about ANYONE but himself.
Ya, keep shrieking bumper sticker idiot platitudes while wearing your little red hats and shaking miss-spelled poster board signs.
What we love most about Trump is how much the bi coastal limousine liberal elites in their secluded urban ivory towers hate and despise him and us for supporting him. Their hate is proof positive we made the right choice in heartland America.
What a sad and pathetic commentary on "conservatives" that is.
"The best thing about our hero is that someone else hates him". lol
No one said it was the best thing. The judges, tax cuts, regulations roll backs, energy independence, return of manufacturers to the heartland are all great things. That those who hate him do so is an extra emotional high, or simply gravy. Every time I see one of your seeds or posts about him, it reminds me about how great a choice America made on November 8, 2016.
It is the shitland of America, what do you expect?
Dip shits will pay for anything.
Confession is good for the soul. Bow down before your lord and master, President Trump and worship him now!
