Former Republican President Donald Trump attended the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland on Saturday to deliver a speech before the mostly MAGA crowd.
Once a somewhat innocuous gathering of right-wing voices, the conference has now become infamous for violent anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, COVID surges due to anti-vaxxer and anti-masker attendees, stages shaped like Nazi symbols, and golden Trump idols.
This year's CPAC also had no shortage of speakers spouting anti-democracy extremism. But Trump's speech still measured high on the WTF meter.
The GOP 2024 presidential frontrunner told his supporters:
"For hardworking Americans, Nov. 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 judgment day."
"When we win, the curtain closes on their corrupt reign and the sun rises on a bright new future for America."
Trump then equated himself—again—to Russian dissident and political prisoner Alexei Navalny.
He drew widespread criticism for exploiting Navalny's death just days after his passing.
"I stand before you today only [sic] as your past and hopefully future president, but as a proud political dissident. I am a dissident."
Lending credence to the accusations of his suffering from messianic delusions, Trump added:
"These are the stakes of this election: Our country is being destroyed and the only thing standing between you and its obliteration is me."
"A vote for Trump is your ticket back to freedom, it’s your passport out of tyranny and it’s your only escape from Joe Biden and his gang’s fast track to hell. And in many ways, we’re living in hell right now."
The Biden-Harris 2024 Rapid Response Director, Ammar Moussa, referred to Trump as a “loser" and called the almost 90-minute speech "weird ramblings" in an official statement.
The Biden-Harris campaign spokesperson wrote:
"Donald Trump is a loser: under his presidency America lost more jobs than any president in modern history, women in more than 20 states have lost the freedom to make their own health care decisions because Trump overturned Roe, and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party lost their damn minds putting Trump's quest for power over our democracy."
"President Biden is building a thriving America right now: record low unemployment and nearly 15 million new jobs, lower prescription drug costs, and protecting Americans freedoms instead of ripping them away."
"America already had the opportunity to choose if they wanted another four years of hell with Donald Trump's chaos, division, and crazy—they said no and will again in November."
The Biden-Harris Rapid Response X account also shared clips from Trump's CPAC speech.
Trump referred to his insurrectionists as the "J6 hostages."
He also relayed a story of the time he tried to give himself the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The medal is designated for members of the armed forces.
He added another anecdote about Rush Limbaugh's well-documented Islamaphobic and racist rhetoric.
Trump rewarded Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Even Trump recognized his speech was just a rambling string of dog whistles, propaganda and rhetoric.
But still claimed he has experienced no cognitive decline.
People refuted Trump's more coherent CPAC speech claims.
Trump's competition for the Republican presidential nomination has dwindled to just one challenger.
Former South Carolina Governor—and former Trump administration member—Nikki Haley has vowed to stay in the race until Super Tuesday—the day most states hold their presidential primaries or caucuses. It falls on March 5 this year.
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