By Jennifer Harper - The Washington Times
Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, Saturday, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Former President Donald Trump gave an epic speech — one hour and 45 minutes — on the closing night of the Conservative Political Action Conference. His audience remained enthusiastic and good-humored from start to finish Saturday; the event was more campaign rally than fireside talk.
The news media, of course, offered mixed, often jaunty commentary in the aftermath, Here are a few sample headlines from the last 48 hours:
“Vintage Trump speaks at CPAC, delivers a mixed bag” (RedState.com); “Trump ties a ribbon on the most MAGA CPAC yet” (Politico); “Trump trolls DeSantis in CPAC speech” (NBC News); “Trump takes victory lap at conservative conference” (The Washington Post); “Trump will stay in the race even if indicted” (ABC News); “Trump promises to continue presidential campaign if indicted, then delivers a snoozy CPAC speech” (Rolling Stone); and “Fact checking Trump’s speech at CPAC” (The New York Times); and “CPAC was a janky half-empty Trump convention” (New York magazine).
Mr. Trump, however, is moving full speed ahead and now appears to be shaping a sturdy campaign message for the 2024 presidential election.
“When I accepted the Republican nomination in 2016, I declared, ‘I am your voice.’ During my speech at CPAC, I added that ‘I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.’ 2024 is the final battle for America,” Mr. Trump said in a public message to his followers released on Sunday.
“Either they win, or we win. And I promise you this: If you put me back in the White House, their reign will be over, and America will be a free nation once again,” he said.
A POLLSTER’S ADVICE
Some have some advice for former President Donald Trump as he moves forward in his quest to retake the White House.
“Can a ‘Trump was Right’ slogan be a winning theme in 2024? Trump can gain voters’ trust by reminding them he was mostly correct,” advises an op-ed from the editorial board of Tippinsights, a news and opinion site affiliated with the TIPP Poll.
So what did he do right? The editorial had several examples.
“Not setting off a war during his years in office points to international relations and diplomacy that worked. So, in foreign affairs, was Trump right?” the editorial asked.
It also provided further proof that Mr. Trump proved his prowess in foreign affairs while in office, and made positive gains in the U.S. economy and bettered diplomatic relations in the Middle East — among other things.
“The Republican campaign hasn’t started - the first debate is months away - but Trump’s criticisms about the Ukraine war are already helping turn the tide. If Biden is the Democratic nominee in 2024, he will have a hard time painting the war and the state of the economy in a positive light. Trump could win in a rematch by reminding voters he was largely right,” the editorial concluded.
308 VACATION DAYS
Some close observers are still tracking the number of times President Biden heads for his home in Wilmington, Delaware, rather than staying at the White House and tending to presidential matters.
Yes, the president was in Delaware over the weekend.
“For Biden, it’s vacation first, the American people last,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
And she has the numbers.
“Since taking office, Biden has spent 305 days — 40% of his presidency — on vacation,” stated a brief analysis of the situation that accompanied her statement.
The past weekend will represent Biden’s 306th, 307th, and 308th vacation days.
“Including this weekend, Biden has spent 55 of 110 weekends in Delaware since taking office. Overall, this is Biden’s 66th trip to Delaware since taking office,” the analysis said.
