fbpx

Trump Silent on Presidential Run at CPAC 

Trump Silent on Presidential Run at CPAC 
Former President Donald Trump pauses during the final remarks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on Saturday, August 6, 2022. | Image by Shafkat Anowar, The Dallas Morning News

Will he or won’t he? Former President Donald J. Trump had much to say at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas but remained silent about whether he intends to make a third presidential run. 

During the speech, Trump spoke on cornerstone issues to conservatives, ranging from immigration reform to cultural topics, but never directly addressed the question on the minds of many Republican supporters.

Hopes ran high among audience members when the former president said, “I will never stop fighting for you.” 

The audience of a couple thousand roared with approval when Trump hinted, “We may have to do it again!”

Trump revisited his 2016 campaign slogan of Make America Great Again, frequently repeating the idea of putting America first.

Much of the more than one-hour speech echoed Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, criticizing Democratic policies.

“As we gather here tonight, our country is under attack, mainly from within… mainly from the radical left,” he told the audience.

Trump specifically attacked Joe Biden’s presidency, perhaps yet another hint at a possible third presidential run. 

Trump commented on gas prices, which have more than doubled under Biden’s watch, the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and the four-decades high inflation rate.

“I think the day we institute [the death penalty], drug crime would go down,” he theorized. “Every American of every background deserves to live in safety.” 

Immigration was a popular topic with many attendees. Trump told a cheering audience the United States is experiencing an invasion similar to a foreign military force attack.  

“We created the safest in history; now, in my opinion, it’s the worst border [in the world],” Trump said. He faulted the current administration for ending many of his immigration policies and blamed it for the current situation along the U.S.-Mexico border.  

Another 2016 campaign promise the former president visited was “draining the swamp.” He blasted bureaucrats and the Biden administration for a number of cultural issues, including transgender ideology and explicit books in libraries and classrooms.

“No teacher should be able to teach transgender [ideology] to our children without parental consent,” he said. 

“We are teaching our children that men can have babies,” he said, adding that certain books need to be replaced by the Bible.

Trump’s approval rating at the convention was 99% among the 1,000 attendees polled by CPAC. Nearly 70% of respondents indicated they would vote for Trump if the Republican primary were held today. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scored 24%, while Sen. Ted Cruz received a 2% rating. 

After the convention concluded, a crowd of red-hatted supporters stood outside the venue, discussing the topic that Trump avoided during his speech.

“I want him to run and win,” said attendee Paul Madigan from Big Sandy in Northeast Texas. “America stood for something when Mr. Trump was President. We had lower gas prices, no inflation, and respect in the world.” 

Madigan was joined by Rhonda Fernandez, a resident of Rosenberg along the Gulf Coast, who said the U.S. under Trump stood for power, but after two years of Biden in office, that is no longer true.

“For me, the big issue is [unlawful] immigration,” she said. “We have to do something to stop [it]. My grandfather came here legally; why can’t others?”

Support our non-profit journalism

11 Comments

  1. Michael Yorba

    I was in the room for all 3 days.
    What was amazing was who wasn’t in the room.
    I’m on the front line now in Dallas..
    Now is the time for everyone on stage to get involved in our home town issues.
    Medical Centers, Grocery Stores, Affordable Housing and Crime.

    Reply
  2. D hanna

    OMG. President Trump does not have to say either way. We The People know the deal. He is still our President. We will get our country back from the traitors and those who are trying to take us down. Their day of reckoning is coming. The media would be wise to start reporting truth.

    Reply
    • Nell Fenwick

      How about that new toupee he was sporting, though, Deep Thinker?

      Reply
    • KayDee

      You DO realize “your president” is the traitor who tried to overthrow our government because he didn’t like the election results, right?! And WE THE PEOPLE voted him out because we care about the United States of America and will NEVER allow a dictator to take control…EVER!

      Surely you must realize that Republicans voted for Biden as well, it wasn’t just Democrats! We all want to save our Democracy, not just vote for someone because they associate themselves with the same party we do. At the end of the day more Americans chose democracy and freedom over a political party. And it will be that way with this upcoming election as well.

      Hope you have the day you deserve.

      Reply
  3. KayDee

    The RNC told Trump not to announce his candidacy until after the midterms because they didn’t want Democrats using his failures to boost their numbers. Also, the RNC can’t continue to pay all of his legal fees if he’s running for re-election. So they’ve just recently stopped paying his fees. Of course, he’s still lying through his teeth about pretty much EVERYTHING as usual. He even stated at a different rally that he had completed the wall between Mexico and the U.S. I’m sure he didn’t mention anything about his attempt to overthrow our government – and I’m sure his cult supporters conveniently overlooked it as well. He’s still as psychotic as he’s ever been. SAD!

    Reply
    • Susan

      I wish you had some intelligence..it’s not a cult following. People follow Trump because of the results he achieved in his term. I personally can’t wait to have him back in the white house…during his term i could at least afford to go to work. Gas prices are just stupid as well as our current administration.

      Reply
  4. Lanie

    I voted for Trump first time around but never again. He thought he would win the election again and when he didn’t he lied to the people. He said his votes were stolen, etc. They weren’t stolen He just lost and he couldn’t accept it so he convinced his voters that it was stolen from him. He tired to take our democracy away from us and that is something that I will never let any candidate take away from me.

    Reply
    • Daniel

      Yep, there’s a recording of Steve Bannon, an avowed Leninist, laying out the plans to deny a Biden win even before the election. Worst President ever. Deport his ass to Somalia.

      Reply
  5. Tommy

    Loved seeing Log Cabin Republicans booth.

    Reply
  6. Haywood

    The sheep still want to be fleeced. More money for him if he keeps teasing a run.

    Reply
  7. ed lopez

    What much cool-ade do they serve at the CPAC convention ?

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Continue reading on the app
Expand article