WATCH: Trump claims “stolen” election was “crime of the century” in raucous speech
By Harps Johal
June 05, 2021
Breakdown
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- Donald Trump made his second public address since leaving office
- Trump doubled down on stolen election claim
- Suggests that the GOP will take back the White House “sooner than you think”
- His speech comes amid reports that Trump believes he may be reinstated as President in August
- Blasts Fauci, China and Big Tech
Pollemix News
Former President Trump publicly reemerged with a raucous speech doubling down on claims the election was stolen. Appearing in front of an adoring crowd at the North Carolina Republican Convention, he continued to decry Biden’s victory as fraudulent. It was only his second public appearance since leaving the White House 6 months ago. Judging by the crowd reaction, however, Republicans affection for their beloved leader remain undiminished.
Ahead of the speech, Republican leadership implored Trump to avoid re-litigating his 2020 election loss and focus instead on the GOP winning the 2022 mid-terms. Their request fell on deaf ears, however, as Trump returned to his regular playbook. The ex-President peppered his speech with a series of broadsides against familiar foes including Anthony Fauci, China and Big Tech. Inevitably though, the stolen election refrain capped off his speech.
Stolen election speech by Donald Trump at RNC North Carolina
“The 2020 presidential election was by far the most corrupt election in the history of our country. There’s never been anything like this. They used COVID and they used the mail-in ballots to steal an election. It was the third-world country election like we’ve never seen before,” Trump said.
He then thanked the Arizona legislature for initiating the Maricopa County audit and claimed it would “expose the fraud.” On the same tack he congratulated Texas and Florida for implementing tough new voting restrictions. Trump’s belief that he will be reinstated in August was reportedly fueled by the ongoing Arizona audit. Judging by his comments, he remains hopeful that the conspiracy theory will eventually bear fruit.
A defiant Trump was also adamant that the Chinese should pay $10 Trillion in compensation to the US for the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. He also mocked Anthony Fauci as being “not a great doctor, but he’s a hell of a promoter”. Trump also responded to the news that he would not be allowed to return to Facebook for at least 2 years, saying “It’s so unfair they’re shutting down an entire group of people, not just me.”
Verdict
Trump’s reappearance is only a prelude to the mid-term cycle where he will be crucial to the GOP’s bid to retake the House and Senate. Despite his loss, he remains the darling of Republican voters and his ability to motivate the base is crucial to their chances in 2022. Trump’s enduring popularity leaves the Republican Party with a unique dilemma, as their mid-term hopes are contingent on a campaign fronted by a losing President.
If his first public speech is any indication, Trump leading the Republican bid in 2022 is a double-edged sword. While his populist rhetoric inspires the MAGA faithful, it may repel centrists, independents and suburban housewives. The same voting bloc that cost Trump the 2020 Presidential Election and which Republicans need to woo back in the mid-terms. Similarly, while his claims that the election was stolen is red meat for the base, his focus on personal grievances may undercut the GOP’s attempts to highlight their policy goals and problems in the Biden administration. Nevertheless, without Trump’s appeal the GOP’s hopes for 2022 are severely diminished. Therefore, it seems likely that the Republicans’ Faustian bargain will continue for some time yet.
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Tags: Trump, Republicans, Fauci, Biden, Facebook, Coronavirus,
