Trump sets stage for 2020 fight with false claims and
recycled attacks
President kicked off his bid with lies, attacks on the press
and claims a Democrat president would ‘shut down your free speech’
David Smith in Orlando, Florida
@smithinamerica
Wed 19 Jun 2019 05.09 BST Last modified on Wed 19 Jun 2019
06.03 BST
Donald Trump has set the stage for the nastiest US
presidential race in modern times with a campaign rally that recycled old
themes and stoked resentment towards Democrats and the media.
More than 500 days before the 2020 US election, the
president formally launched his campaign before a capacity 20,000 crowd in a
sports stadium in Orlando in the vital swing state of Florida, demonstrating
that his base, at least, remains as fervent as ever.
Trump spent little effort offering a vision of the future.
He and his supporters were most energised by his greatest hits: grievance
politics, demonising opponents, raging against perceives injustices. There was
even a reprise of attacks on Hillary Clinton, his defeated rival in 2016,
complete with furious chants of “Lock her up!”
His vicious, often fabricated, attacks implied that while a
referendum on his record would likely end in defeat, his campaign believes that
whipping up fear of a Democrat in the White House could yet save his skin.
“Just imagine what this angry leftwing mob would do if they
were in charge of this country,” Trump said. “Imagine if we had a Democrat president
and Democrat Congress in 2020. They would shut down your free speech, use the
power of the law to punish their opponents, which they are trying to do now
anyway.”
He added, without evidence: “They would strip Americans of
their constitutional rights while flooding the country with illegal immigrants
in the hopes it will expand their political base.”
Trump made the comments after saying 145 judges had been
appointed under his administration, and recalling the bitterly disputed
confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the supreme court. Kavanaugh had been
credibly accused of sexual assault when he was a teenager. On Tuesday Trump
falsely claimed these were “fraudulent charges”.
Watched by his wife, Melania Trump, and other family
members, during a speech lasting more than an hour, the president set out a
blueprint for attacks for whoever emerges from the crowded field of potential
Democratic primary contenders, who will meet next week for their first debates.
“A vote for any Democrat in 2020 is a vote for the rise of
radical socialism and the destruction of the American dream,” Trump said. “The
Democrat party has become more radical, more dangerous and more unhinged than
at any point in the history of our country.”
He falsely and wildly claimed that leading Democrats favour
“open borders” and oppose measures to prevent the execution of children after
birth. The most divisive president for decades argued it was Democrats who want
to divide Americans into factions and “shred the constitution”.
Trump, wearing his signature red tie and relishing the
febrile atmosphere, also worked his familiar theme of us v them, putting
himself on the side of the ordinary citizens and “deplorables”, an unlikely
position for a millionaire businessman, TV celebrity and now, president. “Many
times I said we would drain the swamp. That’s exactly what we’re doing. That’s
why the swamp is fighting back so viciously and violently.”
‘For the last two and half years we have been under siege,’
Trump said.
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He showed how he intends to weaponise the special counsel
Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. “What did
they come up with?” he asked. “No collusion and the facts that led our great
attorney general to determine no obstruction.” Mueller’s findings did not
establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow, but it
did point to 10 instance of attempted obstruction of justice, and Mueller
himself has said he did not clear Trump of a crime.
“For the last two and half years we have been under siege,”
he said, complaining that opponents have been given a “free pass”. He warned:
“They are really going after you. That’s what this is all about.”
Just as in 2016, Trump showed his intention to go after the
media. “By the way, that is a lot of fake news back there,” he said. “The
amount of press we have tonight reminds me of the Academy awards before they
went political and their ratings went down the tubes.”
On several occasions the predominantly white crowd booed and
jeered, made thumbs down gestures and chanted “CNN sucks!”
It was four years to the week, Trump noted, since he
descended the escalator at Trump Tower to launch his wildly improbable bid for
the White House. On that occasion he railed against Mexican “criminals” and
“rapists” and demanded a border wall.
Getting the sequel under way, there was a familiar refrain.
Trump condemned “illegal mass migration” to fire up the crowd.
Trump admitted he has made his wall “cheaper” and asserted:
“We’re going to have over 400 miles of wall built by the end of next year. It’s
moving very rapidly.” According to factcheckers, this is very unlikely, and
most of the wall would be mere replacement barrier, not fresh construction.
Indeed, there was the usual litany of Trump exaggerations
and lies. The man who pulled America out of the Paris climate accord and
slashed environmental regulations announced: “Our air and water are the
cleanest they’ve ever been by far.”
He said of the economy: “It’s soaring to incredible new
heights. Perhaps the greatest economy we’ve had in the history of our country.”
In fact, growth hit higher levels in the 1980s and 1990s. Trump also falsely
claimed the biggest tax cut in American history.
When he did look forward, the promises were vague and
invited mockery. He suggested that a cure for cancer is within reach and
declared: “We will eradicate Aids in America once and for all. We’re very
close.”
Voters heard nothing new tonight. It’s been the same thing
for the past two and a half years. One broken promise after another
Daniel Wessel
The bare-knuckle approach to the coming election was shared
by the vice-president, Mike Pence, and Trump’s children. Donald Trump Jr, whose
gestures and pronunciations increasingly resemble his father, described Joe
Biden, currently leading the Democratic field of contenders in the polls, as
usually “groping someone” – a reference to Biden’s inappropriate touching of
women.
The negativity was also reflected outside the venue, where
street vendors sold T-shirts that said: “Trump 2020, Get on board or get run
over”, “Trump 2020, the sequel, make liberals cry again” and “Trump 2020: Fuck
your feelings”. A handwritten banner hung on a wire fence proclaimed: “Hillary
for prison”.
Members of the rightwing organisation Proud Boys yelled
anti-Democratic chants, some displaying white power symbols on their clothing
and banners. They were stopped by police before they could disrupt an anti-Trump
rally.
But there was also opposition. Hundreds of anti-Trump
protesters applauded and took photos when a 20ft blimp of a Trump baby in a
nappy was inflated near the arena.
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders gave an immediate
rebuttal to Trump’s speech, summarizing it as “lies, distortions, and total
absolute nonsense”. He criticized Trump for barely talking about the climate
emergency, or that “half of the people in this country are working paycheck to
paycheck”.
Daniel Wessel, deputy war room director of the Democratic
National Committee, said: “Like we said: new campaign, same broken promises.
Voters heard nothing new tonight. It’s been the same thing for the past two and
a half years. One broken promise after another.
“Meanwhile, healthcare costs keep going up, prescription
drugs prices are rising and wages remain stagnant. While Trump will try to
resell the same broken promises, working families know he’s done nothing for
them.”
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