Young conference attendees applaud U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) as she delivers fiery remarks at the Student Action Summit in Tampa on July 23. (Natasha Holt/The Epoch Times)
Posted on 07/24/2022 8:07:18 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
Former President Donald Trump didn’t say he would try to reclaim the White House in 2024 when he addressed young conservatives in Tampa on July 23.
But he didn’t say he wouldn’t.
He dropped not-so-subtle hints during his hour-and-45-minute address to attendees of the Student Action Summit.
“I ran twice, and I won twice,” he teased, as audience members jumped to their feet, shouted their support, and clapped.
“And now, we may just have to do it again,” he beamed, as the crowd of 5,000 teens and 20-somethings chanted, “Take it back! Take it back! Take it back!”
Expected highlights of Trump’s prepared remarks had been given to the media before he took the stage 90 minutes later than planned.
But he strayed far from the script, using only a fraction of it.
He railed about the policies of his successor, President Joe Biden, and he touted his administration’s policies and accomplishments during his four-year term.
He even told stories that were, at times, uncharacteristically self-deprecating.
He joked about not having enough hair to have the military flat-top he’d admired on a commanding officer, and he jested that he’d wanted to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for enduring a landing on a dark runway in Iraq. But his staff, he said, told him it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Though he said he was eager to get home after speaking late in Arizona the night before, Trump exuded delight and energy. His speech was more than an hour longer than expected.
Fueling him were the cheers of the youth at the high-energy event by Turning Point Action, an offshoot of the Phoenix-based nonprofit Turning Point USA. The three-day conference drew an all-star lineup of conservative speakers—primarily pundits, elected officials, and political candidates.
From early on Day 2 of the conference, students gathered in breakout sessions to discuss how to become more involved in shaping the future of the American policy landscape.
Young conference attendees applaud U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) as she delivers fiery remarks at the Student Action Summit in Tampa on July 23. (Natasha Holt/The Epoch Times)
Later, speakers took the stage in the main hall for 20-minute speeches, applauding the youth for spending their summer pursuing their political passions.
The speakers shared life lessons. They poked fun at liberal and progressive policies. They hammered that young people are the future of the conservative movement—and that they need to start taking over now.
Meanwhile, a crowd of about 100 protesters marched to the Tampa Convention Center, blocking traffic, and waving signs addressing a variety of issues. They chanted progressive leftist mantras, including “My body, my choice!”
As they shouted at the building, conference attendees trickled outside to investigate and take videos of the spectacle.
About 100 protesters angry about a nearby gathering of young conservatives block traffic on downtown Tampa streets on July 23. (Natasha Holt/The Epoch Times)
Conservatives responded by briefly chanting, “USA! USA! USA!” They then returned to the conference, ignoring their detractors and giving their full attention to the speakers again.
At 7:40 p.m., the main hall exploded with energy. The last speaker of the day, Trump strode onto the stage amid streams of fireworks and smoke shooting up around him. Glowing cell phone screens illuminated the darkened seating area, as almost all the audience members videoed his entrance. And as the Lee Greenwood classic “God Bless the USA,” blared, the crowd sang along, cheering as Trump pumped his fist in the air.
The crowd chanted, “USA! USA! USA!”
“You’re the generation that is going to stand up and save American freedom,” he said. “You are the grassroots leaders who are going to dislodge the socialists and communists, and they are indeed Marxists.”
“At a pivotal time in our nation’s history, like so many generations before, you are the frontlines of a momentous struggle that will determine the future of America. Together we are fighting to reclaim our republic from a failed and corrupt political establishment.”
He bemoaned the policies of the current Democratic party, and expressed dismay about inflation, illegal aliens flowing across the open Southern border, censorship of speech, a spreading lack of respect for law enforcement, surging crime, an overwhelmingly biased press, and the proliferation of progressive gender ideology and critical race theory. He seemed incredulous that a country rich with “liquid gold” now is a “beggar nation” that has to ask for help securing oil.
Under his leadership, the country had been “the strongest that [it] has ever been,” he said. But now, Trump added, “it’s perhaps the weakest.” He called the Biden Administration’s exit from Afghanistan “the greatest humiliation our country has ever seen.”
He said Russia’s invasion of “Ukraine would have never happened under the Trump Administration,” and said that his relationships with leaders of Russia, North Korea, and China positioned America in a far better position. He said that, had he been installed as president for a second term, Iran would have made a deal “within a week” to stop developing nuclear weapons.
He said Biden’s approval rating has fallen to “22 percent” with young people because of his platform’s “extreme ideology.”
“The radical Left is the past,” Trump said. “Our movement is the future.”
The key to putting the country on the right path is to “defeat the climate crisis hoax,” Trump said.
He also took on woke educators.
“The current education system is so sick that school prayer is banned, but drag shows are allowed,” he said. “You can’t teach the Bible, but you can teach children that America is evil and men can get pregnant.”
“You would not trust these people to babysit your children for 20 minutes. And we should then let them educate millions of American students six hours a day, year after year after year?
Whatever it takes, the conservative movement must liberate America’s children from the captivity of these Marxist teachers’ unions. This is a matter of national survival—if we don’t fix this, our country is going to be in a very sad state.”
Donald Trump has turned the Cliffhanger into a Fine Art.
He’s got everyone’s ear right now, whether they want to listen to him or not.
A Neo Nazi group outside the Tampa Convention Center tried to vilify those inside by their presence. This how the Dems will cast the MAGA movement as extremists.
Buy PHUN and DWAC ... sell half and keep the Free ones ... build something to fight back with ... also VTGN will probly snap quick tomorrow and BRTX watch for news w 10 bag run
👍
Watched the show on RSBN. The Prez was on fire and on his game.
There is not doubt IMHO that Trump is running
unless he has a major health issue (heart attack like his younger brother who died of a stroke in 2020)r
the Red Wave is just a red trickle, good or bad his ego drives him.
So you know where I am coming from. Now I worked, donated $s and voted for Trump and have pretty good data analytics that they stole the electoral college win from him last time,2020. and yes I will vote for him again.
It really gets me that they stole 2020 because the shame of it is that I’ve been at recent rallies, listened to multiple interviews and age is starting to show its impact with President Trump as it does with us all-there is no escaping it in this world. Those who just casually watch Trump may not notice it and it is nothing like Biden senility/dementia of course,
Donald Trump is just a little slower physically and missing some softball questions. I’m concerned for the man, Donald Trump and his family who have given so much, he will run even if it kills him- and he is 2 years away from running and 6 to finish office. Just saying here what a number of us from the last campaign have noticed.
that should read :
There is no doubt IMHO that Trump is running
It is six years since Trump won the first time, of course he is a little slower physically, age will do that to the human body.
Which softball questions has he missed?
He was on stage and on fire for over an hour and forty minutes and didn't miss a beat.
About 100 protesters...we were in Downtown Tampa Saturday (we usually go to Greenwise Supermarket and Sparkman Wharf to bike on the Riverwalk) and there were about 100 people if you count the size of those protesting (as in fat). The lady holding the Eat the Rich, my 13 year old son said, “You don’t need to worry about starving, lady), she also had a Abortion is a God given right (oldest daughter said it is? What about not having sex?). The young people in the convention Center were clean cut and polite. Outside not so much. Almost hit them since they were blocking the street, but saw a few of my police buddies, so I asked them if they could tell them to move, before I hit them. They laughed and said that I didn’t want my car damaged..
For God’s sake can we stop with the ‘hints’ crap? Trump’s running. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just delusional. I expect he will announce before the end of summer, that he will be the nominee in 2024, and the election should prove quite interesting.
The Donald will disappoint a whole lot of people if he doesn’t run.
Put DeSantis on the ticket. Have President Trump serve a little over two years, and turn the reigns over to DeSantis. He'll get to finish out the last of that term and still get the opportunity to get elected to two more full terms. Our country would be absolutely back in the fold.
Trump gets sworn in Jan 2025. He exits in April 2027. DeSantis serves April 2027 through January 2029 and if elected in Nov 2028, serves Jan 2029 through Jan 2033. And if re-elected in Nov 2032, serves Han 2033 through Jan 2037.
Under this dream scenario, it would be fun to guess who the VP would be when Trump steps down. Eric Trump or another politician waiting in the wings?
By the definition used by many people around here Eric Trump is not a natural-born citizen.
Either Eric is a natural-born citizen or he is not. If one accepts that a natural-born citizen is one born of two citizen parents the it doesn't matter when Eric was born. He's not eligible.
When did the constitution change?
I appreciate your commentary on Trump. I’ve never been to any of his rallies. Yes, I would expect there to be some signs of wear and tear on The Donald after all he’s been through politically, personally in the past few years. Hatred and disrespect were rained down 24/7/365 upon him for his entire term.
Most people couldn’t/ wouldn’t/ shouldn’t have tolerated it as he did.
And he still got a lot of real work done as president.
You’re correct. If he runs, it will largely be ego driven.
That ego keeps a lot of “old” people working full time when they don’t have to. Dianne Feinstein, Crazy Nancy, Senator Grassely and Rupert Murdoch are but a few locked into holding on tight to the power, attention and influence.
The Constitution was changed numerous times. The first ten Amendments were ratified in 1791. Ratifications were also made for Amendments ten through twenty-seven as follows: Amendment XI (1795), XII (1804), XIII (1865), XIV (1868), XV (1870), XVI & XVII (1913), XVIII (1919), XIX (1920), XX & XXI (1933), XXII (1951), XXIII (1961), XXIV (1964), XXV (1967), XXVI (1971) and XXVII (1992).
As to your inquiry about natural born citizens: Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution specifies that "No person except a natural born Citizen, or Citizen of the Untied States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to that office..." Unfortunately, the founding fathers did not define "natural born Citizen" in the Constitution.
According to the Supreme Court, in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court held that, under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, any child born in the United States is a US citizen from birth, with the sole exception of children born to a parent or parents with diplomatic immunity, since such parent is not a "subject to the US law". More broadly, the court characterized the statement, All persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States as "the broad and clear words of the Constitution,"...
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