Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
The former president of the United States Donald Trump (2017-2021) confirmed the fracture of the Republican Party in the speech with which he closed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), in which he launched several darts against colleagues from the political formation.
Until now, the CPAC had been considered the largest annual meeting of conservatives in the US, but this year it has been reduced to a Trumpist forum with no leading Republican figures, and this was evident in Trump’s words.
He claimed that his formation was dominated, before he came to the White House, by “a bunch of geeks, neo-conservatives, globalists, open-border fanatics, and goofballs…”.
“We will never be the match of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove and Jeb Bush again“, referring to former leaders of the Republicans known for their moderation (Ryan was Speaker of the House, Rove was an adviser to former President George W. Bush and Jeb Bush was Governor of Florida).
at another time, criticized “entrenched political dynasties in both parties” and addressed the head of the Republicans in the Upper House, Mitch McConnell.
“Mitch McConnell is listening,” the ex-president mocked.
Later, regretted that democrats are unitedwhich, in his opinion, has prevented the president of the country, Joe Biden, or his son Hunter from being held accountable for alleged crimes of corruption that Trump assured that they have committed without providing any evidence.
“The Democrats remain united, they don’t have a Mitt Romney, they don’t have values,” he complained, referring to the former Republican presidential candidate and senator from Utah who has distanced himself on numerous occasions from Trumpism.
Trump failed to fill CPAC auditoriumwhich this year has been quite lackluster, with a main room that is more than half empty in most of the presentations.
Among the audience for the former US president’s speech were former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a federal representative, who had spoken before Trump.
In fact, at the beginning of his speech, Trump greeted Bolsonaro and his “friend” Eduardo.
Most of the attendees were convinced of the Trumpist causeThey laughed at the Republican leader’s jokes and interrupted him on several occasions with their shouts and cheers.
For the rest, Trump went through some of his favorite topics: he lashed out at Justice for the numerous investigations opened against him; He denounced the misinformation attacking the “fake news”, as he usually alludes to the traditional media, although he usually embellishes his speeches with falsehoods; and criticized how the withdrawal from Afghanistan was carried out.
youHe also took his chest out of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Chinese, Xi Jinping. In that sense, he bragged that Russia did not take any countries during his tenure because he got along “very well with Putin.”
Throughout his tenure, Trump showed more affinity with leaders such as Putin, Bolsonaro or the North Korean, Kim Jong-Un, with whom he came to have an exchange of letters, than with his country’s traditional allies such as the European Union or Canada.
In this way, with a speech of one hour and 45 minutes, the former president closed the CPAC, which took place between Wednesday and this Saturday at the National Harbor Convention Center, on the outskirts of Washington.
The absences and accusations of sexual abuse by its organizer, Matt Schlapp, a Trump ally, have tarnished this year’s edition, where Republican figures such as the leaders of the party in Congress, Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell; or “presidential” politicians, such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Trump announced in November that he will run for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. and in his words this Saturday he made numerous allusions to his hypothetical return to power, although first he will have to convince the militants of his party, beyond his staunch supporters.
The ex-president earned the applause of his own, assuring that if he returns to power tackling inflation and cracking down on gender-affirming treatmentsone of the causes in which the republicans of several states are committed, in a nod to the evangelical Christians.
Knowing its base, the CPAC, in fact, will close its doors this Saturday with a mass after Trump’s speech.
With information from Efe.
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