(Orlando) Supporters of Donald Trump cheered their hero on Saturday on the third day of the annual American conservative convention in Orlando, Florida, with red caps and flags of the United States.
Posted at 5:36 p.m.
Updated at 11:24 p.m.
At CPAC, the former president, who has not lost his aura among the participants, made an 86-minute speech in the evening, hammering his usual formulas against “the radical left” and its “witch hunt” against him.
The former American president praised the “intelligent” Vladimir Putin and criticized Western leaders who were “so stupid” in his eyes.
NATO, he said, “looks anything but smart” in slapping Russia with sanctions instead of deciding to “pull it to pieces – at least psychologically”.
“The problem is not that Putin is smart, because of course he is smart,” he continued. “The real problem is that our leaders are so dumb,” he said, blaming Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the “weakness” of his successor Joe Biden.
He also described Volodymyr Zelensky as a “brave man”, while asserting the untruth according to which the Ukrainian president would have exonerated him from the scandal which led to his first impeachment trial.
And after a year away from the public eye, the fervor with which the billionaire was received shows that the Republican Party is still dominated by the aura of the former president, who served only one term and has faced two impeachment trials.
PHOTO OCTAVIO JONES, REUTERS
The slogan “four more years!” was intoned by his supporters, who cheered wildly as he spoke out against “woke tyranny” and “cancel culture”.
The 75-year-old billionaire drew the most applause when he called it “bullshit” that the Democrats are presenting themselves as the party of democracy, and when he said that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, “came to the White House and licked my ass”.
He also repeated, without proof, that the 2020 election had been “rigged”, and hinted at a possible candidacy in 2024, such as when he said: “We did it twice and we let’s do it again,” presenting his 2020 defeat as a victory – but he left the public uncertain whether he would personally challenge Joe Biden for the next presidential term.
Vanessa Broussard, from Texas, is a strong supporter of the wealthy businessman. She says she barely slept the night before, so emotional was she to see him soon.
“I don’t think there are any words that can describe how I feel about Donald Trump,” Ms.me Broussard, 40, before the speech.
“I saw what he accomplished as 45and President of the United States. We had a prosperous economy […], a wall being built on our southern border. He made the country shine. America was blossoming,” she adds enthusiastically.
The providential man
Before the intervention of the former president, the atmosphere had changed in the hotel where the convention is held. Thus flourished banners “Trump 2024” – the year of the upcoming presidential election – and badges proclaiming that the last election, won by Democrat Joe Biden, was stolen from him.
Signs also do not hesitate to insult the current president.
People everywhere wear caps with Donald Trump’s flagship slogan, “Make America Great Again”. Students, couples with children, elderly people, they all came for him.
For many conservatives here, Mr. Trump is the providential man, the one they hope to see return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington.
Maria Boham, 59, came to the entrance of the conference compound to share this message.
“Without Donald Trump, no one is going to win these elections,” she said of the midterm polls next November and the 2024 presidential election.
“We will continue to support him because he defends God, he defends the family […], he defends my values. Full stop,” she says.