Former President Donald Trump vowed never to abandon his beliefs, including that the 2020 election was stolen, while delivering the keynote address at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit Saturday evening.
The 45th president pulled no punches during his 90-minute speech, which began more than an hour late, bashing everything from Democrats’ policy agenda and President Joe Biden’s job performance to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband over his controversial stock purchases. Trump delivered the remarks at the conservative youth conference’s annual gathering, which took place this year in Tampa, Florida.
“Everything this corrupt establishment is doing to me is all about preserving their power and control over the American people. They’re sick. They want to damage me in any form so I can no longer represent you,” Trump told the high school and college-aged crowd. “Obviously they want me not to be the candidate, because they never talk about anybody else. And you know, everything’s disinformation.”
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After discussing state Sen. Doug Mastriano, his gubernatorial candidate of choice in Pennsylvania, he mentioned his debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen, a claim he said he would not let go of, adding, “The fake news media is totally complicit in this whole deal.”
“If I renounced my beliefs, if I agreed to stay silent, if I stayed home, if I announced that I was not going to run for office, the persecution of Donald Trump would immediately stop,” he continued, appearing to reference the Jan. 6 select committee.
“We know that, everybody knows that, but that’s what they want me to do. And you know what? There’s no chance I do that. There’s just no chance I do,” Trump then said. “I can’t because … I love you, and I love this country. We can’t let this happen. They’re coming after me because I am standing up for you. That’s why they’re coming after me, and because you’re a force. Remember this in the history of our country. There has never ever been a movement like we are all proud to be a part of.”
In the wake of the Jan. 6 committee hearings, there has been much discussion about whether Trump truly believes his own disproven claims that the election was rigged through widespread voter fraud. His comments Saturday could also be taken as another hint of a 2024 run.
The former president also claimed that he won by a bigger margin in 2020 than in 2016 before further teasing his eventual campaign launch.
“Now, we may just have to do it again,” he said to cheers.
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Regarding Pelosi, the former president called the House speaker, who has said she would “never forgive” Trump for his behavior after the 2020 election, a “nut job” before accusing her husband of insider trading.
“Nancy Pelosi, she’s nuts. I’m telling you, she’s a nut job. I mean, you talk about people in politics, look at her husband. Every time something happens, he goes out and he buys stuff. He’s made a lot of money, he made $100 million. He started off with nothing,” he complained to the audience.
“She’s crazy, she’s nuts. I’m telling you she’s a psycho. Never forget everything this — I mean, how can they allow a person to make all that money and the press barely wants to cover it?” Trump added. “It’s cold inside trading.”
