Former president Donald Trump announced his long-anticipated 2024 run for the presidency yesterday in a speech from Mar-a-Lago, after weeks of teasing and foreshadowing.
“America’s comeback starts right now. In order to make America great and glorious again, tonight I am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.”
Trump announced officially 20 minutes into his just over an hour-long speech, in which he compared the successes of his presidency to the national decline seen under Joe Biden. “America was at peace, America was prospering, and America was on track for an amazing future because I made big promises to the American people, and unlike other presidents, I kept my promises,” Trump said. At this point, the audience began chanting “Trump!” as he continued.
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“Under my leadership, America was a great and glorious nation. But now we are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation. For millions of Americans, the past two years under Joe Biden have been a time of pain, hardship, anxiety and despair.”
Trump drew particular attention to the economic successes of a diverse set of Americans under this presidency to contrast against the current economic recession.
“Two years ago when I left office, the United States stood ready for its golden age. In four short years, everybody was doing great: men, women, African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans. Everybody was thriving like never before. There never was a time like this.”
The speech was full of shots at Biden and needles at Nancy Pelosi, who Trump said got “fired” with the GOP takeover of the House. In some of those attacks, Trump suggested Biden did not have all of his wits about him, calling him bumbling. But, on a policy level, Trump ripped into the president, blaming him for inflation, the U.S. dependence on foreign oil, the jeopardizing of American security overseas and at the border with Mexico, indoctrinating children in public schools, and “leading us to the brink of nuclear war.”
Trump claimed that the war in Ukraine “never would have happened if I were your president.” Biden has “destroyed the U.S. economy, just destroyed it.”
Trump also made several promises for his presidency, including bringing the inflation rate down to 1%, attempting to “eliminate America’s dependence on China,” ending the flow of drugs across the Southern U.S. border, and sending an American mission to mars.
Trump argued that the way to deal with illegal drugs was for dealers to “receive the death penalty for their heinous acts,” claiming that “Every drug dealer in his or her life on average will kill 500 people with the drugs they sell.” While this policy has been met with heavy resistance, it should be noted that Trump referred to drug-dealing illegals crossing the border, likely regarding Cartels and the recent fentanyl epidemic.
In his speech, Trump did not mention Governor Ron DeSantis, a possible challenger, opting to stick to attacking the Democrats, and at one point, he planned to “bring people together. We’re going to unify people.” Likewise, DeSantis has not yet reacted to the Trump announcement at the time of writing.
Many on Twitter, however, have reacted. Trump being the divisive figure he is, some of these reactions were negative.
I can’t vote for Donald Trump under any circumstance; and I can’t leave my ballot blank again, so I will vote Democratic in 2024 if Republicans nominate Trump.
Last week showed how many independents feel like this. If the GOP base can’t see the truth, it will learn the hard way.
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) November 16, 2022
Tonight, as you watch an orange-smeared circus clown gear up to take another stab at ending our democracy, remember this: when the Republican Party had a choice between Trump or America, they chose Trump over and over again.
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 15, 2022
President Biden even tweeted out a video ripping Trump’s financial record. The video, however, leverages the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic without mentioning it as a factor outside Trump’s control.
Donald Trump failed America. pic.twitter.com/fylyocYcse
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 16, 2022
The video also used Trump’s “very fine people” quote concerning the Charlottesville story. This angle has been resoundingly and repeatedly debunked over recent years. The footage also attacked Trump for promising to treat January 6 rioters fairly, some of whom have been held without charge or bail.
However, there were many positive reactions as well.
MAGA are gathering outside Trump Tower in Manhattan chanting “USA!” while stomping on a DeSantis campaign poster, saying “Trump or death!” and telling Nancy Pelosi “There’s no ice cream in hell” before accusing her husband of being a “cruiser.” Not a cult, though. Absolutely not. pic.twitter.com/f4Hzx4andf
— Andrew Wortman (@AmoneyResists) November 15, 2022
It's best he announce early, in order to unite the party and send the signal to anyone who challenges him will be at their own peril… no one beats Trump, no one
IT'S TRUMP, THEN THERE'S EVERYONE ELSE…
— Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) November 16, 2022
Please pray for President Donald Trump, his family & friends
All the demons in the USA will be in a frenzy to bring him down & destroy him pic.twitter.com/FVQL2ZBBKc
— Nick Donnelly (@ProtecttheFaith) November 16, 2022
Pres Trump announces he’s running for POTUS in ‘24 and CNN & MSNBC are talking about the nearly over J6 com.
Same old playbook of lies.
99% of news about Trump is all Democrat political attacks and we should declare them in-kind campaign donations to the Democrat party.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) November 16, 2022
Trump has his sights set far ahead, as the announcement comes just a week after the 2022 midterms. While an exciting and unknown election cycle lies ahead, there’s one thing we can say for sure: Trump is back.
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