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Trump Delivers DELUSIONAL 1st Speech Since Leaving Office
Donald Trump delivered his first public address since leaving the White House at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) yesterday in Orlando, Florida. Trump was silent over the past few weeks to let tensions simmer down over the January 6th Capitol insurrection and subsequent impeachment trial. But now, the former president feels emboldened and seeks to recapture total control over the Republican Party. Trump began his speech in typical over-the-top fashion, by claiming he had one of the most successful presidencies in history (despite only getting one term and losing both houses of Congress for Republicans). Trump announced that he will not be starting a new party and dismissed the idea that he’d form a “Patriot Party” as “fake news.” Instead, Trump said he wants to primary all of the Republicans who dared to speak out against him and/or moved to impeach him.
Trump rehashed the “big lie” about the 2020 election supposedly being rigged in favor of Joe Biden. He threatened to run for president again to beat the Democrats for a “third time,” to which the delusional crowd at CPAC erupted in applause. Trump went after the latest wedge issues that Republican voters consider highly important, like cancel culture and trans women competing in women’s sports. Ultimately, Trump stopped short of announcing a run for office again in 2024, but a third presidential campaign was heavily implied. Trump also divisively won the straw poll at CPAC on who should be the 2024 nominee. The former president won with 55% of the vote and was followed up in the poll by pro-Trump lackeys like Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem, and Donald Trump, Jr.
Ted Cruz Has Manic Episode at CPAC
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz appeared to have a manic episode at CPAC 2021 over the weekend. Cruz’s speech was riddled with bad jokes and bad acting. He opened up the speech by making a self-deprecating joke about how it’s great to be in Orlando but it’s not as nice as Cancun. This came across as a desperate attempt to pretend that Cruz’s Mexico scandal is behind him and that it’s something that can now be laughed off. The Texas senator then tried to warm up the crowd with the line: “Bernie is wearing mittens and AOC is telling us ‘she was murdered.’” How exactly this riles up Republicans is unclear, but it appears to work.
Then, Cruz went into a bit about how restaurants often require people to wear masks when walking around but allow them to come off while patrons are seated at the table. A speech by a Republican during a pandemic is apparently not complete without making fun of mask-wearing. Cruz went on to argue that the left wants people to wear “2, 3, 4, you can’t have too many masks” and added, “how much virtue do you want to signal? This is just dumb.” When it was time to conclude the speech, the Texas senator chose to do so in the cringiest way possible, by quoting a line from Mel Gibson’s character in “Braveheart.” Cruz screamed “FREEDOM!” into the microphone before exiting the stage. Though much shorter, Cruz’s speech managed to be almost as idiotic as that of the former president.
From over the weekend:
Mitt Romney: Trump Wins 2024 Nomination If He Runs
Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, has been one of the few GOP lawmakers willing to criticize Donald Trump. Romney voted to convict Trump during both impeachment trials — the only Republican lawmaker to do so. This suggests that Romney is eager to see the GOP move on from Trump in 2024. However, Romney remains realistic on the matter, saying last week he is “sure that Trump will at least play a role in the Republican Party in the coming years.” The Utah senator went on to say “I don’t know if [Trump will] run in 2024 or not, but if he does, I’m pretty sure he will win the nomination.” Romney is absolutely right about this. It might be wise for the GOP to move on from Trump, and Romney would certainly like to see that happen. But the base will never abandon Trump, leaving moderates like Romney along for the ride and at risk of losing a primary election.
--More on the show:
--Joe Biden launches air strikes against Syria, reportedly in response to attacks against American troops in Iraq, and at roughly the same time, it appears the $15 minimum wage will be removed from the COVID relief bill
--Republicans launch 253 voter suppression bills across the country, realizing they didn't suppress enough votes in the 2020 election
--CPAC speakers are completely unable to accept that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden
--After last week's confrontation with a COVID anti-vaxxer, another anti-vaxxer comes back for more
--New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being a better Texas Senator than Ted Cruz, and yet Ted Cruz ridicules her during his CPAC speech
--Voicemail caller says that the right wing obsession with so-called "cancel culture" is merely their latest attempt at portraying themselves as victims
--On the Bonus Show: Mr. Potato head becomes the latest culture war weapon, scientists spoke to people in their dreams, doctor fired for giving out expiring COVID vaccine doses, much more...
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