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Trump is doing a campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida around 7. Tweets in this thread.
Serves me right for trusting Trump’s website. The rally is near Fort Myers but not in it. I have made one false claim this week.
One silly thing about Trump rallies is that, after he started lying that he is already building the wall and saying that the crowd should chant "finish the wall" rather than "build that wall," his campaign started handing out printed signs that say FINISH THE WALL.
Trump begins by declaring that Scott and DeSantis will be elected, then turns to the shooting massacre in Pittsburgh, which he calls "an evil antisemitic attack." He thanks a Tree of Life rabbi and says, "We grieve for the families of the fallen."
Trump again condemns "the vile poison of antisemitism" and expresses solidarity with the Jewish community...then pivots to attacking the "far-left media" for its coverage of his visit, saying the media used tragedy to "sow anger and division."
Trump just prompted a CNN SUCKS chant out of his comments on the Pittsburgh massacre.
Trump is complaining at length about the coverage of his Pittsburgh visit. Some of this appears to be in his prepared text. "It was fake and it was make-believe, what they said...it was sad," he says of the coverage.
Trump says his movement is the greatest political movement in American history, and possibly in the entire world. "I can't think of any place else," he explains.
Trump says he condemns hatred and bigotry in all its forms, "But the media doesn't want you to hear your story. It's not my story, it's your story." Not sure what this means.
Trump boasts that 33% of Americans "believe the fake news is in fact, and I hate to say this, in fact, the enemy of the people."
Trump's usual media-bashing is unscripted. In this speech, it is written into the first section of the prepared text.
Trump: "Our movement is about love for our fellow Americans."
Trump wonders how he could possibly lose a debate in 2020 with employment numbers this good. When he cites these numbers, he says, "I think the debate is over."
"We will soon follow it up with another 10% tax cut for the middle class," Trump says of his imaginary 10% tax cut for the middle class, and the crowd cheers.
Trump says America is booming, thriving, and winning, because he is "finally putting America first." There is a U-S-A chant. Trump says that it could all go bad if people elect Democrats.
Trump scripted text: "Americans will go to the polls in one of the most important elections of our entire lives." Trump then ad-libs: "Although I will say: not as important as 2016." He adds: "I'd like to say, but not really."
Trump tells his usual lies about Democrats inviting the caravan and wanting to abolish the border. He says voting for Democrats is "a vote to liquidate Americans borders." There is a Build That Wall chant. Trump tells his usual lie about how "the wall is being built."
Trump, as usual, adds a nonexistent $1.6 billion in wall funding to the $1.6 billion in non-wall funding he got for this year and the $1.6 billion in the bills for next year.
"This is really an election between greatness and gridlock," Trump says. His speechwriter enjoys alliterative contrasts.
Trump says he wants to say that some reporters are "very good people," but others are "not good at all," but "you have some very good people."
Trump praises Rep. Matt Gaetz, who spread the Soros-caravan conspiracy lie among other nonsense, for defending him well on television.
"That was a tornado that was 50 times wider," Trump says of Hurricane Michael.
Trump praises governor and Senate candidate Rick Scott and governor candidate Ron DeSantis. He says Scott is considered "one of the very, very top, elite governors" in America. He does not say who the considerers are.
Rick Scott is touting Trump's concern for people who, like him, grew up in public housing. (Scott lived in public housing for three years starting at age 3 or 4.)
Trump, doing his usual Trump-state lines about the local Democrat, says a vote for Bill Nelson is a vote for the agenda of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
"Bill Nelson wants open borders," Trump lies. Nelson doesn't even want to abolish ICE. He says he supports comprehensive immigration reform "with tough border security."
Governor candidate Ron DeSantis is speaking now, criticizing Andrew Gillum at length.
After DeSantis accuses Gillum of taking "bribes," and suggests impeaching him as mayor of Tallahassee, the crowd chants Lock Him Up.
Trump is now attacking Gillum and Nelson, calling Gillum a Venezuela-style socialist who is too "extreme" for Florida.
Trump, who has tried repeatedly to weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions, repeats his familiar promise to always protect people with pre-existing conditions. "Always. Always," he says.
Trump repeats his usual lies about how the Democrats are "openly encouraging" illegal immigrants to break the law and "overwhelm our country."
New line: Trump attacks Democrats for wanting to keep the "crazy policy" of birthright citizenship, even for people who have "been on our soil for only a matter of seconds."
Trump decries "birth tourism," complains that citizenship is granted to babies of "anyone who breaks into our country."
Trump repeats his usual nonsense about how the real name of the Democratic Party is the Democrat Party but they should really change it to Democratic Party because Democratic Party sounds better. "They should change their name and send me a check," he says.
Trump ties his Pittsburgh visit to his immigration comments, saying Republicans will always stand with the heroes of ICE, Border Patrol, and law enforcement, "and I saw that yesterday in Pittsburgh."
Trump repeats his claim that he has fulfilled more promises than he promised, this time attributing this claim to an unnamed "one of these fine people." He started saying this himself, then attributing it to unnamed people, then sometimes to the media.
Trump repeats his usual lie about getting the Veterans Choice program passed after 44 years of non-passage. It was passed in 2014 under Obama. Trump's law modified the program.
Trump says that the pay increase he has given the troops, the biggest in 9 years, is the biggest in "over 10 years."
Trump on the Space Force: "So important. That's where it's at. It's all about space. Very soon, it's gonna, all about space, and we're gonna be stronger, as we are almost everywhere now, stronger than anyone, by far."
Trump criticizes "chain migration" and the visa lottery, then says: "Birthright citizenship, you know all about it, we will keep the criminals, the drug dealers, we will keep 'em all out of our country. We will get rid of all of this."
Trump continues on birthright citizenship, which he has really emphasized tonight: "We will end, finally, birthright citizenship. It's costing us so many billions of dollars. People didn't want to bring it up. I said we have to bring it up...everybody knows, for many years."
Trump says there are even more people outside the rally than inside. Anyone out there on the scene?
Trump has concluded. The usual lying, almost all of the same content. New stuff (or new to a rally): extended criticism of birthright citizenship; extended criticism of the media coverage of his visit to Pittsburgh.
This moment will get some local attention:
Trump said there were even more people outside the arena than inside. Here is a video from outside the arena.
