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Pence on Dems: “More taxes more regulation and less freedoms. Today Democrats openly advocate socialism... but it was freedom not socialism that gave us” best economy, 2 world war victories. “America will never be a socialist county.”
Next up at Trump reelection kickoff: Melania Trump, @flotus, who declares herself "excited" to serve as First Lady for 6 more years. In the first campaign, Mrs. Trump was rarely at campaign events.
"Exactly four year ago this week I announced my campaign for president of th United States. It turned out to be more than just a political campaign, it turned out to be a movement."
For the second time in just a few minutes, Trump turns the crowd on the media. Chants of "CNN Sucks" break out. "By the way, that is a lot of fake news back there," Trump adds. "You know what I say? The amount of press we have tonight reminds me of the Academy Awards..."
Lots of evil "thems" recurring in Trump speech; after he claims that forces were trying to ruin the American way of life, Trump declares "we will never let them do that." And now onto the Mueller report and Democratic attempts at a "do-over."
Trump falsely claims he has operated under (investigative) circumstances that "no other president" had to face. Speaking of Clintons, now onto "crooked" Hillary Clinton. Still hasn't explained why "insurance policy" investigation against him never leaked during 2016 election.
"Lock her up," the crowd chants. Now criticizing Obama. So far no gibes at 2020 field, but presumably that's in the offing after his long recounting of why it was really Obama/Clinton and Democrats in sync with Russia.
As if on cue: "Our radical Democratic opponents are driven by hatred..and rage. They want to destroy you," Trump tells the crowd. Which is of course what Democrats say about him.
Now back to the Kavanaugh hearing, after a discourse on the number of judges he's named to the bench. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio given credit by Trump and applause from the crowd.
Big chunk of this speech so far has been Trump-as-victim, which follows Pence's speech lauding Trump as a larger than life, bold and indispensable president.
"By the way on July 4 in Washington DC come on down! We're going to have a big day...We're going to have hundreds of thousands of people..." More from @jdawsey1 and @eilperin wapo.st/2WXlRyF?tid=ss…
After a long tirade against Hillary Clinton, spawning more "lock her up" chants, Trump adds: "We now have a great attorney general -- let's see what happens."
Trump going after Obamacare and heralding the reversal of the individual mandate, which he calls "one of the worst things anybody's ever had to live through."
"You're not paying very much if you're paying anything at all" Trump says, referring to the cost of tariffs (which even Republicans acknowledge will be borne largely by Americans.)
"Our political opponents look down in hatred at our values," Trump says before launching a call-and response on which phrase should be used as the reelection campaign theme.
"My only special interest is you. I don't have a special interest," says Trump, a tidy encapsulization of precisely what his supporters thought in 2016 onward.
Trump brings up the prospect of Sarah Huckabee Sanders running for governor of Arkansas and gives her the podium, at which she praises him. "No one will be a stronger voice or a more fierce advocate for this president," she says of herself.
After the reprise of 2016 fights, Trump gets to recounting the low unemployment rate for African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and women. Now touting the tax cut, which polls show most Americans see as more beneficial to the wealthy.
Trump argues that Democrats have become "more radical, more dangerous, more unhinged," and on immigration "more depraved." He insists that immigration problems that have confounded legislators for decades can be solved in "15 minutes."
"Our immigration policies are a disgrace," Trump says. Much of this speech is very very similar to his pitch in 2016: threat of MS-13, sanctuary cities, release of "dangerous criminal aliens" into cities etc.
"America will never be a socialist country," Trump repeats, after a defense of Medicare.
"We're finally putting America first," Trump says, "And we support the people of Cuba and Venezuela" against communist and socialist regimes. The latter part being a key element of the president's approach to winning Florida.
Speech ends with the expected, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Audience heard a speech riven with grievance, a characterization of the country as "us" vs "them", them being Democrats and otherwise undescribed elites. Continuing a thru-line from announcement four years ago.
