"Maybe" is doing a lot of work in that remark. And it's more hysterical than historical. That's all if you're talking about what he's talking about and not the infiltration of a transnational crime syndicate (Sarah Kendzior's phrase) into the highest levels of government. In that case, historical is correct, and there's no need for "maybe". Also, he capitalizes a lot of nouns. It's the German in him.
"I was probably more of a conservative than a Republican," Trump says of his 2016 candidacy. He is telling the detailed story about how people did not think he could beat Hillary Clinton, but then, in fact, he did.Another one of his unexplainable lies. Why? She lost with 232. Why keep saying it was 223? Maybe because no one corrected him after the first time.
For the 20th consecutive time, Trump says Hillary Clinton got 223 electoral votes. She got 232.
Trump on foreign leaders: "They like me."Delusional. And also not necessary except for his own ego. His base doesn't give a shit if foreign leaders like him. In fact, they'd probably prefer they didn't.
Trump complains of other presidents not challenging "40%" auto tariffs from China. They were not 40% until China retaliated against Trump's tariffs. They're now back down to 15%Dear God, these people.
Trump is now telling the story of the 1888 tariff debate. As before, he doesn't get it quite right. (He says it was about how to spend all the money the government had. It was indeed about the big surplus, but it was about how to reduce that surplus, not about how to spend it.)
Trump: "I'm totally off script right now. And this is how I got elected, by being off script." There is a standing ovation.
He'll never go back on script again.
Trump: "If we don't go off script, our country's in big trouble, folks." He complains of the "New Green Deal or whatever the hell they call it." He then corrects himself, and mockingly says he is very excited for Democrats to promote it, thinks it's great.Dear God, these people.
Trump, mocking the Green New Deal, acts out a husband peering up at the sky as he attempts to watch TV but can't because it is not windy. He says, "Darling, is the wind blowing today? I'd like to watch television, darling." There is raucous laughter and applause.
Trump says his wife always tells him not to use certain words, so he won't, but he tells her sometimes, "But the audience wanted me to do it. She said, 'don't do it.'" There is a "USE IT" chant from the crowd. Trump criticizes "the fake news" for not treating his jokes as jokes.Dear God, these people.
Trump, shouting and gesturing, re-enacts his call for Russia to obtain Hillary Clinton's emails. He suggests this was a joke the media unfairly didn't treat as a joke. There is a loud LOCK HER UP chant.
So, that's what he's going with now? It was a joke?
Trump says conservatives don't like tariffs. As for himself, he says, "I'm not likin' or not likin.'" He said on Feb. 15: "I happen to like tariffs."The two clown ring-leaders at Cohen's hearing.
For the 104th time as president, Trump falsely says the U.S. has had a $500 billion trade deficit with China "for many years," specifying that it is $507 billion. It was $337 billion in 2017, has never been $500 billion in any previous year.
Trump says of Republican congressman that he wants to name and applaud "every damn one of them." He names two of them, Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan.
Trump is ranting about Democrats' plans to investigate his financial dealings. He refers to Rep. Adam Schiff as "Little Shifty Schiff."Dear God, these people.
Trump on Mueller's appointment: "You put the wrong people in a couple of positions...and all of a sudden they're trying to take you out with bullshit." Some of the crowd chants BULL-SHIT.
Trump mocks Jeff Sessions's accent, as he has been reported to do in private, saying, "I'm gonna recuse mahhhself."What the everloving fuck.
There was a bit of a not-totally-pleased gasp at CPAC when Trump did this, in my subjective opinion. Trump has denied Woodward's reporting that he has called Sessions a "dumb southerner."
Trump says "TiVo" is "better than television": "Television is practically useless without TiVo."
Trump is criticizing Sessions and Rosenstein at length, complaining that they, and Mueller, weren't elected, unlike him. He appointed both of them after he was elected.
Trump says he told Melania that he was going to fire James Comey because: "He's bad. He's a bad, bad guy." He says again that he thought it would be a popular move with both parties. "So bipartisan."
Trump is falsely claiming, again, that John Podesta called for Comey's ouster. Podesta criticized Comey the day of the firing, saying "the American public is getting mildly nauseous listening to Jim Comey," but didn't call for Comey to go.
Trump says that the CPAC people are probably thinking they're getting a lot more than they bargained for today.
Trump refers to a good friend of his in New York, a "stone-cold killer," then says the man is "not even a good friend of mine" because he'd turn on him quickly, but he's "very rich." He says the unnamed man asked him what he was going to talk about today, and he said "I dunno."
Trump says his unnamed non-friend "chokes" whenever he has to make a speech to nine or more people, because of a fear of public speaking, even though "he kills people for a living, meaning mentally and financially."I think Daniel has said that about at least the last two.
This is one of the least-hinged speeches Trump has given in a long time.
Trump criticizes "a guy named David Weigel" of the Post for his erroneous tweet, 14 months ago, saying Trump did not have a big crowd. (Weigel apologized.) He mocks Weigel for getting to the rally so early because "he doesn't fly private," maybe because of "the carbon footprint."Jesus Christ.
Trump falsely claims he has not had an empty seat at any arena.
Trump is now talking at length about his inauguration crowd. He said he watched some television show "by mistake" and they were very unfair about it. "I saw pictures that there were no people. Those pictures were taken hours before." Trump says he is constantly telling his communications aide Mercedes Schlapp to show people pictures of his crowds, I think.
Trump says his aides say, about his crowd sizes, "Sir, it doesn't matter, nobody cares." He says he responds, "But I care." He says, "I have to live with [mocking voice] 'crowd size.' It's all a phony deal, folks."
After more than five minutes ranting about his crowd sizes, Trump says he'll now return to unspecified political content people are here for. He urges them not to "fall asleep."
Trump applauds the state lawsuit seeking to get Obamacare invalidated in its entirety. He promises "really great health care" from Republicans if that happens.
Trump says his friends used to call him and say "Hey Don, hey Donnie," but now they say, very respectfully, "Mr. President. How are you, sir?" He says he tells them, "Lighten up. Call me Donald."
After talking about policy stuff for like 30 seconds, Trump is now on an extended story about talking on the phone with his old friends, ribbing them for how deferential they now are. He concludes, "Maybe that's a good thing. That's called respect for the office."
Trump says the new North American trade deal makes it "prohibitively hard" for companies to move to Mexico to manufacture. Rules governing almost all manufacturing industries, other than the auto industry, haven't been substantially changed from NAFTA.
"We're down to 3.7% unemployment. The lowest number in a long time," Trump says of the 4.0% unemployment rate.
Trump on immigration and Congress: "They have to be people that can love our country, not hate our country. We have people in Congress, right now, that hate our country."
Trump says, of either immigrants or unspecified Democratic members of Congress he is accusing of hating America [...] "How did they do in their country?...Not so good." He says he knows some people will say it's "terrible" he says this. [...] Trump was indeed talking [...] about members of Congress who immigrated from elsewhere. He referred to their birth country, not the U.S., as "their country."What in the world?
Trump says India is a high-tariff country, but nobody knows this because "nobody knows what they're doing in Washington."
Trump is musing about anti-tariff members of Congress. "I even like some of them. But they're smart. So we take that out of the equation. And I know they don't have evil intentions. And the other thing...maybe these companies are all owned by people...campaign contributions..."
Trump on Powell: "We have a gentleman that likes raising interest rates in the Fed. We have a gentleman that likes quantitative tightening in the Fed...so with all of those things...with all of that, we're doing great. Can you imagine if we left interest rates where they were?"He's not just off script, he's off his rocker.
Trump falsely claims that over 600,000 manufacturing jobs have been created on his watch. He has previously said it was over 500,000 but would "very soon" be 600,000, now just decided it is indeed over 600,000. It was 454,000 through January.
Trump falsely claims that the unemployment rate is the lowest in "51 years." It dropped briefly in 2018 to a 49-year low, but it's now at an 18-year low (ignoring earlier days of the Trump era).
Trump calls the Democratic presidential candidates "these maniacs," falsely claiming they want people to take "trains to Hawaii."
Trump is now attacking California's forest management practices.
Trump mocks "the Never Trumpers," saying "they are on mouth to mouth resuscitation. Mouth to mouth. Mouth to mouth." There are cheers.
Trump claims that Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom told him privately that he is a great president and extremely smart, but that Newsom will not admit this in public.I'm sure! LOL.
Trump has a long history of inventing things people supposedly told him over the phone.
Trump falsely claims, of his military spending, "nobody's ever heard of these numbers before." Obama signed a bigger NDAA in 2011 than Trump has to date.No shit.
Trump falsely claims that he didn't leave the White House for "months and months" before his trip to Iraq in December. He said he thought it'd "look good" if he stayed in the White House so people would "love me and vote for me."
Trump is now talking at length about how he was supposedly all alone in the White House for New Year's. People say "awww." He tells them not to cry. He then talks again about all the guys with machine guys who were there too.
Trump now says that the US will likely have captured 100% of the ISIS caliphate "as of tomorrow." He said Thursday that it has already happened.
Trump is telling a lengthy Sir Alert story about how he went and sat with the pilots who were flying him into Iraq, because he respects people who know what they're doing. He is talking at length about how they had the plane go dark for the landing. "Seven trillion dollars and we have to fly in with no lights!" Trump concludes. As always, there is no basis for the "$7 trillion in the Middle East" claim he makes regularly.
Trump says that nobody in Hollywood could play US generals, "These guys are like perfect people." He says he met a general named "Raisin Kane." He said he was incredulous but that yes, the guy said, his name is Raisin "like the fruit." This should probably be Raisin Cane. I have no idea. This speech is bonkers.
Trump says Raisin Cain gave him advice on how quickly they can beat ISIS, and he said, "I'm gonna get back to you soon, Raisin, I think you're great. I like you, Raisin Cain."My God. Wasn't there anyone there with an actual cane - the kind with a hook on the end - who could put an end to this?
Trump: "I'm in the White House and I was looonely. I said, 'let's go to Iraq.'"
Trump says the generals are right out of central casting, and you could put them in a movie, and he liked all of them, not just Raisin Cain. He says one time a general was put in a movie but didn't get an Academy Award "because Hollywood discriminates against our people."
Trump has returned to script for a moment, warning against single-payer health care and the Green New Deal. He says somebody described it as "a high school term paper written by a poor student."Jesus!
Trump asks the crowd if they're still okay, then complains about times that the media has reported people leaving his speech. He says, "You know where they went? To the bathroom. And then they came back." (No. People leave when he goes on and on.)
Trump mocks senators with white hair. He says, "I don't have white hair. I don't have white hair."
And how the hell do we know? That shit color he sports isn't natural, that's for sure.
Trump: "The crazy female senator from the state of Ohio." (People: the state of Ohio?) Trump: "The state of Hawaii. She's like a crazed person."And he's heard 'em all.
This is 100% the weirdest Trump speech I've ever heard.
Trump on the Green New Deal: "I want them to embrace this plan. I want them go sell this plan. I just want to be the Republican who runs against them. [...] I'm going to regret this speech" (because it's so good and effective). He adds, "I should've saved the Pocahontas thing for another year. Because I've destroyed her political career...and won't get a chance to run against her."Van Jones got booed earlier for telling them that truth.
Trump, back on script, says the future does not belong to socialists, it belongs to believers in freedom. He says "America will never be a socialist country," prompting loud cheers and a U-S-A chant.
Trump: "We reject oppressive speech codes, censorship, political correctness, and every other attempt by the hard left to stop people from challenging ridiculous and dangerous ideas." He calls for free speech, "online and on campus."
Trump talks about a supporter, Hayden Williams, who was punched at Berkeley, He alludes to wanting to retaliate, but says he won't, "Because if I ever said violence..." He says he'll say, just for media, "I'm sure he's a lovely young man. Just had a little temper tantrum."
Trump advises the conservative who was punched at UC Berkeley: "Sue him (the perpetrator), but he's probably got nothing...but sue the college, the university..." There are big cheers for the idea of suing UC Berkeley. "He's going to be a very wealthy young man."
Trump says the Second Amendment is under siege, but tells pro-gun conservatives not to fear: "I'll protect you...it all has to come through my office."
To a raucous cheer from the CPAC crowd, which has many students, Trump says he'll be signing an order I think he said would deny research funding to universities unless they allow free speech, including to conservatives.
Trump offers a vivid embellishment of a cartel shootout in Mexico, 56 miles from where he was in McAllen, Texas, saying it happened right there on the Rio Grande and "they were buried right there where I was standing."
Trump says it is "false propaganda" to say illegal immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than American citizens. A bunch of studies have come to this conclusion.
Trump, pointing at the back of the room, criticizes the media for criticizing his 2015 announcement speech in which he spoke of Mexicans as rapists. "That was a very innocent speech compared to the real facts," he says.Meadows is the one who trotted out a black woman who works in the Trump administration at Cohen's hearing to prove Trump isn't racist.
Trump makes his usual false claim about caravans, saying Latin American govts put people in: "You think they're giving us their best and their finest? Oh, let's send our best people up to America!...So we can send America our greatest people! No, no, no, no...murderers, killers."
Not certain, but this might be Trump's longest speech since he launched his campaign in 2015. My first tweet about it was exactly 90 minutes ago.
Trump rejects some Republicans' "precedent for Democratic presidents" concern about his national emergency declaration: "They're going to do that anyway, folks. The best way to stop that is to make sure that I win the election." Trump's argument is that Democrats will do Democratic things regardless, if he loses, and "it won't have a damn thing to do with whether or not we approve our national emergency."
Trump talks about an emergency declaration to protect the sovereignty of Lebanon. He says, "Lebanon, it's good, fine, use it," but now we can use an emergency to protect "our people."
A standing ovation for "shutting down sanctuary cities."
Trump falsely claims that the US is forced to release criminals caught immigrating illegally, falsely claims other countries don't allow people a court process for asylum claims, falsely claims "3%" of people return for trial. 72% in 2017, per DOJ, and 89% for asylum seekers.
Trump complains about birthright citizenship, says that some children used to be called "anchor babies" but not anymore because it's not "nice"-sounding.
Trump is adding more lies to his usual lie about the visa lottery, falsely suggesting that the U.S. has to accept a man who has murdered four people (no; lottery winners are background-checked and rejected) and that foreign govts deliberately put bad apples in the lottery.
Trump is now on abortion.
Trump says that members of Congress who are real "Trumpers" are "the ones that win." He says, "It's the ones that are sort of a little shy about embracing what we're all about...they get clobbered." Trump says that two critical-of-him senators he doesn't name, but who seem to be Jeff Flake and Bob Corker, did not retire, they "were retired."
Trump is criticizing the "fake news" for writing about the Democratic landslide in the House. He says, "The Senate: far more important." Trump says that the midterms were not a humiliating defeat for him, indignantly noting that he didn't run. In the lead-up to the vote, he kept telling his rallies that he was effectively on the ballot.
Trump: "The DemoCRATTT party." He says it sounds prettier to say Democratic, so he won't do it. A woman shouts, "Thank youuu!"
Trump says he didn't think Stacey Abrams's State of the Union speech was very good. He falsely claims for the fifth time that MIchelle Obama campaigned for her in Georgia. She did not at all. Trump falsely claims that Brian Kemp was 10 points down in the Republican primary when he endorsed him. The most recent poll had Kemp down three. Trump used to say it was five.
Trump is now talking about Ron DeSantis's race. Can he make it to two hours??? Trump says of Ron DeSantis: "When people defend me, I defend them. That's why I like Mark (Meadows)...and I'm not sure a lot of people like him. He's tough as hell. But I like him I love him."
Trump falsely claims that Ron DeSantis was at 3% when Trump endorsed him, peppering the story with "sir"s. DeSantis was never lower than 9% in any poll I could find; he was in the teens at the time of the official endorsement.
Trump falsely claims for the 58th time that he got Veterans Choice passed. It was passed under Barack Obama in 2014. "NOW THEY CAN GO SEE A DOCTOR!"
Trump adds, as usual, that people had been trying to get Choice passed for "44 years" before "I got that approved." What he signed was a significant change to the Choice program, not the Choice program.And he didn't?
Trump says he is about to conclude. He is mocking people from previous administrations who criticize him on North Korea. "These guys died," he says, referring to them doing poorly in the negotiations.
Trump is talking about Otto Warmbier. He calls his parents "incredible." He says he's in a "horrible position" because he has to negotiate but he loves Otto and his parents. "A delicate balance." Warmbier's parents didn't speak out against Trump over mere negotiations. It was Trump absolving Kim of personal responsibility.
"I think it's going well. I think we learned a lot over the last couple of days," Trump says of North Korea.
One thing I wanted to check before tweeting: after months of criticizing previous presidents for giving money to North Korea, Trump says he will get other countries to give money to North Korea "if it all works out": "Maybe not us. But I'm going to get other countries to give."
Almost exactly two hours after he started speaking, Trump is approaching his grand finale.
Trump invites CPAC attendees to his 4th of July festivities in Washington. He says he wants to bring "millions of people into the city," people who love America, "those are the people we want."
Oh man. I was just watching dozens of people walk out of the room as they sensed Trump was a minute or two from concluding...then Trump said that he's been watching the doors and not one person has left.
Trump has concluded to the usual standing ovation. He spoke for two hours. It was extraordinarily bizarre.
God bless Daniel Dale.
He's done that before, and it's absolutely, creepily inappropriate.
If you're a glutton for punishment, Aaron Rupar has video clips.
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.
UPDATE:
Of course he wasn't joking.
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