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Just after 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, while cameras showed activity at Mar-a-Lago,” 45th President Donald Trump’s Florida resort, Hannity” host Sean Hannity declared that earlier in the day, Trump “filed paperwork” to officially run for president just under two years from now.
At 9:03, Trump was seen approaching a podium set up in front of a row of American flags; a minute later, he began to make the announcement he foretold on November 7, the night before the midterm elections.
“There’s never been anything to compete with what we have all done,” Trump told the audience, and that “America’s comeback starts right now.”
After recounting some of his accomplishments, Trump said that “the incoming administration” needed only to “sit back and watch.”
He spoke about China, strongly suggesting it played a role in the 2020 election, which Trump reportedly lost to Joe Biden.
“My opponents made me out to be a warmonger,” he said, but said he has “gone decades without a war,” referring to, among other things, North Korea’s retreat from its prior belligerence.
“I kept my promises,” Trump said, after which some in the audience shouted out in rhythm, “Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!”
Now, Trump said, “America is a nation in decline,” citing inflation, gas prices, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the insecurity of the southern border.
He recalled Biden’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan, which left $85 billion of military equipment in the country which was quickly overtaken by the Taliban and after 13 military members were killed.
“People are going absolutely wild and crazy” following the unprovoked killing Tuesday of two Polish citizens by Russian missiles,” Trump said.
He accused Biden of “leading us to the brink of nuclear war” and decried Biden’s “Green New Deal” supplanting the threat of nuclear war.”
“Two years ago we were a great nation, and soon we will again be a great nation,” Trump said.
A future of “glory” will be reclaimed by Americans, Trump said.
He celebrated that shortly before he began his address, another Republican was found to have won his race in the midterm elections last week, bringing the number of Republicans in the House to 218, giving them the majority and control of the chamber.
“Are you getting ready?” Trump asked the audience. “I am, too.”
He predicted the “America First” candidates who won last week garnered “5 million more votes” than Democrats. “In other words, because of our great congressmen…we have taken over Congress. Nancy Pelosi has been fired; isn’t that great?”
At 9:22, he said he is “officially announcing my candidacy for President of the United States,” after which raucous applause and whistling erupted.
The “task” that needs to be accomplished, Trump said, “is a job for tens of millions of proud people working together.” He said the Republican Party has become stronger as a result of increased diversity.
“Our country is being destroyed before your very eyes,” he said. “This will not be my campaign; this will be our campaign, all together,” he said at 9:25.
He said “the American people” will fight the significant extant “corruption.”
“The Washington establishment wants to silence us,” he said, “but we will not let them do that.”
“We can go very far…” he said, in rebuilding the country.
Between now and 2024, Trump said, “I will fight like never before.”
“There are lots of nations that hate us gravely,” he said, citing Biden’s energy policy of “begging for oil” from other countries. “Joe Biden is the face of left-wing failure…”
“Our country could not take four more years…it’s all very fragile to start off with,” he said.
“Even more votes” will be cast for him, he predicted, including by growing Hispanic support.
He complimented the governments of Florida and Texas for protecting their respective borders and said third-term-elected Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called him after last week’s election.
“We need daring dreams,” he said. “We will win because we will fight with every measure of our strength…to restore the fabric of this nation,” which he said will employ “common sense.”
“We will build the greatest economy ever,” Trump said, stating he “did it twice” in his first term. “This time we’ll do it bigger, better, stronger than anybody can imagine.”
After the ensuing two years of Biden’s term, Trump said, “everybody will see” what will need to be accomplished to rebuild the nation’s economy.
“Instead of putting America last…we will again put America first,” he declared at 9:37.
“I didn’t need this; I had a very nice, easy life,” Trump said, as he often has before to applause.
He said other countries should “have to pay” to enter fair-trade agreements with the United States.
“On Day One we will end Joe Biden’s war on American energy,” he said, after which “you will see inflation dropping, dropping, dropping…”
“Germany tried it,” he said, recounting his interactions with former German prime minister Angela Merkel in a reference to her efforts to move away from using fossil fuels.
Some have said they believe Trump’s time is past and he should step aside to allow others to become the standard-bearer of the Republican Party.
