Trump Returns To Campaign Trail With Election Lies And Dark Warnings
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Former President Donald Trump is diving headfirst into state-level politics. He spoke in front of the North Carolina Republican Party on Saturday evening. The event kicked off what is likely to be a spree of summer campaigning. NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro is with us this morning to talk about it. Hey, Domenico.
DOMENICO MONTANARO, BYLINE: Hey, Rachel.
MARTIN: What was Trump's purpose in being there in North Carolina over the weekend?
MONTANARO: Well, first, this was Trump, you know, getting back into his comfort zone. He blasted social media platforms like Facebook that have banned him. He went after the National Institutes of Health's Dr. Anthony Fauci, who's become something of a lightning rod among conservatives. He furthered his repeated lies about the election he lost in 2020, and he returned to a cynical and dark view of America. Take a listen.
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DONALD TRUMP: As we gather tonight, our country is being destroyed before our very own eyes. Crime is exploding. Police departments are being ripped apart and defunded. Can you believe that?
MONTANARO: And, of course, that's pretty exaggerated and misleading, sounds a whole lot like the dark warnings of the country he was painting even from when he first announced he was running for president six years ago. And, you know, even as he was undermining the democratic process with lies about the election, he did what he often does with a vulnerability. He tried to flip it and embrace it. Listen to what he did.
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TRUMP: I am not the one trying to undermine American democracy. I'm the one that's trying to save it. Please remember that.
(APPLAUSE)
MONTANARO: That, by the way, got his biggest applause of the night. So you can see what he's trying to do there.
MARTIN: So what do you make of the venue here for Trump?
MONTANARO: Well, you know, this was something of a soft launch. You know, it was a controlled environment. Having the party set this up takes away a lot of the pressure from him and his people of trying to create a scene and a crowd like on those traditional - like from those traditional rallies that he's done. But we do expect to see him doing those rallies soon. He's reportedly holding a couple of those within the month. We're expecting to see him in key states to boost allies and also to take down Republicans who've crossed him. Think about people like Congressman Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio - he voted for Trump's impeachment - and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. And so, you know, we're going to see Trump weighing in even as far down as secretary of state races.
MARTIN: Right. I mean, not to mention Liz Cheney - right? - who spoke out against the president and supported his impeachment, and that's put her in political peril. I mean, how do you explain Trump's position in the Republican Party right now?
MONTANARO: Yeah, and Cheney has been a huge focus of his if you've followed what he's said since leaving office. You know, look, he remains the most influential figure. He's the most powerful force in the Republican Party. He wanted to make that very clear Saturday night that he's the man who calls the shots in the party. There's an open Senate seat, for example, for North Carolina. The state party held a straw poll of people in attendance for who they wanted to see run. And former Congressman Mark Walker won that pretty handily. But then Trump minutes later comes onto the stage and endorses someone else. He endorsed Congressman Ted Budd. And that was minutes after he called his daughter Lara up onto the stage, who then announced she would not be running. And she's a North Carolina native and had been thinking about it seriously. You know, when it comes to 2024, there's a crop of younger candidates eager to run, but without Trump announcing what he's going to do yet, that's really put that field on ice.
MARTIN: NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, thank you.
MONTANARO: You're welcome, Rachel.
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