CPAC speech: Donald Trump casts himself as ‘anti-WWIII candidate’

Donald Trump blasted his Republican colleagues and defended social security and Medicare in the most important speech of his White House campaign so far.

Former US President Donald Trump. Picture: Getty

Donald Trump has blasted his Republican colleagues as “free trade fanatics”, “fools” and “war mongers”, casting himself as the ‘anti World War III’ candidate and the defender of social security and Medicare, in the most important speech of his campaign for the White House so far since announcing his candidacy in November.

Delivering the final and headline speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT) Mr Trump strongly backed Social Security and Medicare – vast social welfare schemes introduced and championed by Democrat presidents.

“We’re not going back to people that wanted to destroy our great social security system, who want to raise the minimum age to receive social security to 70, 75 or even 80,” he said, attacking policies that elements in the Republican Party have supported since Ronald Reagan was president.

“We‘re never going back to the party of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove, and Jeb Bush,” he added, singling out GOP luminaries along with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell for particular censure.

In a speech that was heavy with the usual attacks on the ‘fake news’ media, ‘Russiagate’, “the deep state”, and the debunked claim the 2020 election was “stolen”, Mr Trump savaged Joe Biden’s foreign policy, railing against war no fewer than a dozen times in the 90 minute address, setting up the 2024 election as a potential referendum on support for Ukraine.

“We are never going back to a party that wants to give unlimited money to fight foreign wears, endless stupid wars,” he said to loud cheers from the thousand strong audience.

“Never ever allow Russia and China to get together, we’ve not only allowed it we’ve made them bosom buddies,” he told the crowd, in a speech that underscored the growing chasm in the Republican party less than a year out from the start of Republican primaries.

The former president, whose third bid for the White House began poorly late last year, has bounced back in the polls in recent weeks, consistently besting Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo, his announced or likely opponents so far, in polls of Republican voters.

Mr Trump won the usual CPAC ‘straw poll’ of attendees (more than 2,000), winning 62 per cent support compared with 20 per cent for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in second place, whom Mr Trump avoided mentioning by name in stark contrast to earlier salvos at the popular 44 year old Republican.

Numerous attendees told The Australian attendance at the marquee conference, increasingly synonymous with Trump’s support base, was considerably down on previous years.

Elizabeth Nader, a New Jersey podcaster at her third CPAC, said she would prefer Mr DeSantis to remain as governor, and wasn’t concerned about polling suggesting Mr Trump would lose against Mr Biden in a 2020 rematch.

“We need DeSantis to stay as governor and continue to be a beacon of light in the states that are free,” she said.

“I only worry about [Trump losing in 2024] to the extent there would be a revolution of the sorts you’ve never seen before,” she added.

May Hardiman, originally from Iraq, where she met her American husband, said she would be happy with either Mr Trump or Mr DeSantis for the GOP nomination but, she said, “I go with the flow, I see everyone here is for Trump”.

“I like him because he’s not a politician he’s a businessman, he’s not in it for the money, he’s already a billionaire,” she told The Australian, declaring Joe Biden “a disaster for foreign policy”.

In front of an audience that included Trump loyalists in congress, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, whose earlier remarks via translation drew similarly rapturous applause, Mr Trump outlined some domestic policies.

“We will support baby bonuses, for a new baby boom! Oh, you men out there are so lucky,” he exclaimed, alongside plans to beautify American public spaces.

“We will get rid of ugly buildings and return to the classical style Western civilisation”

Ms Hardiman, said she “fled” to Virginia from the US capital after Trump became president in 2016, sounded a cautious note on his prospects. “The hatred is so bad, I used to live in DC and I couldn’t put a sticker on my car, it would be broken into”.