@realdonaldtrump hits the Bay Area
by Matt Fleming | April 29, 2016 3:54 pm
Any questions about which Donald Trump would show up to the California Republican Party Convention in Burlingame on Friday were dispelled immediately.
Would it be the same insult-slinging, filterless personality Americans have grown accustomed to seeing on T.V., who protesters waited for hours just to throw eggs at and block his limo from entering the hotel complex thereby forcing him to enter through a back way?
Or would the business tycoon and GOP presidential frontrunner be more subdued to look more presidential — as media reports[1] have recently suggested — while speaking to a politically experienced and partisan audience?
Wastes no time
His introductory video took shots at right-leaning media personalities, like Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, Washington Post columnist George Will and Republican strategist and talking head Karl Rove, who have at times doubted, challenged or decried a Trump candidacy. The video ended with a freeze frame of his hand (which has surprisingly been a storyline during the campaign) looming large above a crowd.
The beginning of his speech chronicled his efforts to get inside, which was “not the easiest entrance” he’d ever made, having to go “under a fence and through a fence.” (A later account added mud and dirt.)
Here’s the hole in the fence Trump used to evade protestors adjacent to the 101.
“Oh boy, I felt like I was crossing the border,” Trump said.
And with that, he launched into an extemporaneous, 20 or so minute speech that was short on policy — he mentioned building a wall across the U.S./Mexico border (“We want people to come in our country, but they have to come in legally,” Trump said) and bashed multiple trade deals — but was long on bravado and digs at other candidates.
Content
Trump spoke largely about how he’s “winning” the race for the nomination, how he’ll soon “win” the nomination and how he’ll make America “win.”
“America doesn’t win anymore,” Trump said, noting that as of today his campaign has 1,001 delegates locked down of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.
“I’m killing it, everybody,” Trump said.
Trump spoke of a need for party unification. He spoke highly of the “incredible” Ben Carson, a former candidate who has since endorsed Trump.
Trump often complimented CAGOP Chairman Jim Brulte, who “did such a great job.”
He bragged about how he would compete and campaign in states that he said other Republican candidates write off, like New York (his home state) and Michigan.
“No Republican would campaign in Michigan,” Trump said, overlooking the 2012 GOP nominee, Mitt Romney — the son of a former Republican governor of the Michigan — who vowed last cycle to campaign in the Great Lake State until the end[2].
He spoke favorably of another former candidate, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who this week was announced as Sen. Ted Cruz’s running mate (assuming he gets the nomination).
“I like Carly,” Trump said, before adding that Carly brings no delegates with her to the Texan’s ticket (she technically won one delegate in Iowa).
On Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the other two remaining GOP candidates, Trump said they were acting like “spoiled children” for continuing to stay in the race. Cruz has only 565 delegates and Kasich has only 153[3].
Trump also doubled down on his favorite critique of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, also a former candidate.
“Low energy,” Trump said. “Very low energy.”
Trump referred to Kasich eating as “disgusting.” Kasich eating at campaign stops[4] has been another surprising side theme of the primary.
“Did you ever see him do a news conference without eating,” Trump asked.
Trump decried the trend of candidates savaging each other in the primary, only to ultimately fall in line and support the other when one drops.
“Ted Cruz, he’s a wonderful guy,” Trump said. “But I don’t want his endorsement.”
Highlights of Twitter’s coverage of Trump’s entrance and the protests
https://twitter.com/hunterschwarz/status/726140981658193921 https://twitter.com/ccadelago/status/726136663554957312 https://twitter.com/ccadelago/status/726149867010056192 https://twitter.com/LATSeema/status/726122131860262912 https://twitter.com/LATSeema/status/726122723806601217 https://twitter.com/LATSeema/status/726128380215590913 https://twitter.com/eastbaycitizen/status/726096358612963328
- as media reports: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-to-look-presidential-with-policy-speeches-in-coming-weeks/article/2587756
- Great Lake State until the end: http://michiganradio.org/post/romney-campaign-commits-michigan-until-end#stream/0
- Cruz has only 565 delegates and Kasich has only 153: http://www.politico.com/2016-election/results/delegate-count-tracker
- eating at campaign stops: http://www.politico.com/gallery/2016/04/john-kasich-eating-food-photos-002249?slide=0
Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2016/04/29/realdonaldtrump-hits-bay-area/