Former President Donald Trump has been giving an increasing amount of hints to suggest he will run for president once more in 2024. He gave another one on Saturday night, during a Save America rally in Conroe, Texas, which is located close to the Houston area.
The part of Trump's speech that gained a particular amount of news attention came towards the end of his speech, as he listed the ways in which he would govern in a subsequent term.
"If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6th fairly," Trump said about people who rioted at the Capitol when Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 election. "And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons, because they are being treated so unfairly."
Trump spoke out against the treatment in jails as well as the investigations from the January 6 select committee. "What that select committee is doing and what the people are doing that are running those prisons, it's a disgrace. That's a disgrace. We will treat them fairly, and we will take care of the people of this country," Trump said.
There have been concerns not merely from voters, but from judges as well, that such defendants of the January 6 Capitol riot have been treated unfairly. Late last year, a judge ordered an investigation and then for a defendant released from jail after an investigation revealed there were "deplorable" conditions.
The former president further previewed a future administration of his, which included a promise of how "we will protect innocent life. We will defend our Constitution. We will defend the Second Amendment and we will proudly uphold the judeo Christian values and principles. Of our nation's founding. And to finish we will ban Critical Race Theory in our classroom. We will ban it in our military," with Trump reminding how he had banned it for the federal government, but that that changed when Biden took office.
He went on to speak about how "We will fire the woke generals who only know how to lose. They only know how to lose. We will restore pride in our armed forces, and we will keep the United States out of these ridiculous foreign wars where they don't even want us. We will ban men from participating in women's sports." In addition to calling the participation of biological men in women's sports "so ridiculous," Trump assured "We will restore patriotic education to our schools. And we will teach our children to love their country honor our history and to always respect our great American flag."
When it comes to his likelihood of running again, and the belief that he will win, Trump referred to himself as the "45th and 47th" president" after being introduced by a fellow golf player as "the 45th president of the United States," Jill Colvin reported for the Associated Press on Saturday.
As the former president has done with previous rallies, Trump railed against his successor, President Joe Biden, as well as other Democrats, throughout his speech. "There's never been a time like this, never been a time," Trump lamented early in his speech, not long after he took the stage to talk about how "we need to save America." He went on to call out "what Joe Biden and the Pelosi-Schumer Congress have done to our country in just one year is a travesty of the highest order."
"The incompetence of our leaders can be scarcely believed. It's a disaster and a disgrace what's happened to our country in the last 10 months. A disaster, a disgrace. Nobody can believe it," Trump emphasized.
The former president also made reference to the "Let's Go Brandon" chants, which soon followed from the crowd. "Remember, there's a reason that Joe Biden can't walk into a sports stadium anywhere in America without being loudly mocked and ridiculed."
When it came to specific issues, Trump referenced concerns with inflation, illegal immigration, and China's threats against Taiwan.
Foreign policy issues were a topic where Trump drew a particular contrast against himself and Biden, as he also brought up nuclear testing from North Korea and the withdrawal from Afghanistan last August.
Trump described the catastrophic departure as "a moment that was so embarrassing and so horrible," as he continued to warn that "Joe Biden's weakness and incompetence is creating a very real risk of World War Three."
As he emphasized here and later in the speech, Trump told the crowd to "look at what's going on" and reminded those in the audience that "this would have never happened with us, never" and that "it was never even a thought would have never happened."
On the currently pressing foreign policy concern, to do with Ukraine, Trump urged the prioritizing of protecting American borders from illegal immigrants. "Before our leaders talk about invasions of other countries, they need to stop the invasion of this country." He also called on Biden to send troops to the southern border in Texas before Eastern Europe. Biden has indicated he will be sending troops to the region in "the near term."
As has also been a theme throughout Trump's rally speeches, he emphasized how different things would be if he were still in office. This includes with Russia's Vladimir Putin potentially invading Ukraine, which he said would not have happened under his watch.
"As everyone knows what Putin and Russia are doing with Ukraine would never, ever not even possible have happened if I was president." Trump confidently said. "They would not have dreamed of it and they would not have dared to do it."
Trump also made reference to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which the Biden administration has yet to impose sanctions on, though the Trump administration did.
Trump only got stronger in his rhetoric as he urged the crowd to vote for Republicans. "If you care about your future, your family, and your country then you have no choice. This November, you have to throw these raving lunatics the hell out of power and elect strong, smart, tough Republicans who will restore your borders. Protect your safety. Defend your jobs and put America first."
"With Biden and the radical left, it's always America last, and that's why they do you look at these horrible deals, they make throughout the world. It's always America last," he lamented.
Trump didn't merely discuss a win for himself in 2024, but a win for the Republican Party overall, starting with the midterm elections. He even expressed hope and confidence that we could be "nine months away from what could be the most important midterm victory, in all of American history."
He went on to express optimism that "this is the year we're going to take back the House. We're going to take back the Senate. We're going to take back America." He went on to likewise predict a Republican, perhaps even himself, will take back the White House."
With Republicans in power again, Trump offered, there will be more jobs, fair trade, catch and release, and the completion of the border war. Trump also promised to "hold China accountable."
A recent poll of registered voters from POLITICO-Morning Consult shows that Biden has a slight edge over Trump, by 45 to 44 percent. A generic Republican presidential candidate for 2024 earned 46 percent support to Biden's 37 percent, though.
RealClearPolitics (RCP) now showcases an average of polls for a 2024 matchup between Trump and Biden. According to an average of polls from November 3-January 20, Trump has an edge of plus 5.4.
Should he run and get elected, Trump would not be the first president to hold two non-consecutive terms. That honor goes to Grover Cleveland, who is both the 22nd and 24th president. He was elected in 1884, but then went on to lose to Benjamin Harrison in 1888. Grover won in a rematch against Harrison in 1892, though.