Trump speaks at Florida GOP convention on presidential platform, attacks primary candidates
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Former President Donald Trump spoke to attendees of the Florida Freedom Summit Saturday, highlighting some of his main policy proposals should he become president in 2025 and slamming the Biden administration as he vies for a 2020 rematch.
Trump kicked off his speech with his first policy item he intends to carry out, which is to stop the “invasion” on the U.S. southern border with Mexico. He added various other actions he’d carry out as president, including mass deportations and targeting the Mexican drug cartels.
He reiterated his vow to end birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens, and said he will crack down on human trafficking in the U.S.
The former president also attacked President Joe Biden throughout, primely on foreign policy and the economy.
During one part of Trump’s address, he spoke about his performance on COVID-19 and said he allowed to keep states open.
The former president rattled off the names of some Republican-controlled states who he said did well on COVID-19, but did not name Florida.
Some members of the crowd chanted “Florida!” at the former president, to which he replied, “I will say this. Every Republican governor did much better than the best Democrat governor.”
Trump mocked DeSantis during his speech to laughter from the Florida crowd, discussing his endorsement of the now-Florida governor in 2018 against Democrat Andrew Gillum.
On the GOP primary, the former president multiple times mentioned his wide polling lead, and called former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley “birdbrain.”
Commenting on ongoing criminal cases and the indictments against him, Trump said he takes them as a “badge of honor.”
“I’m being indicted for you,” he said.
Trump commented on the ongoing Israel war, which was sparked in October because of Hamas terror attacks on Israeli civilians.
“I kept Israel safe,” he said. “I kept the entire world safe. We were safe.”
Before his speech, Trump brought up on stage multiple Florida lawmakers who flipped their presidential endorsement from DeSantis to the former president.
Those that switched from DeSantis to Trump include: Sen. Debbie Mayfield, R-Melbourne, and Reps. Jessica Baker, R-Jacksonville; Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona; Alina Garcia, R-Miami; and Kevin Steele, R-Dade City, as reported by The Messenger.
Trump picked up two additional state lawmaker endorsements: Reps. Mike Beltran, R-Riverview, and David Borrero, R-Sweetwater.
