Donald Trump tells Alabama Republicans: “They are after me because they are after you!”
Former President Donald Trump spoke to the Alabama Republican Party at their annual Summer Dinner on Friday night in Montgomery. Trump’s speech was just a day after he appeared in court to plead not guilty to charges related to the January 6 protests at the Capitol and his effort to have the election results overturned by Congress. This was Trump’s first speech in the aftermath of the latest indictment, and his tone was angry but confident in his eventual acquittal and optimistic about his return to the White House. “Eight years ago, this month, we held one of the very first rallies of the 2016 campaign – right here in Alabama,” said Trump. “Together, we launched one of the greatest political movements in the history of our country, and we are going to do it again.” Trump won the Republican primary in Alabama by a wide margin in 2016. “We love Alabama. Won it by 45 points,” Trump said. “With Alabama patriots like you, we are going to do it again, but we are going to win it bigger and better than 2016.” ” This state has been right with us from the very beginning. Kay, I have to say right from the very beginning.” “We are going to do something that is so incredible. On election day 2023, we are going to evict crooked Joe Biden from the White House. We are going to evict the criminals and thugs from the halls of power in Washington D.C., and we are going to make America great again.” “The poll numbers are the highest we have ever had, and people are very upset out there about what is going on out there,” Trump said. Trump claimed that the charges against him were the work of “deranged government agents and rogue intelligence agents.” He called the charges against him. “fake” and argued that the latest indictments “could have been filed two and a half years ago.” Trump dismissed the cases against him as “election interference” by the Democrats and the Biden Justice Department. He called prosecutor Jack Smith “deranged.” “This is an absolute case of prosecutorial misconduct.” “It is not going to make any impact because every time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls,” Trump said. “We need one more indictment to close out this election. One more indictment and this election is closed out. Nobody has even a chance. We’ve already defeated the Republicans.” “It’s not fair, and it is probably not legal what they are doing,” the former President said. “They want to interfere in my campaign, and they want to interfere in the election.” Trump said that this is the sort of thing that they do in third-world countries. “The fake charges they put forth in their sham indictments are an outrageous criminalization of political speech. That’s all it is,” said Trump. “They are trying to make it illegal to question the results of a bad election.” Trump’s assertion that calling the 2020 election “stolen” and urging Vice President Mike Pence to reject the Electoral College results as fraudulent is political speech and thus protected by the Constitution was heavily debated on new talk shows over the weekend. CNN’s Dana Bash blasted Trump’s defense, “You can’t break the law, which is what this indictment alleges.” The country, as a whole, seemed largely unmoved by last week’s courtroom legal drama. If anyone in the room Friday night had any disagreement with his First Amendment defense, it was not apparent. Hours after his third round of indictments, Trump received the endorsements of most of Alabama’s elected Republican leaders. “If someone else was leading this banner, they would attack them as well,” Trump said. “I am being indicted for you – thanks a lot, thanks a lot.” “They want to take away my freedom because I won’t let them take away your freedom,” Trump told the crowd. “They want to silence me because I won’t let them silence you. In the end, they are after me because they are after you.” The crowd roared with approval and jumped to its feet numerous times with standing ovations. Trump was so popular in the Heart of Dixie during the last two elections that neither Hillary Clinton nor Joe Biden campaigned in the state after the primary season. Trump crushed both in the general election in Alabama – even though he lost the popular vote nationally in 2016 and 2020. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced Trump at Friday’s event. “Traveled around the state this week,” Tuberville said. “Went to the Wiregrass. Went to Mobile, Birmingham, Rainsville, Montgomery. I spoke a lot with the farmers, but everywhere I went, I never realized how big a state this is for Trump. This is Trump country.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
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CNN: Joe Biden can be a game-day decision for debate
CNN says it will allow Vice President Joe Biden to participate in the first Democratic presidential primary debate even if he decides that day to be a candidate. The network released its criteria for the Oct. 13 debate on Monday. Since Biden has achieved an average of one percent support in three polls — even though he isn’t a declared candidate — CNN said he needs only to file the necessary paperwork or say he will that day to be in the debate. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O’Malley and Jim Webb have already been invited. Anderson Cooper will moderate the Las Vegas debate. Dana Bash, Don Lemon and CNN en Espanol anchor Juan Carlos Lopez also will question the candidates. Biden aides have cited the CNN debate as one of the major factors in the vice president’s timing in making a decision. They have described it as an important opportunity, if he runs, to establish him as an alternative to Clinton. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
