While former President Donald Trump still stops short of announcing an official 2024 campaign run, his words at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday were run with by those eagerly awaiting his return.
Newsmax host Sean Spicer of "Spicer & Co." tweeted: "He's running #CPAC."
Despite the bold declaration, Trump merely used words hinting at retaking the White House in 2024. He has long maintained "antiquated campaign finance laws" restrict him from making an announcement, perhaps not until after the November midterm elections.
"I've seen the anger and the hatred and the horror at the 2020 election," Trump told the Orlando, Florida, crowd. "All the while, they claim as they are the ones defending democracy. They say they are the ones that are going to defend your democracy and your justice.
"It's a lot of bullsh*t. That's what it is.
"When we win, we will defeat this corrupt political establishment, we will save our republic, and we will restore constitutional government of by and for the people. The Washington swamp knows that we are coming to break their grip on power forever; that is why they are so desperate to stop us. They will go to any lengths."
Newsmax foreign correspondent Alex Salvi tweeted:
"Former Pres. Trump essentially confirms at CPAC that he's running in 2024: 'We did it twice, and we’ll do it again. We're going to be doing it again a third time."
Newsmax personality Benny Johnson tweeted a clip of Trump teasing a campaign in 2024:
"BREAKING: Donald Trump essentially confirms that he’s planning on running for President again in 2024."
Trump used the words "doing it a third time," teasing his intentions for 2024 without an official announcement.
"They're going to find out the hard way starting on Nov. 8, and then again, even more so on November 2024," Trump told the crowd. "They will find out like never before. We did it twice, and we'll do it again. We're going to be doing it again a third time.
Trump added on the midterms that "2022 will be the year that millions of everyday citizens stand up to the left-wing fascists, and they'll continue, and we will all continue together to make America great again.
"We had it done. The election was rigged."
Before taking the CPAC stage in Orlando, Newsmax's Eric Bolling, the host of "Eric Bolling: The Balance" asked Trump in a media scrum if President Joe Biden's permitting Russia's Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine without retaliation made it more likely Trump would run in 2024.
"I just want to do what's right for the country and that's what we'll do," Trump told Bolling. "We'll do what's right for the country. At the right time, we'll let you know. And thank you for that question. I appreciate that question.
"You know we also gave a lot of the Javelins and you're hearing so much about Javelins. We gave those Javelins, when President [Barack] Obama was giving sheets and pillows and I guess blankets. That didn't help too much.
"But we gave Javelins, a lot of them, too, and I guess that's sort of helping a lot."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.