President Donald Trump formally opened his 2020 reelection campaign in Florida Wednesday, making it clear that he would continue to reverberate his 2016 successful campaign rhetoric with appeal to his base with a mix of rhetoric built around hope and fear.
Called a disruptor in Washington’s traditional climate of political correctness, Trump said what his backers wanted to hear at the mammoth Amy Center in Orlando, which gave a festive look.
Trump took the credit for America’s robust economic time with record low unemployment levels, condemned Democrats as left-wing extremists and echoed divisive rhetoric on immigration.
First, the president told his enthusiastic supporters that his presidency has achieved unprecedented feats.
“We accomplished more than any other president has in the first 2½ years of a presidency and under circumstances that no president has had to deal with before.”
Then he evoked fear.
His Democratic opponents, Trump told a charged crowd of thousands, “are really going after you.”
He evoked fear.
“They tried to take away your dignity and your destiny. But we will never let them do that, will we?” he added.
“They tried to erase your vote, erase the legacy of the greatest campaign and the greatest election probably in the history of the country,” Trump said during his speech as his backs hailed him with USA chants.
Trump spoke with the latest polls – suggesting Democratic Joseph Biden in a lead over him – weighing on his political calculations.
Florida, being a critical swing state, helped him in 2016 with a narrow margin and is considered to be a key in the 2020 election as well.
On immigration, he continued to frame undocumented immigrants as trouble for the country.
“It’s time to pass Kate’s Law, end sanctuary cities, end catch-and-release, deport vicious gang members — which we’re doing — stop human trafficking, stop illegal immigration and establish a modern immigration system based on skills, contributions and based on merit,” Trump said.
“We want people to come into our country based on merit.”
Trump said to the delight of his followers that his policies have made America Great Again, and now the 2020 punchline should be to Keep America Great.
