President Donald Trump gave a speech of his own concurrent with the Democrat debate on Thursday night, setting a sharp contrast with his potential 2020 presidential opponents.
The president traveled to Baltimore to speak at a dinner following a House Republican retreat, taking the stage at about 8:00 p.m. Eastern, just when the ABC News debate started.
He spoke for more than an hour.
Trump recalled speaking at a recent fundraiser, where he began by telling donors about what the country was facing from Democrat candidates for president.
“Whether you like me or not, it makes no difference because our country will go to hell if any of these people get in,” he said.
Trump said Republicans needed four more years in power in Washington to prevent Democrats from destroying the renewed American economy.
“We can’t let that happen. You won’t have energy. You won’t have business. You won’t have jobs. You won’t have income. It will be a disaster,” he said. “So you have to fight like hell.”
Trump said Republicans have to remember their duty to fight for the citizens of the United States first, over the rest of the world.
“We are fighting to protect their jobs, defend their families, and to ensure their children can live the American dream,” he said. “The Republican Party is actually loved in this country.”
The speech was a miniature version of a Trump rally, with plenty of jokes about his potential rivals, but he also urged his Republican colleagues to unity.
“If we stay bold in our actions and forever loyal to the citizens we serve, if we stay true to our mission, and we have to, and we have to stick together, like they do, they got nothing else on us,” Trump said.
Trump referred to historically low unemployment rates and poverty rates for African American and Hispanics.
How do you lose this debate? How do you lose the debate?” he asked as Republicans applauded. “That’s a tough one to beat.”
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