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Greg Evans
Jan 05, 2021
SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images
Donald Trump spoke to a gathering of his supporters on Monday night in Dalton, Georgia ahead of the run-off elections in the state on Tuesday.
Trump, who was making his first public appearance of the year and one of just a handful of outings since he lost the presidency to Joe Biden in November was on typical Trump form for what his likely to be his last ever rally as president.
The president, who was there to promote the campaigns of Republican candidates David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, in what is a key election for the GOP and the future of the state, spent most his speech talking about himself and how he lost the ‘rigged’ election.
Trump set the tone for his lengthy speech with the very first words that came out his mouth, which was, no word of a lie, “Hello, Georgia. By the way – there's no way we lost Georgia. There's no way. That was a rigged election.” Let’s not forget that Georgia was one of the states which flipped for Biden in November.
"Hello, Georgia. By the way -- there's no way we lost Georgia. There's no way. That was a rigged election." -- the… https://t.co/qLIuAxijcZ— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609812763
Trump seems completely baffled as to why David Perdue isn’t in attendance. Perdue was exposed to someone who had Covid-19 a few days ago and is therefore quarantining.
Trump doesn't seem to realize that David Perdue, who is currently quarantining after Covid exposure, isn't in atten… https://t.co/LXyOsrk5Hm— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609812872
This really set an example, as the Trump supporters in attendance seemed far more invested in chanting ‘fight for Trump’ than either of the Republican candidates.
Trump's followers in Dalton, Georgia, don't seem particularly interested in the Senate runoffs. They start chanting… https://t.co/WaP8LB8lcc— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609812957
Just a few minutes later, Trump jokes that he ‘might not like Mike Pence quite as much’ if he doesn’t come through for us.
"I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. I have to tell you ... of course if he doesn't come through, I don't like… https://t.co/uAiXMIHztE— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609813128
Trump then starts to look way into the future and declares that he will be back in Georgia in 18 months to campaign against Republican governor Brian Kemp.
"I'll be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor, I guarantee you" -- Trump has now pivot… https://t.co/BiRZM5XgCg— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609813467
Trump seems to have transported himself back to 2016 as he begins ranting about ‘building the wall’ and that ’Mexico will pay for it.'
"The wall. The wall. The wall. Remember? 'We'll build a wall. We're gonna build a wall.' And that's right, Mexico i… https://t.co/PFeuqvreCe— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609813757
In another blast from the past, Trump begins talking about the supposed 'caravan of immigrants’ that was attempting to get across the border many years ago but never materialised.
LOL -- Trump is back to fear-mongering about caravans of immigrants https://t.co/1Z3ZkYpQQX— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609813809
Worrying scenes occur where Trump encourages the crowd to boo and jeer the Supreme Court for not overturning the election in his favour.
"They're not stepping up" -- Trump goads his followers into booing the Supreme Court for not overturning his electi… https://t.co/bFQbkcAdmL— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609814056
The lack of enthusiasm and boredness is quite obvious. Just listen to their reaction when Trump attempts to hype Perdue and Loeffler.
yikes https://t.co/TWCdV9G6Qg— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609814748
Loeffler, arrives on the stage and says a few short words but the crowd can only chant ‘fight for Trump’ and ‘stop the steal.’
Loeffler is serenaded with "fight for Trump!" and "stop the steal!" chants as she leaves the stage https://t.co/NctlqrrQ9K— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609814969
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial and newly elected congresswoman who supports the QAnon conspiracy theory appears on stage.
"I love Marjorie Taylor Greene" -- Trump praises a congresswoman who has embraced the batshit QAnon conspiracy theo… https://t.co/twywzNINRB— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609815061
Utah senator Mike Lee is also there but isn’t invited on stage because Trump is a ‘little angry’ at him.
"MIke Lee is here, too. But I'm a little angry at him today." https://t.co/n6QQcmgzTj— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609815167
Trump’s revolving door of guests continues as he attempts to get his daughter Ivanka Trump on stage. Interestingly he reveals that ‘she doesn’t like the concept of running for office.'
"She doesn't really like the concept of running for office. She says, 'what do I need it for, dad' ... come on up h… https://t.co/MC2H46GVCZ— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609815361
Trump claims that he has won both elections that he ran in, without a shred of irony or evidence.
Trump is struggling to get to the finish of this speech https://t.co/DEJgvIHwfn— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609815495
In another call back to 2016, Trump mocks Hillary Clinton, prompting the crowd to breakout in a ‘lock her up’ chant.
Trump wonders aloud why Democrats didn't try to help Hillary Clinton steal the 2016 election -- prompting his follo… https://t.co/OVTcrmUHM8— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609816021
Trump has flat out given up on the Georgia run-off election and is now promoting conspiracy theories on stage.
Now that Trump got the perfunctory promotion of Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue out of the way, he's whining at len… https://t.co/wKNj5sVC3n— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609816552
Trump cites a 2020 Gallup poll, which named him as ‘the most admired man in the world’ as a reason why he should have won the election.
Because of course, Trump just bragged about the Gallup poll that showed him as the "most admired man" of 2020, and… https://t.co/xKcNcfjl36— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609816628
The president continues to spread conspiracy theories about Dominion voting machines, without any evidence.
Trump is out here making defamatory statements about Dominion voting machines https://t.co/vc3MYux0xP— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609816742
Trump then starts talking about his controversial phone call with Georgian officials, which could land him in serious trouble, and claims ‘everyone loved my phone call.’
"Everyone loved my phone call" -- Trump on his widely criticized phone call with the Georgia secretary of state in… https://t.co/ezmdgd9j1O— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609816884
Trump goes on the attack of Section 230, which protects online platforms from legal liability for user-generated content.
"Section 230, we have to get rid of Section 230, politicians, or you're not gonna have a country very long" -- Trum… https://t.co/zbYZq7k2DP— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609817278
At this point, it is fairly obvious that Trump is still in campaign mode as he is literally reeling off policies.
"We will stop the radical indoctrination of our students and restore patriotic education to our schools" -- Trump h… https://t.co/T01OSISFg7— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609817419
Trump almost seems exhausted by his own speech and struggles to say the word ‘America.’
Trump somehow botches the word "America" https://t.co/PqZk5Mozxr— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609817564
Trump signs off his last rally as president in the same way that he has done so many others, by dancing to ‘YMCA’.
Trump caps off what's likely to be his last rally as president with some awkward dancing to "YMCA" https://t.co/9CES6AP4ze— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1609817976
And that was that. Hardly the way Trump would have liked to mark his last ever presidential rally but then again, this has hardly been the most normal of presidencies.
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