Trump says his hourlong victory speech is 'not a speech, it's not anything'

Donald Trump spoke for an hour and three minutes in a White House ceremony on Thursday to celebrate Senate Republicans voting to acquit him and keep him in office. He whined about being impeached, praised Republicans for sticking with him, and attacked Democratic leaders for voting to punish him for his unethical actions.

“This is really not a news conference, it’s not a speech. It’s not anything,” Trump told the audience before launching into his remarks.

Trump posed with Washington Post front page

Echoing his actions at the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump held up the front page of the Washington Post with the headline “Trump Acquitted.”

Trump has often claimed the Post is “fake news” and claimed that he had ordered the government to no longer accept delivery of the paper.

Trump admitted he fired James Comey as part of a cover-up

“It was a disgrace. Had I not fired James Comey, who was a disaster by the way, it’s possible I wouldn’t even be standing here right now,” Trump said.

Trump called investigations into his wrongdoing “bullshit”

“There’s nothing from a legal standpoint. This is a political thing. And every time I’d say ‘this is unfair, let’s go to court.’ They’d say, ‘Sir, you can’t go to court, this is politics.’ We were treated unbelievably unfairly, and you have to understand we first went through Russia, Russia, Russia. It was all bullshit,” Trump said.

Trump claimed his children could never get away with corruption

Trump told his audience:

They don’t think it’s corrupt when a son that made no money, that got thrown out of the military, that had no money at all is working for $3 million dollars up front, $83,000 a month, and that’sonly Ukraine. Then he goes to China, picks up one and a half billion dollars. Then goes to Romania, I hear, and many other countries.

 

They think that’s okay. Because if it is — is Ivanka in the audience? Is Ivanka here? Boy my kids could make a fortune. They could make a fortune. It’s corrupt.

Trump’s sons run the Trump Organization, which includes the Washington, D.C., hotel where lobbyists, politicians, and foreign governments have stayed while doing business with the federal government. This practice has generated millions for the Trump family.

Trump awkwardly singled out multiple GOP members of Congress

Trump personally called out and supported Republicans who have defended him in Congress, on television, or both. Among those who received his attentions were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Louie Gohmert (R-TX).

When he called out Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) for praise, Trump went into a long and detailed retelling of the day when Rep. Scalise was shot during the congressional baseball game.

Trump called leading Democrats “horrible” people

TRUMP: Adam Schiff is a horrible person. Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person. And she wanted to impeach a long time ago. When she said, “I pray for the president. I pray for the president” – she doesn’t pray, she may pray but she prays for the opposite.

Trump reenacted a conversation between FBI agents

Returning to one of his favorite topics, Trump read aloud texts between FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. The texts have been central to Republican claims that all the investigations into Trump were motivated by a shadowy “deep state.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.