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President Donald J. Trump delivered remarks in front of Iowans for the first time since he announced his 2024 campaign on Monday. A full Adler Theater hosted 2,400 people and thousands more tried to get in but couldn’t.

He opened his remarks by speaking extensively about accomplishments he had in his first term when it comes to farmers and ethanol.

He then pivoted to the 2020 Election, but didn’t stay there for long, noting he received more votes than any other sitting President in U.S. history — even though some say the “other guy” got 80 million votes.

“I don’t think so,” Trump said. “I don’t think so. He did one hell of a job from his basement. But that’s what it is. It’s a very sad situation.”

Trump touted a lengthy list of accomplishments, including a travel ban to “ban radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country” and “reparations” from China.

Trump vowed to “cancel” every Biden policy after he is inaugurated in 2025.

He also spoke at length about negotiations with foreign governments and how he worked to get something out of those countries for the help America was providing. He said one country was receiving protection from America but buying its military equipment from Russia. They asked for more protection, and Trump instead said they’d be getting nothing.

“I mean, how stupid are we,” Trump asked. “I went through these conversations for four years. The dumbest conversations I’ve ever had. But they all came alive.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who hasn’t announced a presidential bid yet, was the only person potentially challenging Trump for the nomination who Trump bothered to mention. But when he did mention DeSantis, he went on the attack.

Trump said DeSantis “strongly opposed” ethanol and “fought against it at every turn.”

“And he’s going to do it again,” Trump said.

Trump also went after DeSantis for fighting against Social Security and Medicare. Trump said DeSantis wants to “decimate” Social Security and voted against it three times. He also said DeSantis wanted to raise the minimum retirement age to 70 and severely cut Medicare.

“I will not be cutting Medicare and I will not be cutting Social Security,” Trump said. “Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan, who was a RINO loser, who currently is destroying Fox and would constantly vote against entitlements.”

Trump claimed Mitt Romney lost in 2012 due to Paul Ryan.

“To be honest with you, Ron reminds me a lot of Mitt Romney,” Trump said. “So I don’t think you’re going to be doing so well here.”

Trump said he would immediately end the “invasion” at America’s Southern border. Two years ago, he said, America had the most secure border in history.

“We will quickly do that again,” he said.

He explained how he was able to convince Mexico to implement a stay-in-Mexico policy and send 28,000 of their own soldiers to keep people from illegally entering America. Despite resistance from the Mexican government, Trump said he threatened to slap tariffs on goods from Mexico that would have amounted to “tens of billions” of dollars.

“‘Sir, uh, we’d be happy to do it,'” he said.

Election integrity was Trump’s next topic, saying if you look at all the things the Left does, they can’t win elections without cheating.

Trump called for Republican governors across the country to champion three election integrity reforms — paper ballots, Voter ID and same-day voting. The only reason to oppose voter ID, Trump said, is to cheat.

He promised to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine and lambasted the Biden Administration for its Afghanistan withdrawal. He predicted a major war with China or others if he doesn’t win in 2024.

He hammered Biden’s economic policies, noting that the stock market had its worst year last year since 1929 before returning to foreign policy by noting that Saudi Arabia made a deal with Iran through China. And Biden has essentially pushed Russia into an alliance with China.

“What they’ve done to our country in two years is unthinkable,” Trump said. “I am the only candidate who can make this promise — I will prevent World War III.”

Trump said he is opposed by globalists, neocons and communists who have tried to use every witchhunt and hoax to upend his political prospects. And he defended his famed term — MAGA.

“They hate to use what it means,” he said. “The term is simple — it’s Make America Great Again.”

He criticized the Justice Department for ignoring the Biden corruption while breaking the law to prosecute Trump.

“Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know that we are the only ones who can stop them,” Trump said. “I will totally obliterate the Deep State, I will fire the unelected bureaucrats who have weaponized our justice system, I will direct the Department of Justice to go over Marxist’s prosecutors’ offices to make them pay for illegal, race-based enforcement of the law.”

Trump said he would revoke China’s status as a most favored nation and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for “unleashing the China Virus upon the world.”

Trump attacked “Paul Ryan Republicans” once again when saying he would defend and protect Social Security and Medicare.

“The RINOs — they’re the worst,” he said. “At least you know where the Democrats are coming from — and it’s not a good place. But the RINOs, sometimes you don’t know (where they’re coming from).”

Trump called for “baby bonuses” in an effort to spur a new baby boom. He said he would sign an executive order cutting federal funding for any school pushing Critical Race Theory or transgender insanity.

“And any other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our children,” he said. “They’re children.”

Trump noted it was the biggest applause line of the night and 10 years ago nobody would’ve known what he was talking about, but now he said some people are mutilating children without parental permission.

“Our country has gone crazy with this nonsense,” he said. “I really believe it’s people that hate our country. It has to be.”

Trump promised to keep men out of women’s sports, joking that he could be the best basketball coach in history because he would choose to coach a women’s team but have all male players. He said while he isn’t a fan of LeBron James, he’d ask LeBron if he ever thought of becoming a woman.”

“And I would not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate,” Trump said.

The education issues drew by far the most applause and enthusiasm from the crowd. He made school choice a central issue in his closing. Trump called for allowing parents to elect a principal if they don’t like the principal they have. He said he would dismantle the Department of Education and said the system isn’t working.

“If you put me back in the White House, the reign of the corrupt Washington establishment will be over,” he said. “With your support in these Iowa caucuses, we’re going to complete our mission. We’re going to see that job through.

“The people of Iowa have always been there for me. Somehow we had a great relationship right from the very beginning. And I can honestly say that I’ve always been there for you and I’ll always be there with you. We will end the era of weaponized government forever. We will end woke. We will crush the Deep State. We will defend our farmers. We will evict Joe Biden from the White House. And we will Make America Great Again.”

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