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"You don't mind if I go off script a little bit? Because it's a little boring," President Donald Trump said, pointing at the teleprompter set in front of him as he spoke to packed hall at the 2018 Conservative Political Action Conference Friday. Always the entertainer, the president veered off his prepared remarks, largely improvising a rally-style speech for 77 minutes that hit all the high notes from his 2016 campaign.
Knowing his audience, the president touted his accomplishments, including tax cuts, withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, and moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. The president repeated his call to allow teachers to be armed to prevent future school shootings and warned that should the Democrats take power in the 2018 midterms, they would "take away your Second Amendment, which we will never allow to happen."
This speech was hated by pundits, members of the media, and other verified leftists.
There’s not much going on in the world so it makes a lot of sense to spend an hour and 15 minutes (and counting) on… https://t.co/kWbpuKiO58— Sam Stein (@Sam Stein) 1519403359.0
This speech at CPAC is demagogic, vapid, intellectually dishonest and just plain old fashioned idiotic. If someone… https://t.co/cehGtEgwIi— Steve Schmidt (@Steve Schmidt) 1519402105.0
All the familiar attacks. Trump "despises free speech" because he ridiculed a protester.
Trump *really* despises free speech and a citizen’s right to protest, doesn’t be. That in itself is hugely unpatrio… https://t.co/7S5OINayKI— Mike P Williams (@Mike P Williams) 1519407287.0
Trump is a hypocrite who wants to "force guns into our schools."
Guns aren't allowed inside the #CPAC2018 forum while the President speaks, but he has the audacity to go on in his… https://t.co/b7FSAmkLX2— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1519402022.0
Trump is "xenophobic" or anti-immigrant.
Trump just read a poem in which he called immigrants SNAKES. This is applause for that poem at #CPAC. The @GOP is… https://t.co/Haq60V6bmq— Andy Juett (@Andy Juett) 1519403518.0
#CPAC That Trump is equating immigrants/immigration to snakes -- a creature that summons up worst fears/phobia amon… https://t.co/Ka2hyZsHTm— Aaron David Miller (@Aaron David Miller) 1519402977.0
Spoiler alert: Trump is not anti-immigrant.
Earlier in the speech, he said that he wanted people coming in, albeit based on merit, which is the same line he's… https://t.co/vwGWJpGpyc— Nate Madden (@Nate Madden) 1519403544.0
But those weren't even the hottest takes. A political reporter for NBC News criticized the president for "mock[ing]" the Parkland school resource officer who neglected his duty and stayed outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during an active shooting in which 17 people were killed.
Ben Shapiro pointed out the flagrant hypocrisy.
So, just to get this straight, it's fine if the entire media calls out the NRA for an event they had nothing to do… https://t.co/hpFZ4Sl2kF— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1519402559.0
The haters may live on Twitter, but the crowd at CPAC loved Trump's speech, cheering wildly and giving the president standing ovations. Here are some of the highlights:
.@RealDonaldTrump has proven he is a conservative. #CPAC2018 https://t.co/5daYK71lRN— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519399148.0
.@realDonaldTrump describes the recent tax cuts. #CPAC2018 #CPAC #ATimeForAction https://t.co/HSErP9nOkT— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519399548.0
"We officially recognized Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel" @realDonaldTrump #CPAC2018 #CPAC #ATimeForAction https://t.co/0Sr6IVXBzs— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519400745.0
Don't worry, we are getting the wall. @realDonaldTrump #CPAC2018 #TenFeetTaller https://t.co/dP7QRd6O81— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519401003.0
.@realDonaldTrump takes time to remember the lives tragically lost at #Parkland. #CPAC2018 #CPAC #ATimeForAction https://t.co/cyY9dHQVdL— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519401720.0
"It's time to make our schools a much harder target." @realDonaldTrump #CPAC2018 #ATimeForAction https://t.co/k0eyJN3fSx— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519401632.0
.@POTUS: "The democrats are being totally unresponsive, they don't want to do anything about DACA." #CPAC2018 https://t.co/XNEwCIPzZe— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519402578.0
"I want people coming into this country based on merit" @realDonaldTrump #CPAC2018 #CPAC #ATimeForAction https://t.co/jTHwk1NhX1— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519402589.0
.@realDonaldTrump: "2.7 million jobs created since the election." #CPAC2018 #ATimeForAction https://t.co/tdzRG1wHRZ— CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747) (@CPAC 2020 (Text CPAC to 474747)) 1519403066.0
This speech, clearly, was atypical for a president. But fortunately, it's the majority of the American people, not the pundits on Twitter, who will judge the president.
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