Trump Reelection Kicks Off;Radical Dems06/19 06:13

   President Donald Trump jabbed at the press and poked the eye of the 
political establishment he ran against in 2016 as he kicked off his reelection 
campaign with a grievance-filled rally that focused more on settling scores 
than laying out his agenda for a possible second term.

   ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- President Donald Trump jabbed at the press and poked 
the eye of the political establishment he ran against in 2016 as he kicked off 
his reelection campaign with a grievance-filled rally that focused more on 
settling scores than laying out his agenda for a possible second term.

   Addressing a crowd of thousands at Orlando's Amway Center on Tuesday night, 
Trump complained he was "under assault from the very first day" of his 
presidency by a "fake news media" and an "illegal witch hunt" that had tried to 
keep him and his supporters down.

   He painted a disturbing picture of what life would look like if he loses in 
2020, accusing his critics of "un-American conduct" and saying Democrats "want 
to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it."

   "A vote for any Democrat in 2020 is a vote for the rise of radical socialism 
and the destruction of the American dream," he said. Trump made only passing 
mention of any of the Democrats running to replace him even as he tossed out 
"radical" and "unhinged" to describe the rival party.

   The apocalyptic language and finger-pointing made clear that Trump's 2020 
campaign will probably look a whole lot like his run three years ago. Even 
after two-and-a-half years in the Oval Office, Trump remains focused on 
energizing his base and offering himself as a political outsider running 
against Washington.

   In his speech, Trump spent considerably more time focused on former 
Democratic rival Hillary Clinton than on his current 2020 challengers, even 
though she is not on the ballot.

   Thousands of Trump supporters began gathering outside the arena on Monday.

   "Trump has been the best president we've ever had," said Ron Freitas, a 
retired Merchant Marine and registered Democrat from Orlando.

   Hundreds of anti-Trump protesters clapped and took photos when a 20-foot 
(6-meter) blimp of a snarling Trump baby in a diaper was inflated. Some members 
of the far-right hate group Proud Boys were also spotted marching in Orlando 
outside the rally.

   Trump aides scheduled the kickoff near the four-year anniversary of the day 
when the former reality television star and New York tabloid fixture launched 
his longshot campaign for president with a famous escalator ride in front of a 
crowd that included paid actors.

   Trump spoke fondly of his 2016 race, calling it "a defining moment in 
American history." He said that in the years since, he had upended Washington, 
staring down "a corrupt and broken political establishment" and restoring a 
government "of, for and by the people."

   He never has really stopped running. He filed for re-election on January 20, 
2017, the day of his inauguration, and held his first 2020 rally in February, 
2017, in nearby Melbourne. He has continued holding his signature "Make America 
Great Again" rallies in the months since.

   Trump asked the crowd whether he should stick with "Make America Great 
Again" or upgrade his slogan. His new one --- "Keep America Great" --- was 
greeted with boisterous cheers.

   Trump is hoping to replicate the dynamics that allowed him to take charge of 
the Republican Party and then the presidency as an insurgent intent on 
disrupting the status quo. In 2016, he successfully appealed to disaffected 
voters who felt left behind by economic dislocation and demographic shifts. He 
has no intention of abandoning that mantle, even if he is the face of the 
institutions he looks to disrupt.

   The president underscored that on the eve of the rally in must-win Florida, 
returning to the hardline immigration themes of his first campaign by tweeting 
that next week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement "will begin the process of 
removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into 
the United States."

   That promise, which came with no details and sparked Democratic 
condemnation, seemed to offer a peek into a campaign that will largely be 
fought along the same lines as his first bid, with very few new policy 
proposals for a second term.

   Early Democratic front-runner Joe Biden said Trump's politics are "all about 
dividing us" in ways that are "dangerous --- truly, truly dangerous."

   Another leading Democratic contender, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, said 
Trump had delivered "an hour-and-a-half speech of lies, distortions and total, 
absolute nonsense."

   But those involved in the president's reelection effort believe that his 
version of populism, combined with his mantra to "Drain the Swamp," still 
resonates, despite his administration's ties with lobbyists and corporations 
and the Trump family's apparent efforts to profit off the presidency.

   Advisers believe that, in an age of extreme polarization, many Trump backers 
view their support for the president as part of their identity, one not easily 
shaken. They point to his seemingly unmovable support with his base supporters 
as evidence that he is still viewed the same way he was as a candidate: a 
political rebel.

   Trump tried to make the case that he had made good on his 2016 promises, 
including cracking down on illegal immigration and boosting jobs.

   Near the end of the rally, Trump ran through a list of promises for a second 
term, pledging a new immigration system, new trade deals, a health care 
overhaul and a cure for cancer and "many diseases," including the eradication 
of AIDS in America.


(KA)