Former President Donald Trump urged the crowd at Turning Point Action Believers’ Summit to show up to the polls in November because the Democrats “want to cheat” in elections, promising an administration that will “fix” issues so Christians will only have to vote “just this time.”
Speaking in West Palm Beach Friday evening, the former president and GOP presidential nominee laid out his policy plans if reelected to office in November. He also took several shots at Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, who Trump called “the most incompetent, unpopular and far-left vice president in American history.”
Trump’s speech played into the conservative summit’s themes, which are tailored to “unite Christians across America,” per the event’s website. He promised his administration would cut federal funding for public schools that teach “critical race theory, transgender insanity and other inappropriate, racial, sexual or political content,” a growing movement among the political right who argue such topics “indoctrinate” students.
The former president also said he would “keep men out of women’s sports,” “protect innocent life” and “secure our elections,” referring to Republican efforts to require those registering to vote in federal elections to require documentary proof of their citizen status. Many Democratic lawmakers have pushed back on such requirements, saying that they would disenfranchise already marginalized voters.
Trump said on Friday that Democrats have “only one reason” why they do not support legislation to enact voter registration reform: “Because they want to cheat.”
“Republicans must win,” Trump said. “We have to win this election, [the] most important election ever. We want a landslide that’s too big to rig.”
“I don’t care how, but you have to get out and vote and again,” he added. “Christians, get out and vote just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It will be fixed. It will be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
Trump has baselessly claimed that the U.S. election system is marred by widespread voter fraud after losing to President Joe Biden in 2020. There has been no evidence to substantiate these claims, which have also been pushed by supporters of the former president.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s press team for further comment on his statements.
Snippets of Trump’s statements quickly circulated on social media, and some critics accused the former president of saying that he plans to cancel future presidential elections if reelected to the White House. Ron Filipkowski, an attorney and frequent critic of Trump, reposted a video from the Turning Point event to his X, formerly Twitter, account, writing, “Just remember, we told you who he was and what he intends to do.”
“He tells you with his own words,” Filipkowski added. “Wake up, America. End this lunacy at the ballot box this November.”
Former Illinois Congressman and Republican Joe Walsh also reposted Trump’s comments, writing to X, “Defend that, Trump supporters. Please. Defend that.”
The X account Republicans Against Trump reacted to the statements by pointing to Trump’s past comments about being a dictator “on day one” if reelected to the White House.
“Old Trump: I’ll be a dictator for ‘one day,’” read the account’s post. “New Trump: strongly suggests that if he wins there will be no more elections in this country. Our democracy is on the line. Vote!”
Trump made the controversial “dictator” comment while speaking with Fox News‘ Sean Hannity in December, telling the host that he won’t be a dictator in his second term “except on day one.”
He later repeated the statement during a keynote speech at the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala that same month, saying, “I said I want to be a dictator for one day. You know why I wanted to be a dictator? Because I want a wall, and I want to drill, drill, drill.”
Democrats have repeatedly pointed to Trump’s statements as an example of the former president being a “threat” to American democracy. Trump’s supporters have suggested that such rhetoric contributed to the failed assassination attempt against the former president at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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