‘We’re going to finish what we started,’ Trump says in address to Maga Republicans at CPAC – live

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Trump said in attempts to stop the flow of illegal drugs, he will “take down the cartels” the same way that he took down the ISIS caliphate.

“We’re going to do another 200 miles of wall,” said Trump as he promises stricter crackdown on border crossings.

“We will seal it up and expand that wall until we have total control,” he added, pledging to make the first reconciliation bill he signs in the White House one that ensures more ICE border patrol agents and increased deportations.

“They’re emptying out their prisons…and their…insane asylums,” referring to the countries that refugees on the southern border are fleeing from (many of whom are in fact fleeing political violence, dire economic circumstances and persecution).

He then compared the so-called “insane asylums” as the ones featured in the 1991 thriller Silence of the Lambs.

“Before I arrive in the Oval Office, I will have the disastrous war between Russia and Ukraine ended,” said Trump, adding that he will get it done in “one day.”

“I know what to say,” he added.

Trump warns of WW3, saying that he is the only candidate that can prevent it

“This is the most dangerous time in our country’s history, and Joe Biden is leading us into oblivion,” said Trump as he went on to criticize the 2021 US pullout of Afghanistan that was spearheaded by the Biden administration.

“And you’re going to have World War Three, by the way. We’re going to have Word War Three if something doesn’t happen fast,” Trump said.

“I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War Three,” he said.

“I was the only president…where Russia didn’t take over a country during my term… I said, ‘Vladimir, don’t do it,’” said Trump, referring to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“With me, they took nothing and I didn’t even really have to threaten them very much. Putin knew that, [Chinese] president Xi knew that too,” he added.

“It would have never happened with me” Trump said as he condemned the alliance between China, Iran and Russia, blaming the closeness of the countries on the US’s “stupid oil policies.”

“Stopping the slide into costly…wars,” said Trump as he lists out his priorities should he become president.

He then went on a tirade against NATO members and how he urged other countries to “pay up” or lose American protection against any Russian threats.

“In 2016, I declared: I am your voice. Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution,” Trump said.

“I will totally obliterate the deep state. I will fire the unelected bureaucrats and shadow forces who have weaponized our justice system. And I will put the people back in charge of this country again,” he added.

He went on to attack the Biden administration, calling it the most “corrupt administration in American history.”

He also lashed out at Hunter Biden, calling him a “criminal” before calling Joe Biden a “criminal” as well.

The Guardian’s David Smith is in the room and will have a full report later.

The crowd has broken into applause and chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” as he promised to win the 2024 presidential campaign.

“When we win in 2024, we will do it again, even stronger, faster and better because now I am experienced,” he added.

“I know the people of Washington… I didn’t know them [before], I was from New York… But now I know the good ones, the bad ones, the weak ones, the strong ones, I know them all.”

The crowd then broke out into another chant, yelling, “USA! USA! USA!” to which Trump responded, “I didn’t know this was a rally. It really is a rally.”

Trump took a jab at Mitch McConnell, Republican minority leader of the Senate, saying, “We are never going to be a country ruled by…China loving politicians of which there are many.”

“You listening to this, Mitch McConnell, you listening?” he added.

Trump has previously attacked McConnell of being sympathetic to China, and has also called his wife and former transport secretary, Elaine Chao, “China’s loving wife.”

Trump went on to pledge that he will “beat the Democrats…and evict Joe Biden from the White House.”

“We will liberate America from these villains and scoundrels once and for all. When we started this journey, a journey like there has never been before…we had a Republican party that was ruled by freaks, neocons, globalist open borders zealots, and fools,” Trump added, lashing out at other members of the GOP.

“We are never going back to a party that wants to give unlimited money to fight foreign wars that are endless wars, that are stupid,” he continued, appearing to refer to the Ukraine war against the Russian invasion.

Trump: "We are going to finish what we started"

Donald Trump has walked on stage, opening his address with the “greatest battle of our lives taking place as we speak” and that “we are going to finish what we started,” to which the crowd responded with “Four more years, four more years!”

He also attacked the “people…who want to…turn this nation into a socialist dumping ground for criminals, junkies, Marxists, thugs, radicals and dangerous refugees that no other country wants…”

“If those opposing us succeed, our once beautiful will be a failed country,” he added.

This is hardly news to those following CPAC but Donald Trump just crushed it in the straw poll at the event asking who should be the Republican nominee for president in the 2024 election.

Trump received 62% support from those polled. Florida’s right-wing governor and Trump wannabe, Ron DeSantis, trailed with 20% support. DeSantis, of course, has not (yet) declared his candidacy for the White House.

DeSantis notably stayed away from CPAC as did many other senior Republicans.

Former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley is the highest-profile Republican running against Trump so far for the nomination, with others expected to follow soon, including perhaps Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Tim Scott and others. Pompeo was at CPAC yesterday, Pence and Scott also stayed away as did Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

Interim summary

It’s been a lively day at CPAC so far and soon the right-wing carnival in Maryland will play host to Donald Trump as the former president gives the closing keynote speech at the multi-day event. We’ll have a live stream of his appearance, so stay with the blog.

Here’s where things stand:

• Beyond CPAC, self-help author Marianne Williamson officially became the first Democrat to run for the presidency in 2024 in a challenge to US president Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. She kicked off another long-shot campaign in Washington, DC, earlier today. Leading Democrats, meanwhile, are lining up behind a Biden for a second term.

• Far right Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert threw around words like “woke” (a bad thing in her view, when it’s schools teaching America’s racial history) and “defund” (good in her view when it’s Republicans taking money away from what she considers sketchy federal agencies) when she took to the stage at CPAC.

• Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who was defeated by his comeback challenger from the left Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in recent elections, spoke at CPAC and condemned poverty, discrimination and environmental destruction – kidding, he condemned self-determination in gender identity, and gun safety laws.

• Donald Trump is last but not least of the speakers at CPAC today.

The Texas Republican party has voted to censure House representative Tony Gonzales over his recent party-splitting votes in Congress.

On Saturday, the State Republican Executive Committee voted 57-5 on the censure resolution.

The censure resolution “cited his support for the bipartisan gun law that passed last year, as well as his vote for a bill codifying protections for same-sex marriage. The resolution also pointed to his vote against the House rules package in January and his opposition to a border security bill being pushed by fellow Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Austin,” the Texas Tribune reports.

In a news conference on Thursday, Gonzales, a moderate Republican, defended his vote for the bipartisan gun law, saying, “I would vote twice on it if I could.”

“The reality is I’ve taken almost 1,400 votes, and the bulk of those have been with the Republican Party,” he added.

U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaking at a Congressional Hispanic Conference press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, US - 01 Feb 2023 Photograph: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

Marianne Williamson becomes first Democrat to challenge Biden

Self-help author Marianne Williamson has become the first Democrat to challenge president Joe Biden.

“I, as of today, am a candidate for the office of president of the United States,” Williamson said in a campaign kickoff in Washington DC on Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

“We need to submit to the American people an agenda of fundamental economic reform, universal healthcare, tuition-free colleges at state colleges and universities, higher education including tech schools, paternity and maternity leave, free childcare and a guaranteed living wage,” Williamson said in her campaign video.

“What the Democratic party should do is to truly return to the principles of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, not just alleviate people’s suffering but offer them genuine economic reform,” the New York Times bestselling author added.

In 2019, Williamson announced her presidential campaign for the 2020 election but went on to suspend her campaign a year later and endorsed Bernie Sanders instead.

“It’s time we get real leadership back in the White House, someone who actually cares about you and puts you first,” Boebert said as she praised Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

“We have just begun winning. We took back the House and I’m excited about our slim majority because that gave us leverage,” she added.

“I can’t wait to drag the '[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] into oversight and remind them of [separation of power],” Boebert added.

She went on to call for more secure borders and said that “we are not going to fund a borderless country…we are not going to fund tyranny,” she said.

Lauren Boebert condemns 'woke' federal agencies, promising to defund them

“We need to get more aggressive… There are many things we must do…that you American people have entrusted with,” said Colorado representative Lauren Boebert who has taken the stage following Lindell.

“We are going to make sure that all of these agencies that have been working against you…have an audit and if there is any woke program in these agencies, it is immediately defunded,” she said.

“We now fund the government as intended… This is our opportunity to not just get spending under control but to ensure that we have the right policies… Every diversity, equity, inclusion program…every woke initiative in our military must be uprooted and completely defunded,” she added.

“We will demand schools stop teaching our children to hate their country, hate their classmate for the color of their skin… Every one of these agencies need an audit… The federal government has become too big,” Boebert said.

The Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

“We want same-day voting, paper ballots, hand-counted. That’s going to save our country!” said Lindell as the crowd cheered.

“One machine, one button…just like how you send Gmails into the abyss, that’s how you send your votes into the abyss,” he said about voting machines.

“We are in the greatest revival for Jesus Christ in history,” Lindell went on to say.