Interia cooperates with the world's leading editorial offices. As part of our “Interia Closer to the World” series, every Friday we publish the most interesting writings from opinion-shaping foreign newspapers. The Washington Post, the source of the article below, was founded in 1877 and is the oldest newspaper in the United States. The journalist has won 73 Pulitzer Prizes.
“Are you ready for Trump's 28th year?” – Influential podcast host and former chief strategist to Donald Trump, at the 112th Annual Young Republicans Club in New York on Sunday・We asked Stephen K. Bannon, who was also the keynote speaker at the dinner.
The audience of 1,000 people roared in approval. Bannon then suggested he would consult with another Trump ally, Mike Davis, who suggested that Trump could seek a third term by using a loophole in the Constitution. did.
Mr. Davis, a prominent figure in right-wing media and an authority on legal issues connected to Mr. Trump, sat and listened as Mr. Bannon said his name. But did he actually suggest to Bannon that Trump might run a third time? – Of course not! Davis later told reporters. “It's crazy,” he added.
Will Donald Trump get a third term? Republicans talk about constitutional loopholes
Why is it crazy? The 22nd Amendment states, “No person shall be elected to the office of President more than twice, nor shall any person hold the office of President or hold office for more than two years for the term for which he was elected. No one has ever served as president.” The office of President shall be elected more than once.
But some on the right argue, without any legal basis, that the amendment would apply to two consecutive terms, allowing Trump to run for a third term at age 82.
President Trump did not attend the dinner in his hometown. He didn't have to do it, but all the speakers there praised him anyway. Guests carried handbags and scarves with his name embroidered on them. Some women wore Trumpian hair clips to secure their elaborate updos. Several men wore red MAGA hats (an abbreviation for “Make America Great Again” – editor's note). The president-elect recorded two video speeches that were played on a giant screen in the hall.
While President Trump's media allies Jack Posowiec and Alex Brucewicz move around the cavernous halls, Bannon and other Trump advisers, British politicians and Brexiteers, We were greeted by Nigel Farage. Brusewitz fainted during his speech and fell off the stage, but host Raheem Kassam later assured the audience that the man was recovering.
Best performance since 1988
Corey Lewandowski, who served as President Trump's first campaign manager in 2016, praised the president-elect's nominations to lead key agencies in the new administration, including the nomination of Kash Patel to head the FBI. , yelled “Shut up!” to quiet the audience. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi will serve as attorney general. Lewandowski also warned that “those who exceed their authority under the Biden administration will be held accountable under the Trump administration.”
Overall, the event was held in one of the bluest cities in the country (with a majority of Democratic voters) and celebrated President Trump's victories, especially in his “neighborhoods.” The Republican won 30% of the vote in New York, 7 percentage points higher than in 2020, and the highest percentage of votes received by a Republican candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
The ceremony in Manhattan was the culmination of a series of events in New York aimed at restoring ties between Trump and his hometown after nearly a decade on ice. He organized large rallies in the Bronx and Long Island. He chose Madison Square Garden as the venue for the campaign's grand finale. The event drew attention due to racist jokes and rhetoric from some speakers.
Ultimately, Trump made significant gains among New York's many ethnic groups, and by his own admission, his New York strategy helped him far beyond the city's borders.
A born New Yorker. The city has linked him to the protests.
Mr. Trump, who was born in Queens, made his name in Manhattan. But New York State turned its back on him during his presidency. Any visit to his hometown was almost certain to be accompanied by protests. He eventually left the city and moved to a mansion at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida, which he made his permanent home.
Participants at Sunday's dinner agreed that New York's election results were a real relief for Mr. Trump.
“Trump not only won the election, he won the culture battle,” said Matt Gaetz, a former Republican congressman from Florida who recently withdrew his candidacy for attorney general amid allegations. The politician is suspected of an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old boy (a girl who committed violations of human trafficking and illegal drug use). Mr. Gates denied these allegations. – It was more than politics. It was a cultural movement, he said of the Republican victory.
Gates' conversation with reporters was interrupted by a woman wearing a bejeweled black dress and elbow-length red gloves. She just wanted to express that she's a “huge fan” of his and is excited to finally be able to safely wear “MAGA gloves” around town. “More and more people want to join this movement,” Gates replied.
Republican Myths. “Second term, third win”
Meanwhile, echoes of Trump's false claims flowed freely from the podium like wine.
– Donald John Trump places his hand on the King James Bible and takes the presidential oath. Bannon said it was his third win and second term, casually repeating the repeatedly debunked theory that Trump won the 2020 election. – Trump won in 2020. – he asked from the stage. The crowd cheered, but apparently it wasn't loud enough. – Was Trump president or not? I can't hear you! – exclaimed Bannon at one point.
In a sea of tuxedos, Bannon wore his signature layered shirt and button-down vest under a waxed jacket. Bannon, the same man who served time in federal prison for contempt of Congress, is scheduled to go on trial next year on state charges related to the failed wall movement. He pleaded not guilty.
During the dinner, Mr. Bannon said during last year's gala, the club's president urged President Trump to hold a rally in the South Bronx, a working-class neighborhood made up of mostly blacks and Latinos. He recalled that he had suggested that.
The future of the Republican Party. Who will be president in 2028?
Earlier in the evening, Dan Scavino, a longtime adviser to President Trump who started working as a Republican caddy at age 16, praised the president's political turnaround. “When we left the White House, many said we were politically dead, the game was over,” Scavino began. – But everyone in this room stood up and supported Donald J. Trump.
“Because of you, I'll be back in the White House with the president in 35 days,” Scavino told the crowd, before taking a phone call from Trump onstage and stepping into the microphone for the president-elect to speak. I spoke. directly to the crowd.
President Trump thanked those in attendance, but said his campaign “almost won New York,” even though Vice President Kamala Harris had a nearly 13-point lead in the state. mentioned later. He then suggested that Republicans would have another chance within four years.
Even though Bannon's previous comments hinted at a third term for Trump, the president-elect's own comments showed he knew the party had to move forward in 2028. . “Maybe in four years someone else will have to worry about this,” he says. And he added: – But we will help him.
The text is translated from “Washington Post”. Author: Sarah Ellison
Translation: Nina Nowakowska
Titles, subheadings, and abbreviations are those of the editors.
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