President Trump held a rally in The Villages, less than one week after shots rang out at a function he was attending in Washington D.C.
When he arrived Friday afternoon at The Villages High School at Middleton, it marked his first big public event after an armed intruder forced the abrupt cancellation of the White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington D.C.
The assassination attempt hasn’t knocked any of the boldness out of Trump.
“No, you know I shouldn’t be here,” he told the audience that filled the high school gymnasium after a huge demand for tickets for the hastily announced presidential appearance. “There was an attempt, I won’t use the word, an attempt they say on my life.”
There were some high profile appearances this past week with King Charles of England within the confines of the White House, but this was Trump’s first big outing on the road since a heavily armed man attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Hilton Hotel, the very same hotel were President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
Trump said he felt great being in the safety and security of The Villages.
“What’s more secure than The Villages?” he asked, prompting screams of appreciation from the audience.
He also wanted to remind the senior citizen-dominated crowd of what he has done to protect their pocketbooks.
He pointed out that he fought for and won policies that eliminate taxes on tips, overtime, and most importantly to the audience in The Villages, Social Security.
He also announced that beginning July 1, Medicare will help pay for weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and GLP-1. He said Medicare recipients will be able to obtain the drugs for as little as $50 per month.
Even with those goodies for senior citizens, Trump’s biggest applause lines came from his other political promises and for insults aimed at his political enemies and the press.
Trump highlighted the work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and cited the importance of ongoing efforts aimed at getting illegal aliens “out of our country.” It brought the audience, many of them adorned in red, white and blue clothing, to its feet.
He also pointed a finger at the members of the media on a riser at the back of the room. He mocked the “fake news” and egged on the audience members, who turned and obediently booed the press corps.
He also viciously attacked Congressman Ilhan Omar, accusing her of marrying her brother and financial impropriety. He also went after California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
For those who could not get into the venue, they were thrilled to see Marine One landing at the sports complex at the high school.
