Donald Trump promised before his speech at the Republican National Convention that he would not refer to Joe Biden by name, but the former president couldn’t resist criticizing the current president on Thursday night.
During his marathon speech, the Republican presidential candidate almost kept his word.
But after recounting his near-death assassination attempt, criticizing “open borders” and electric vehicle mandates, he decided to take the risk.
“If you take the ten worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of them as the ten worst, add them up and they won’t have done the damage that Biden has done.”
Trump continued: ‘I’m only going to use the term once, Biden, I’m not going to use the name again, just once.’
Donald Trump is joined on stage by his wife Melania and members of his family.
Donald Trump, left, stands on stage with Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance.
Former President Donald Trump promised before his convention speech that he would not mention Joe Biden. However, he couldn’t resist saying the president’s name, which he said out loud twice.
Trump not only invoked Biden’s name, he said it twice.
He later referred to Biden as a “person” and, even more vaguely, as the White House.
Despite breaking a promise — or two, depending on who’s counting — Trump promised in no uncertain terms to take two major policy steps on Day 1.
The most urgent measure I would take would be to invoke executive action to stop the flow of migrants crossing illegally into the United States.
He said — and government statistics bear this out — that the flow of migrants crossing illegally has broken records, and he is now promising to fix it, similar to his 2016 pledge to “build that wall.”
“At the heart of the Republican platform is our commitment to ending this border nightmare and fully restoring the sacred and sovereign borders of the United States of America,” he told the crowd of adoring conservatives.
“And that’s what we’re going to do on day one,” he added, receiving a standing ovation.
But that wasn’t his only promise on the first day.
“I will end the electric vehicle mandate on day one,” he said to another round of applause.
‘This is how the American automobile industry is saved from total destruction, as is happening right now.’
“And save American customers thousands and thousands of dollars per vehicle.”
He criticized the United Auto Workers union for its role in the decline of the U.S. auto industry.
“They should have no shame… and the leader of the United Auto Workers union should be fired immediately.”
Trump greets supporters at Republican National Convention with same clenched fist as when he was shot
The former first couple and their running mates pose together on stage after the speech.
Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (center), along with former US First Lady Melania Trump (right), US Senator from Ohio and 2024 Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance (left) and his wife Usha Vance (second left), leave the stage after accepting their party’s nomination on the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Trump said on his first day in office that he would address the “open border” and eliminate electric vehicle mandates
Trump also claimed the union was playing a role in expanding China’s auto manufacturing capabilities to factories in Mexico, which he said was a scheme to undermine American automakers.
“We’re going to get auto manufacturing back and get it back quickly,” the former president said to a roar of support.