In Campaign Speech, Donald Trump Says He's A 'Proud Political Dissident' Who Would 'Rather Lose My Freedom Than Surrender To This Group Of Thugs'

Trump's remarks — which included his grievances against President Joe Biden and prosecutors he labeled as "tyrants" and "fascists" — came as he continues to navigate through 91 criminal charges, reported the Financial Times. 

“I stand before you today not only as your past and hopefully future president but as a proud political dissident,” Trump said.

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“I would rather lose my freedom than surrender to this group of thugs and tyrants, and fascists, scoundrels and rogues,” he added, citing Biden and “deranged” prosecutors.

“I told you that if Crooked Joe Biden got to the White House, our borders would be abolished, our middle class would be decimated, and our communities would be plagued by bloodshed, chaos and violent crime. We were right about everything,” Trump said.

CPAC, once a platform for traditional mainstream Republicans, is now largely controlled by Trump, his allies, and their staunch unilateralism, economic populism, and anti-immigration stance, according to the Financial Times. This year's conference slogan was "where globalism goes to die." 

Potential vice presidential candidates, including Kristi Noem, Elise Stefanik, and Ben Carson, also appeared at the conference, signaling their support for Trump's leadership.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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