President Donald Trump is traveling to New Hampshire Friday evening where he will hold a short rally then head back home to the White House.
As the presidential motorcade made its way to Joint Base Andrews to board Air Force One the White House press pool released some very descriptive details.
Most press poolers try to capture the scene wherever they go, delivering descriptions including information about the weather, sometimes what the president is wearing, if there are supporters or protestors and what they're doing.
This particular scene apparently offered a large number of details.
"The president's motorcade moved down Pennsylvania Avenue on a route that took us past throngs of protesters who are presumably here for the events marking the anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington," the pool report reads.
"Many of the protesters along the avenue greeted the motorcade with raised middle fingers," it notes.
"There were far too many middle fingers to count. Several of the peope in the crowd opted to raise both of their middle fingers in a double barreled one finger salute," it continues. "Some of the protesters waved signs. A few that were clearly legible read 'BLM' and 'BLACK LIVES MATTER.' One man's sign that was visible from the motorcade said, 'WHITE SILENCE = BLACK DEATH.'"
Just filed a rather unusual pool report - "One fingered salutes along Pennsylvania Avenue." https://t.co/PvwcjoFGsO
Former President Donald Trump spoke for nearly two hours in his closing address at the CPAC summit in Dallas.
In Trump's view, America has been destroyed in the 18 months since he left office, with out-of-control crime, inflation, and oddly enough unemployment, which Trump estimates to be three times the official number.
Trump took the stage to the song "God Bless the USA" and began by thanking the "proud patriots" in attendance.
Trump said he was proud to be joined by Rep. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX), who was his White House surgeon.
"He was an admiral, a doctor, and now he's a congressman," Trump noted, saying he asked him which was the best.
"And he sort of indicated doctor, because he loved to look at my body. It was so strong and powerful," Trump said.
Trump then introduced Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
"This is no time for complacency," Trump warned. "We have to seize this opportunity to deal with the radical left socialist lunatic fascists. We have to hit them very, very hard. It has to be a crippling defeat."
He went on to complain about Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) for supporting the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed a procedural vote after Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote while Trump was speaking, resulting in harsh words for GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
"But McConnell is the most unpopular politician in the country, even more so than crazy Nancy Pelosi, and something has to be done," Trump urged.
Trump said Biden "surrendered our strength and our everything [in Afghanistan], they surrendered our dignity."
Michael Hardy, senior editor at the Texas Monthly, was one of the local journalists covering the speech. He said that line had "echoes of the Nazi 'stab in the back theory' of losing WW1."
He then described crime in "Democrat-run (sic) cities" in very dark terms.
"The streets of our Democrat-run cities are drenched in the blood of innocent victims," Trump claimed. "Bullets are killing little beautiful little children who never had a chance. Car jackers lay in wait like predators."
Hardy described that as "some literal blood-and-soil rhetoric."
And Trump went on saying "we need to courage to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done," which Hardy said "is a rallying cry for street violence and worse."
Trump went on to call for a military takeover of San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Portland.
"Trump's rhetoric is significantly more extreme than even a few years ago," Hardy said. "This might be most frightening speech I've ever heard. Full-on, unapologetic fascism. Trump has either been reading Mein Kampf or having someone read it to him."
Trump repeatedly his lies about election fraud and teased a 2024 presidential comeback.
Former RNC official Tim Miller said, "I know everyone in the DC GOP is just hoping Trump will die but it’s impossible to watch this CPAC speech and not come to the conclusion that he’s going to run and be very hard to beat in a primary. Sorry to be the bearer of bad weekend news."
After his speech, Trump danced on stage to the song "Hold On I'm Coming" by Sam and Dave.
"Don't you ever feel sad; lean on me when times are bad," Sam and Dave sang. "Then the day comes and you're down; in a river of trouble and about to drown. Just hold on, I'm coming. Hold on, I'm coming."
The United States Senate on Saturday opened debate on the Inflation Reduction Act as former President Donald Trump gave the closing address at the CPAC summit in Texas.
"50-50, Senate votes to open debate on the Democrats’ reconciliation bill, with VP Harris breaking the tie, opening up an intense couple days on their party’s health and climate package that Republicans vigorously oppose," CNN's Manu Raju reported from Washington, D.C.
In Dallas, Trump based Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Trump said, "Mitch McConnell as hurt our party very badly. Should have never happened."
"And I said it and I said it publicly when they approved that horrible infrastructure deal and then they go and do this, and they're not finished -- they still have a little time left," Trump said.
"But McConnell is the most unpopular politician in the country, even more so than crazy Nancy Pelosi, and something has to be done," Trump said.
In June, Arizona Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake lost the "Queen of Phoenix drag queens" as a friend in a hilarious public spat. Speaking at the CPAC summit in Dallas on Saturday, Lake revealed that it wasn't the only friendship the former Obama supporter has lost.
After Lake tweeted, "They kicked God out of schools and welcomed the Drag Queens," Rick Stevens, who performs as Barbara Seville, called Lake a "complete hypocrite."
Seville publicly posted to Facebook, "I've performed for Kari's birthday, I've performed in her home (with children present,) and I've performed for her at some of the seediest bars in Phoenix. She's come to my parties and has been asked to leave because door people thought she was too intoxicated to remain on premises."
"Kari was a friend of mine, and I stood by her when she turned to the right," the post continued, using the past tense to describe the relationship. "I reached out (and she responded repeatedly) when she took a public drubbing."
Apparently, this wasn't the only friendship shattered by the election denier's campaign.
"We have to be willing to be attacked," Lake said at CPAC. "And we've got to be willing to lose a friend or two. Or fifty."
"I think I've lost about 150," Lake revealed, with a smile.
