Key takeaways from Trump’s first rally speech after November election win | US Election 2024 News

Thousands of supporters greeted US President-elect Donald Trump in his first speech at a campaign rally in Arizona since his victory in the November election.

Trump used his usual aggressiveness, including escalating threats against Panama and sending a message to billionaire Elon Musk.

Here are some key points from the 75-minute speech:

The president-elect offers to talk about national unity

Trump seemed comfortable, enjoying his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, especially his superiority in the popular vote after not receiving the largest number of votes in 2016 or 2020.

He went so far as to talk about national unity, albeit with a side compliment to the defeated Democrats.

“We didn’t have a riot. We didn’t have anything. It was a beautiful thing to behold,” Trump said. “They just said, ‘We lost. And we want to try to bring everyone together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really try it.’

“There’s a spirit we have now that we didn’t have a short time ago,” said Trump, who likes to say his clear but close victory was a landslide.

Trump adds the Panama Canal to his tough international rhetoric

Besides his slogan “Make America Great Again,” Trump’s policy slogan that resonates most strongly among his supporters is “America First.” It outlines his criticisms of foreign aid, some US military interventions abroad, and his plans to impose sweeping tariffs on imported goods.

He focused on a new target on Sunday: the Panama Canal and the government of Panama. Trump has indicated that he will try to regain control of the canal if Panama does not adjust the tolls, which Trump insists are unfair.

He said the United States had been “robbed” and attacked 100-year-old former President Jimmy Carter for “foolishly” relinquishing control of the canal during his only term in the White House nearly half a century ago.

Within hours, Panama’s conservative President Jose Raul Molino, elected last May on a pro-business platform, rejected the idea as an affront to his country’s sovereignty.

This move continues a series of Trump’s criticisms of foreign leaders. He recently mocked Canada as a US state and referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “governor.”

Trump’s supporters love his boldness and say that he is simply using influence and popular pressure for the benefit of the United States. The actual policy outcomes remain to be seen.

Trump sends a message to Elon Musk

The president-elect drew a line on Sunday, indicating that he would look over his shoulder at Elon Musk, the richest man in the world.

Trump mocked recent Democratic suggestions that he would cede the presidency to Musk. “No, no. That’s not happening,” Trump said. “He’s not going to be president.”

However, accusations flowed freely after Musk’s social media posts helped broker a bipartisan congressional budget deal and pushed Washington to the brink of a partial government shutdown.

Trump also empowered Musk by appointing him as co-chair of the quasi-governmental “efficiency” committee charged with cutting federal spending.

Trump has long been accustomed to running his businesses, campaigns and the White House as the clear front man. He especially doesn’t like being outdone by his lieutenants. However, in Musk he has chosen an ally with a similar background and approach.

What he didn’t mention – definitions

Trump did not talk much about tariffs – a major plank in his economic program. Since his victory, Trump has notably declined to promise that broad tariffs would not lead to higher prices for American consumers. This issue came up in several sessions at the Turning Point conference. But not from the president-elect, even when he was considering other policy matters.

Trump also did not acknowledge any details about the recent budget battle in Washington, his role in it and his failure to convince House Republicans to raise the national debt ceiling, or limit on government borrowing – perhaps for the duration of his term.

That doesn’t mean Trump isn’t thinking about the fight he’ll have early in his term when the short-term congressional agreement expires in March.

But what is noteworthy is that he avoided the matter publicly after he explicitly addressed it last week.

Trump celebrates the expanded Republican coalition

The president-elect has enjoyed reliving political pundits’ analysis that his voter turnout efforts were weak — or “ground game” in campaign parlance.

He thanked Turning Point and its founder, Charlie Kirk, for their role in mobilizing votes and expanding the Republican Party coalition.

Trump singled out young, Latino, and black voters for their increased support compared to what he gained from those blocs four years ago.

“You had the grassroots armies of the tipping point party,” Trump said. “This is not my victory, this is your victory.”