PHOENIX (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump came to Arizona on Sunday for his first rally speech since winning the November election.
He was greeted by thousands of adoring supporters who confirmed his popularity across the conservative base. Trump attempted in his 75-minutes on stage to go beyond his core supporters. But he also employed his usual aggressiveness, including ratcheting up threats against Panama and sending a message to billionaire Elon Musk. Here are some takeaways from the speech:
President-elect tests unity message alongside characteristic bombast
Trump spoke for about 75 minutes, much of it a typical Donald Trump speech – plenty of quips about the U.S. being “ripped off” and more false assertions that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, won the 2020 presidential election. But Trump was nonetheless relaxed, relishing his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November, especially prevailing in the popular vote after not getting the most votes in 2016 or 2020. He went so far as to offer talk of national unity — though with a sideways compliment to vanquished Democrats.
“We had no riots. We had no anything. It was a beautiful thing to watch,” Trump said. “They just said, ‘We lost.’ And we want to try bringing everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot.”
Trump, who likes to say that his clear but close victory was a landslide, argued: “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”
Trump adds Panama Canal to his international tough talk
Besides his “Make America Great Again” motto, Trump’s policy brand that resonates so strongly with his supporters is “America First.” It encapsulates his criticisms of foreign aid, certain U.S. military interventions overseas and his plans to impose sweeping tariffs on imported goods.
He focused on a new target Sunday: the Panama Canal and Panama’s government. Trump suggested he would try to regain control of the canal if Panama does not adjust passage fees that Trump insists are unfair. He said the U.S. is being “ripped off” and took a shot at 100-year-old former President Jimmy Carter for “foolishly” ceding control of canal during his one White House term almost a half century ago.
Within hours, Panama’s conservative president, José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in May on a pro-business platform, rejected the idea as an affront to his country’s sovereignty.
The move continues a run of Trump poking at foreign leaders. He recently mocked Canada as a U.S. state and referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor.” Trump’s supporters love the brashness and argue he is simply using leverage and public pressure to U.S. advantage. The actual policy outcomes remain to be seen.
Trump sends Elon Musk a message
Trump doesn’t seem to mind the idea of having two presidents at a time as long as it involves him getting a jump on succeeding outgoing President Joe Biden. Trump went to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral. He was feted at the Army-Navy football game.
But the president-elect drew a line Sunday at the suggestion that he will be looking over his shoulder at Elon Musk, the world’s richest man.
Trump mocked Democrats’ recent suggestions that Trump has ceded the presidency to Musk. “No, no. That’s not happening,” Trump said. “He’s not gonna be president.”
Still, the charge flowed freely after Musk’s social media posts helped spike one bipartisan congressional budget deal and pushed Washington to the brink of a partial government shut down. Trump also has empowered Musk by naming him as co-chair of a quasi-government “efficiency” commission charged with slashing federal spending.
Trump has long been accustomed to running his businesses, his campaigns and the White House as the clear No. 1. And he notably does not like to be outshone by lieutenants. In Musk, though, he has opted for an ally who has the same background and approach.
What he did not mention: tariff details and Washington budget fight
Trump did not talk much about tariffs — a key plank in his economic platform. Since winning, Trump has notably declined to promise that widespread tariffs would not result in higher prices for U.S. consumers. The issue came up in several sessions at the Turning Point convention. But not from the president-elect, even as he ticked through other policy matters.
The president-elect also did not acknowledge any details of the recent budget fight in Washington, his part in it and his failure to convince House Republicans to lift the national debt ceiling, or government borrowing limit — perhaps for as long as the duration of his term. That doesn’t mean Trump isn’t thinking about the fight he’s going to have early in his term, when the short-term congressional deal runs out in March. But it’s notable that he sidestepped the matter publicly after wading in so explicitly last week.
Trump celebrates a broadened Republican coalition
The president-elect relished reliving political pundits’ analysis that he had a weak voter turnout effort — “ground game,” in campaign parlance. He thanked Turning Point and its founder, Charlie Kirk, for their part in corralling votes and expanding the GOP coalition. Trump singled out young voters, Hispanic voters and Black voters for their increased support over what he earned from those blocs four years ago.
“You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”
