Op-ed by Elad Hakim | Photo: Alamy
On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election in front of hundreds of supporters at Mar-a-Lago, telling them that “America’s comeback starts right now.” His announcement was presidential in nature and perfect in tone and content.
In his announcement, President Trump focused on and spoke to the American people. He set forth his agenda for the future and how he planned to bring America back from its current state of ruination and return it to greatness. He touched on the many important issues that America and Americans are currently concerned about and explained how his policies differed from Joe Biden’s and those of other radical Democrats.
Aside from his message, what made President Trump’s speech special was the way he presented the information and the topics he didn’t focus on. Last night, President Trump spoke to the American people. His campaign was their campaign. His effort to regain the presidency and save America was their effort. His quest for the presidency would require a joint effort and be greater than himself.
According to President Trump, “The only force strong enough to defeat the corruption we are up against is you – the American people. He further told Americans, “I am your voice” and “This will not be my campaign, this will be our campaign.” His speech was inclusive, heartfelt, and spoke to all Americans.
Additionally, President Trump stayed away from the 2020 election. While he briefly discussed some much-needed changes that he would try to implement regarding voting (discussed here), he did not discuss the various issues surrounding the 2020 election. He does not need to. Americans are aware of what happened and do not need to be constantly reminded. As a matter of fact, such reminders of the 2020 election only hurt President Trump and do not help him in the eyes of public opinion.
Rather, American voters are looking for unity, leadership, reassurance, and hope. President Trump delivered. He spoke about how he would improve the economy, inflation, and/or border security. He also spoke about foreign policy, making deals with other nations, and American exceptionalism. He spoke about America’s strength, resolve, and prosperity under his administration and peace in the Middle East, and the success of the Abraham Accords.
In doing so, he stayed focused, serious, and presidential. He did not engage in many personal attacks, highlighted the differences between his policies and Biden’s policies, and delivered his message clearly, succinctly, and confidently. His approach, style, and message provided Americans with hope at a time when hope is dearly needed.
At the same time, he was honest and told Americans that the road to the presidency would be a difficult one, stating, “We will be attacked, we will be slandered, we will be persecuted … but we will not be intimidated. We will persevere, we will stand tall in the storm, we will march forward into the torrent, and we, in the end, will win.”
If President Trump stays on point, he could very well be right. As former Arkansas GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee noted immediately after the speech, “I think he’s going to be unbeatable, if he stays in this message.”
Mr. Hakim is an attorney and columnist. His articles have been published in The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, American Thinker, and other online publications. He is also a regular guest on OANN’s Tipping Point, and has appeared on Newsmax, The Jenna Ellis Show, Steadfast and Loyal Podcast with Allen West, The Dave Weinbaum Show, and Real America’s Voice.