Former President Donald Trump held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, where he expressed concerns about the recent changes in the Democratic presidential nomination. He criticized the Democratic Party’s decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee, bypassing the primary process. Trump stated that President Joe Biden had “the right to run” for re-election and accused the Democratic Party of taking that right away from him.
“We have somebody that hasn’t received one vote for president, and she’s running, and that’s fine with me, but we were given Joe Biden, and now we’re given somebody else,” Trump said. He emphasized that the decision to replace Biden with Harris was undemocratic and expressed a preference for running against Biden instead of Harris.
Criticism of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
Trump did not hold back in his criticism of Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He described Harris as “a radical left person at a level that nobody’s seen” and accused Walz of holding extreme positions on various issues, including border security and law enforcement. “He’s heavy into the transgender world, heavy into lots of different worlds having to do with safety. He doesn’t want to have borders, he doesn’t want to have walls. He doesn’t want to have any form of safety for our country,” Trump stated.
The former president also accused Harris and Walz of being indifferent to the issue of illegal immigration, saying, “He doesn’t mind people coming in from prisons and neither does she — I guess because she couldn’t care less.”
Reaction to Biden’s Withdrawal
Trump expressed his opinion on Biden’s withdrawal from the race, suggesting that internal pressure within the Democratic Party led to the decision. “The presidency was taken away from Joe Biden, and I’m no Biden fan,” Trump said. He implied that the Democratic Party used the 25th Amendment as a pretext to remove Biden from the race, calling it “pretty incredible” and “pretty horrible.”
He speculated that Biden is currently very unhappy with key Democratic figures like former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “I can tell you that he’s not happy with Obama, and he’s not happy with Nancy Pelosi,” Trump said. “He’s very unhappy, very angry.”
Media Engagement and Transparency
During the press conference, Trump also took the opportunity to highlight what he views as a lack of transparency from Harris. He criticized her for not holding a formal press conference or engaging in wide-ranging interviews since becoming the nominee. “She’s not doing any news conference. You know why she’s not doing it? Because she can’t do a news conference. She doesn’t know how to do a news conference,” Trump claimed.
Trump contrasted this with his own approach, stating that he wanted to address the media because he is “the most transparent candidate in history.”
Constitutional Concerns and Democratic Process
Trump repeatedly referenced the U.S. Constitution, stressing the importance of adhering to democratic processes. “We have a Constitution. It’s a very important document, and we live by it. She has no votes, and I’m very happy to run against her,” Trump said. He criticized the Democratic Party for bypassing the primary process and directly nominating Harris, calling it a severe violation of democratic principles.
He concluded by reiterating his willingness to compete against Harris, despite his concerns about the process. “I’m not complaining from that standpoint. And I hate to be defending him, but he did not want to leave. He wanted to see if he could win,” Trump said.
Future Implications for the Election
Trump’s press conference at Mar-a-Lago has set the stage for a contentious election season. His remarks underscore the divisions within the Democratic Party and highlight the challenges Harris will face as she steps into the role of the party’s presidential nominee. As the campaign progresses, the focus will likely remain on the issues of transparency, adherence to democratic processes, and the contrasting visions for the future of the United States presented by the candidates.
