[imagesource: Joe Raedle/Getty Images]

Yesterday, former president Donald Trump appeared as the headliner at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida.

The gathered crowd, having waited all weekend to see Donnie in action, went wild right from the get-go, chanting “USA, USA” and “we won”, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Trump’s speech saw him trot out the familiar favourites – the election was “rigged” (it wasn’t), he actually beat Joe Biden (he didn’t), and he may well return to run again in 2024 (I guess only time will tell).

To begin, here’s his entrance, which involved a flag kiss:

#CPAC VIRAL MOMENT: President Trump hugged and air kissed the American flag as he took the stage at #CPAC2021. pic.twitter.com/IXmbIZBdhB

— Forbes (@Forbes) March 1, 2021

The only way that entrance could have been more American would be if he was shot out of a cannon decorated in stars and stripes.

The flag is said to be undergoing a deep clean to remove the self-tan stains.

He then kicked things off by touting the success of his presidency, which saw Republicans lose control of the House, the Senate, and the presidency:

“There has never been a journey so successful,” Trump says of his presidency to begin his CPAC speech, despite the fact he was defeated and left office last month pic.twitter.com/D7ONVxrLCx

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 28, 2021

That thread above covers many of the standout moments, but if you’re a real sucker for punishment, here’s the speech in full:

Via The Guardian, here’s the moment Trump hinted he may run again in 2024.

Watch from the 30-second mark:

Can’t beat them for the third time when you never beat them for the second time, but hey.

More from the speech:

The twice-impeached former president…falsely asserted: “Illegal aliens and dead people are voting, and many other horrible things are happening that are too voluminous to even mention, but people know.

“I mean, it’s being studied and the level of dishonesty is not to be believed. We have a very sick and corrupt electoral process that must be fixed immediately. This election was rigged and the supreme court and other courts didn’t want to do anything about it.”

He continued: “In just one short month we have gone from ‘America first’ to ‘America last’,” citing a “new and horrible crisis on our southern border … Biden’s radical immigration policies aren’t just illegal – they are immoral, they are heartless, and they are a betrayal of our nation’s core values”.

He finished with another hint at a 2024 return. See from the one-minute mark below:

ELECTION 2024: In his speech at #CPAC earlier, President Trump said a Republican will win back the White House in 2024 and added, “I wonder who that will be. Who-who-who will that be, I wonder.” pic.twitter.com/gNxYwOodpV

— Forbes (@Forbes) March 1, 2021

It remains bewildering that Republican Party leaders refuse to distance themselves from a man who incited the Capitol riots, but after years of defending his every action, I guess they’ve backed themselves into a corner.

They cannot win without him, and they now have to lie in the bed they helped make.

Also, take a moment to watch Roger Stone, a one-time Trump advisor who was pardoned by the president after being found guilty of lying to Congress, dancing outside CPAC:

The most bizarre thing you’ll see today: Roger Stone dancing to a pro-Trump rap song outside of CPAC in Florida

Video by @OctavioJones pic.twitter.com/CNycmRVJcJ

— Julio-César Chávez (@JulioCesrChavez) February 28, 2021

Fun times in Florida.

[source:guardian]