Donald Trump‘s advisers, knowing the former President was fast losing support amongst the Republican base, for his typically unhinged antics over the past week, needed a reset during last night’s announcement.
So, his speech confirming his intention to run for U.S. President for 2024 as Republican candidate was deliberately low-key.
Trump’s Mar-A-Lago delivery was so restrained, that it was widely derided as “low energy” — aping Trump’s devastating jab at former Florida Governor Jeb Bush during the 2016 primaries, who got his own back last night after Trump’s dozy delivery with a less than original riposte of ”sleepy Donnie”, but hey if the cap fits, right?
Trump’s tightly scripted, staff-driven speech reflected a much weakened position post-midterms, where many of publicly-backed candidates were left to pick up the pieces after losing to Democrat candidates.
There was none of the cocky swagger and energy from his 2016 announcement, as he continued to play the hits.
The usual schtick was there as ever as he painted an apocalyptic picture of American decline under President Joe Biden who won seven million more votes than Trump in 2020.
However even Trump has flogged this horse to death so much that even he seemed bored by the text. His tone was flatter than usual. Even his ad-libs were very low energy.
Trump advisers had pushed for the more disciplined approach after Trump found himself on the defensive after Republican midterm losses.
That prompted him to lash out with unhinged attacks on potential 2024 rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Jeb Bush Jr. helped his dad get the last laugh by tweeting: “What a low energy speech by the Donald. … #SleepyDonnie.”
Trump took on his successor, and possible 2024 opponent, by name: “Unlike Biden possibly getting us into World War 3, which can seriously happen, I will keep America out of foolish and unnecessary foreign wars, just as I did for four straight years.”
Hours before Trump’s speech, the White House launched a new webpage, “The Biden-Harris record,” highlighting legislative wins, Axios’ Sophia Cai first reported.
White House press official Andrew Bates tweeted while Trump was still speaking: “Bored? A lot of people are. Read about @POTUS’s high energy record!“
