GOP laments 2021 'failed coup', vows to 'continue pushing to end democracy', with Trump at forefront

Former President Donald Trump cast November's presidential election as “judgment day” and declared himself a “proud political dissident” during a speech before conservative activists outside of Washington Saturday as he again cloaked his campaign in religious imagery. Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference ahead of his win in the South Carolina Republican primary, Trump painted an apocalyptic vision of the future if President Joe Biden wins a second term as the two prepare for an expected rematch election. Trump also cast himself as a “proud political dissident” days after comparing himself to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, the top political opponent of Russia’s autocratic leader Vladimir Putin, who died in a remote Arctic prison after being jailed by the Kremlin leader. Last year, Trump used his speech at CPAC to tell his supporters that his 2024 campaign would be one of “retribution.” This time, he cast himself as a savior standing between his supporters and near-anarchy as he spoke of “hoards of illegal aliens stampeding across our borders," warned the country's social safety net and education system would “buckle and collapse," and claimed that, “the gangs will be invading your territory." As Trump supporters hail nomination as 'definitive', while Haley vows to fight on, FRANCE 24 is joined by Christian Hanley, Author, International TV Political Commentator, President / Founder of Defiance Strategies.