Trump pumped up to be ‘among my friends’
President relives greatest hits for supporters at Florida rally
MELBOURNE, FLA.— Just four weeks into his administration, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at a campaign rally that mirrored the months leading up to election day, complete with promises to repeal the healthcare law, insults for the news media and a playlist highlighted by the Rolling Stones.
“I want to be among my friends and among the people,” Trump told a cheering crowd packed into an airport hangar in Central Florida, praising his “truly great movement.”
Trump promised anew to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, reduce regulations and create jobs. He also pledged to “do something over the next couple of days” to address the immigration order that has been blocked in the courts. “We don’t give up, we never give up,” Trump said.
Insisting he was the victim of false reporting, Trump said his White House was running “so smoothly” and that he “inherited one big mess.” The president has been trying to refocus after reports of disarray and dysfunction within his administration.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One before the rally, Trump said he was holding a campaign rally because “life is a campaign.”
“To make America great again is absolutely a campaign,” he said. “It’s not easy, especially when we’re also fighting the press.”
Trump, who held a rally in the same spot in Florida in September, clearly relished being back in front of his supporters, welcoming the cheers and letting one supporter up on stage to offer praise for the president. He also enjoyed reliving his surprise victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
First lady Melania Trump introduced her husband at the rally, reciting the Lord’s Prayer before offering her pledge to act in the best interest of all Americans as she pursues initiatives she says will impact women and children around the world.
The rally came during Trump’s third straight weekend at his private South Florida club, Mar-a-Lago. It was another working weekend for the president, who planned to interview at least four potential candidates for the job of national security adviser, a position unexpectedly open after Michael Flynn’s firing early this week.
Trump said Saturday “I have many, many that want the job. They want to really be a part of it. I’ll make a decision over the next couple of days.”
Scheduled to discuss the job with the president were his acting adviser, retired army Lt.-Gen. Keith Kellogg; John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; army Lt.Gen. H.R. McMaster; and the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Lt.-Gen. Robert Caslen. White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said the four interviews were expected to take place Sunday at the private estate.
Finding a new national security adviser was proving to be a challenge for Trump. His first choice, retired Vice-Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the offer.
Trump had also expressed interest in former CIA director David Petraeus, but Spicer said Saturday that Petraeus was not a finalist.