On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump delivered a speech that was originally advertised as a detailed exposition on his economic plans. However, his address quickly diverged from the economic focus, veering into a series of tangents that included sharp criticisms of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and windmills.
Speaking before a lively audience in Asheville, North Carolina, Trump was expected to highlight his policy positions, particularly those contrasting with Harris and Biden. His allies and advisors have urged him to emphasize his policy differences rather than engaging in personal attacks. Despite this advice, Trump’s address was marked by a series of disparaging comments aimed at prominent Democrats.
Trump’s critique of Harris was particularly harsh. “For four years, she’s cackled while the economy burned,” he said. “That’s the laugh of a crazy person, I tell you. She’s crazy.” He didn’t stop there, labeling both Harris and Biden as “stupid,” and dismissing Governor Walz as “a clown.”
During his speech, Trump emphasized that the event was intended to focus on economic issues, despite the apparent deviation from this theme. “This isn’t a rally. This is, we’re talking about a thing called the economy,” he stated. He did not clarify who “they” were but expressed skepticism about the emphasis on economic issues. “They say it’s the most important subject. I think crime is right there. The border is right there, personally. We have a lot of important subjects, because our country has become a Third World nation,” he remarked.
Trump did propose several policy initiatives, including an ambitious, previously unannounced goal. “Under my leadership, the United States will commit to the ambitious goal of slashing energy and electricity prices by half, at least half, in the first 18 months of a second administration,” he said. He added a caveat to this promise: “And if it doesn’t work out, you say, ‘Oh, well, I voted for him. I still got it down a lot.’”
To achieve this goal, Trump outlined a plan involving “rapid approvals for new energy infrastructure,” opening up new lands for drilling, and reducing regulations. He argued that these measures would make the U.S. “energy dominant.” According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. is already producing more crude oil than any other country in history.
Trump’s remarks included strong criticisms of Harris and Biden’s handling of the economy and border issues. His allies have advocated for him to focus more on these areas in his speeches. “Kamala has declared that tackling inflation will be a Day One priority,” Trump said. “But Day One for Kamala was 3½ years ago. Why hasn’t she done it?” He dismissed her as merely a critic.
Trump further predicted that if Harris were to win the election, it would lead to “a Kamala economic crash, a 1929-style depression,” echoing similar predictions he made about Biden in 2020.
The speech also touched on other unrelated topics, including Trump’s well-known opposition to wind and solar power. He took the opportunity to criticize windmills, which he has frequently condemned in past speeches.
In a related remark, Trump took a swipe at Biden regarding the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago. “You know when he’s speaking? On Monday. Monday is — that’s the worst day, but that’s what they do, and it’s their own form of — it’s just another, I guess, relatively, it’s a minor form of cheating,” he suggested.
Overall, Trump’s speech on Wednesday was a mixture of policy proposals, personal attacks, and off-topic criticisms, reflecting his tendency to diverge from prepared messages and focus on a wide array of grievances.
