CPAC 2013: What Was the Point Of Donald Trump's Speech?

Impact

Infamous businessman Donald Trump delivered an energetic yet somewhat confusing speech bashing leaders in Washington. Trump spoke at this year's CPAC, calling out the idiocy of the Obama administration and highlighting conservative weaknesses. Although Trump can come off as obnoxious, he touched on some important points that Americans can’t ignore.

 

“We're run by either very foolish or very stupid people. What's going on in this country is unbelievable. Our country is a total mess, a total and complete mess, and what we need is leadership," Trump argued.

Trump rambled about a variety of topics, including the fragile state of the GOP and immigration reform. He claimed that conservative politicians trying to appeal to a broader electorate, including minorities, is a moot point, in that they will just vote Democrat anyway.

One of the oddest remarks to come from Trump was his interpretation on the war in Iraq. He argued that simply taking out of Iraq’s oil reserves will help subsidize the war, leaving the audience silent and confused.

"When I heard that we were first going to Iraq, some very smart people told me we're actually going for the oil, and I said, 'All right, I get that, there's nothing else, I get it,'" he said. "We didn't take the oil. And then when I said, we spent $1.5 trillion, we should take that — you know, they have the second-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia, so $1.5 trillion is nothing ... we should take it and pay ourselves back"

Trump may be a business connoisseur, but the way he is approaching the Iraq war from a financial standpoint is a bit absurd. He also criticized Mitt Romney for playing coy about his financial and business successes.

“I think if Mitt made one mistake — and I like Mitt a lot — it’s that he didn’t talk enough about his success,” Trump said.

He did provide some alternatives to the growing economic deficit in the U.S., however. He claimed that a stable economy would come about from job expansion, and by eliminating outsourcing, namely in China. Conservative critiques have expressed their surprise on Trump’s invitation to the conference, while GOP stars like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie got snubbed.

Overall the speech was scattered, and many are confused on Trump’s message. Then again, when has Trump ever been conscious of what he says? He clearly lacks a filter and is not afraid to speak his mind. His hopes at a possible 2016 bid will not be promising, though.