Asheboro, North Carolina.- In his first outdoor campaign event since the assassination attempt last month, Donald Trump appeared behind bulletproof glass for an event in North Carolina focused on national security on Wednesday. On political issues, he called his predecessor, Barack Obama, “disgusting” for comments he made the night before during the Democratic National Convention.
Trump blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the chaotic withdrawal of the military from Afghanistan and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and repeatedly referred to the Democratic convention in Chicago, where speaker after speaker attacked Trump as a threat to the country if he returns to the White House.
The former president and current Republican candidate asked the crowd gathered at the North Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum if they had seen Tuesday’s speeches by former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
“I was attacking your president. And so was Michelle. You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to politics. Don’t get personal.’ And yet these people were making personal attacks all night long,” he said, before asking the question, “Should I still stick to politics?”
Trump, who will face Harris in the November election after Biden dropped out of the race, spoke from a podium surrounded by bulletproof glass panels that formed a protective wall around the stage, part of heightened security measures following the July 13 attack by a gunman in Pennsylvania.
Storage containers were stacked around the perimeter to create additional barriers and block visibility. Snipers were stationed on rooftops, where old aircraft stood behind the stage and a huge American flag hung from cranes.
The event was part of a week of activities in which Trump seeks to counter the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. His allies have urged him to focus on policy issues rather than personal attacks on Harris as he struggles to adjust to Biden’s exit from the race.
The second day of the Democratic convention included speeches by the Obamas, who attacked Trump in particularly scathing terms.
“His limited and narrow view of the world has left him feeling threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be black,” Michelle Obama said.
Barack Obama mocked Trump’s obsession with crowd sizes, referring to the Republican as “a 78-year-old billionaire who has been complaining about his problems ever since he stepped down from his golden steps nine years ago.”
“It’s been a constant stream of complaints and grievances that has actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” Obama said.
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