- Donald Trump Jr. gave a fiery speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
- He aired grievances against anti-Trump Republicans, big tech, the mainstream media, and the election.
- He criticized Rep. Liz Cheney, saying her "
politics are only slightly less popular than her father is at a quail hunt."
Speaking at his first major event since his family left the White House last month, Donald Trump Jr. on Friday skewered President Joe Biden and recycled his grievances against anti-Trump Republicans, "big tech," the mainstream media, and the 2020 election results.
He kicked off his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) by jokingly calling it "TPAC" and ripping Biden for ordering airstrikes on Syria weeks into his administration.
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 26, 2021
"Who would have thought that within 33 days, we'd be bombing the Middle East again?" Trump Jr. said.
He then turned his aim on Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the third highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives who made headlines by voting to impeach Trump last month.
"I'm sure she has a lot of bipartisan support because if there's one thing that she and Joe Biden definitely want to do, it's bomb the Middle East," Trump Jr. said.
"Liz Cheney and her politics are only slightly less popular than her father is at a quail hunt," he added, referring to when then Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot his friend in the face in 2006 while the two were out hunting together.
Trump Jr. went on to call the younger Cheney "Lincoln Project Liz" and accused her of representing "RINO" - Republican in name only - policies, "the kinds of policies that put the Republican Party in a position where they needed a Donald Trump."
Cheney "is tied to an establishment that has done nothing but fail us time and time again," Trump Jr. said. "You've heard the rhetoric from some of them over the last couple of weeks, and now you've seen that change very quickly. Because if there's one thing the Republican Party has been really good at over the last few decades, it's snatching defeat from the jaws of victory."
He also appeared to sarcastically refer to the more than 80 million US voters who cast ballots for Biden, putting the number in air quotes. The former president and his allies have repeatedly claimed that Biden did not actually receive that many votes because many of them were fraudulent (they weren't.)
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 26, 2021
Trump Jr. also set his sights on Biden's son, Hunter, who is currently under federal criminal investigation over his tax affairs and overseas business activities.
"I'm sure he's making billions in China right now, don't worry," said Trump Jr., who has repeatedly touted the Trump Organization's own foreign dealings. He then accused both Bidens of "corruption," a long-running talking point in conservative political circles, adding, "We were all talking about it, guys. It wasn't anything new, but that also shouldn't surprise us."
Fact check: Although the younger Biden is under criminal investigation, there is no evidence that the president had any knowledge or involvement in the activities under scrutiny.
Trump Jr. later attacked "big tech," saying it "will silence you if you come out against it. They will crush you. They will call you racist and everything else."
"That's what we're up against, folks," he added. "But together, we can win these fights. We have to be vocal. We can't be put in the corner. We must be out and engaged."
"So, I'm looking forward to Sunday," Trump Jr. said, referring to the former president's upcoming speech. "I imagine it will not be what we call a low-energy speech, and I assure you that it will solidify Donald Trump and all of your feelings about the MAGA movement as the future of the Republican Party."