US President Donald Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday, where he discussed mass deportations and his efforts to reshape the federal government.
Addressing a packed hall near Washington, Trump said he was removing government officials and sending back undocumented immigrants.
“The fraudsters, liars, cheaters, globalists, and Deep State bureaucrats are being sent packing. The illegal alien criminals are being sent home. We’re draining the swamp and restoring government by the people, for the people,” he said.
Trump was welcomed with chants of “USA! USA!” from the crowd. Wearing a blue suit, he stood before supporters wearing red hats with the slogan of his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
He spoke about his efforts to change the structure of the federal government, including firing federal workers and making changes to international development agencies.
“For years, Washington was controlled by a sinister group of radical left Marxists, warmongers and corrupt special interests who drained our wealth, attacked our liberties, obliterated our borders and sucked our country dry— not any longer,” he said.
“We have escorted the radical-left bureaucrats out of the building and have locked the doors behind them,” he added. “We’ve gotten rid of thousands.”
Referring to the US presidential election November 5, 2024, Trump said that day marked a turning point.
“But on November 5th we stood up to all the corrupt forces that were destroying America. We took away their power, we took away their confidence— they lost their confidence, you know— you ever watch, they lost their confidence. Oh, it’s so nice to watch and we took back our country and we must be doing something right,” he said.
CPAC is an annual gathering of conservative leaders and supporters, held in suburban Maryland. Trump has previously used the platform to outline his political vision.
The wide-ranging address of Trump was punctuated by shouts of “J-6! J-6!” from a small group of supporters in the back of the room thanking the president for pardoning on the first day of his second term those charged with attacking the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
