Trump’s weekend at CPAC was a tour de force of bigotry and incompetence

Last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference and its associated activities provided a showcase for Donald Trump as he was given the chance to deliver multiple speeches, mix with Nazis, and share a bear hug with Argentine Trump imitator Javier Milei.

Over the course of the weekend, Trump went big on bigotry as he spoke at the Black Conservative Federation Gala, using some of the most stereotypically racist language imaginable. That included saying that Black people liked him because he had been indicted multiple times. “My mug shot, we've all seen the mug shot,” said Trump. “And you know who embraced it more than anybody else: the Black population.”

Trump got his chance to deliver his main-event speech at CPAC on Saturday, and that speech wasn’t just riddled with odd statements, it was also overrun with lies. Trump lied about Russia. He lied about Iran. He lied about the border wall, and China, and electric cars. He even lied about Al Capone, the Chicago gangster. He also referred to his wife as “Mercedes.” 

But the speech wasn’t just disturbing because of its lies and distortions. This was a genuinely bizarre event. This was not only a speech utterly divorced from reality but also one that pushed a vision that’s darker, bleaker, and more apocalyptic than anything Trump voiced four years ago. 

This was either the ramblings of a madman or the last desperate push of a timeshare salesman who can tell that his marks are about to leave. Or both.