Trump launches re-election campaign, casts himself as victim

Orlando, Florida

US President Donald Trump formally launched his 2020 re-election campaign on Tuesday, by presenting himself as the same political insurgent who shook up the Washington establishment four years ago and who is now a victim of an attempted ouster by Democrats.

At a packed rally in Orlando, he made clear he would run for re-election as an outsider, just as he did in 2016. Whether he can pull it off remains far from certain, after having been in the White House for 21/2 years.

He said: "Together, we stared down a broken political establishment and we restored government by and for the people. As long as you keep this team in place, we have a tremendous way to go. Our future has never looked brighter or sharper."

As thousands cheered him on in Orlando's Amway Center, he said his Democratic challengers would radically change the US and would seek to legalise migrants coming across the southern border so these newcomers can vote and boost the Democratic political base.

He then returned to a major theme of his 2016 campaign, warning of the threat of illegal immigration and promising a crackdown.

Mr Trump said the Democrats "want to destroy our country as we know it" and that it's "not going to happen".

Two dozen Democrats are competing for their party's nomination to face off against him in November 2020. Many of the top contenders lead him in opinion polls in key battleground states.

"Just think what this angry left-wing mob would do if they were in charge of this country. Imagine if we had a Democrat president and a Democrat Congress in 2020. They would shut down your free speech, use the power of the law to punish their opponents," Mr Trump said.

He made his re-election launch official at what was his 60th political rally since he took office in January 2017. He brought his wife, Melania, and a contingent of senior White House staff.

"Tonight I stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term as president of the United States. I promise you I will never ever let you down."

The Trump of 2020 bears a strong resemblance to the Trump of 2016 - brash and eager to blast opponents and promote tough policies on trade and immigration.

In his speech, he cast himself as a victim and aired his grievances. He made an issue of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The probe found insufficient evidence to establish that the Trump campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow; it also described numerous attempts by Mr Trump to impede Mr Mueller's probe, but stopped short of declaring that he had committed a crime.

"We went through the biggest witch hunt in political history," said Mr Trump. "It was all an illegal attempt to overturn the results of the election."

Two-and-a-half years into his tenure, he listed the growing economy with low unemployment as among the positive factors.

Trump confidant Newt Gingrich, a former Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, said: "If the economy stays strong, he is very likely to get re-elected."

But the lingering aftermath of the Russia probe, coupled with a presidential style marked by name-calling and eye-popping tweets, has undermined some Americans' confidence in Mr Trump ahead of the 2020 polls.

He also has stirred division with his hardline policies on immigration, unsettled business and farm groups with his use of tariffs in trade disputes with China and some allies.

Democrats cite a string of broken promises in his first term, from lowering drug prices to closing corporate tax loopholes and stopping plant closures.

In a media call on Tuesday, Democratic Party officials focused on his moves to weaken the signature healthcare law of his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, without providing an alternative.

Kate Bedingfield, deputy campaign manager for Democratic front-runner Joe Biden, said: "Donald Trump is launching his campaign for re-election tonight and the American people face a choice - we can make him an aberration or let him fundamentally and forever alter the character of this nation."

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on June 11 gave Mr Trump a 40 per cent job-approval rating, compared with 57 per cent who disapproved. Other opinion polls have shown him running consistently behind his main Democratic challengers such as Mr Biden, in key battleground states.

Republican strategists say the fundamentals favour Mr Trump as he heads into his election, but that he faces challenges given his bare-knuckled approach, which he refuses to temper.

Republican strategist Ryan Williams, a former adviser to 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, said: "His support with his base is as strong as it's ever been for any Republican incumbent president. The challenge is adding to that and building the coalition he needs for re-election."

In a Twitter post before his trip, Mr Trump wrote: "Republican enthusiasm is at an all-time high. Look what is going on in Orlando, Florida, right now!"

Orlando Sentinel, the city's primary newspaper, however, welcomed the president's visit with an editorial titled: "Our endorsement for president in 2020: Not Donald Trump".

Nonetheless, Trump supporters started camping out at the rally venue on Monday with tents and sleeping bags. Thousands had gathered by Tuesday afternoon despite a torrential downpour. REUTERS