Trump Delivers Speech at CPAC Filled with Over Two Dozen False Claims About Elections, Economy, and His Presidency

Donald Trump delivered a lengthy 90-minute speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland on March 4, 2023, his first major CPAC address after announcing his 2024 candidacy. Fact-checkers from multiple news organizations identified over two dozen false or misleading statements throughout the address. Trump repeated his false claim that he won the 2020 election "by a lot" when Biden actually won by 7 million votes. He falsely claimed crime was "through the roof" when FBI data showed violent crime declining. He made demonstrably false statements about his handling of the economy, claiming he had "the greatest economy in history" despite standard metrics showing otherwise. He falsely claimed Biden was leading the country toward World War III and made numerous other inaccurate claims about foreign affairs. CNN's fact-checker described it as "one of his most thoroughly dishonest speeches." Trump used the platform to air grievances and position himself as the Re...

"I am your retribution" — Positioning himself to CPAC attendees as an instrument of vengeance against perceived enemies, framing his 2024 campaign in authoritarian terms