Former President Donald Trump explained why he continues to fight for what he called America First, Make America Great Again-loving patriots, stopping short of declaring an official presidential campaign for 2024: "Because I love our country."
"Never forget, everything this corrupt establishment is doing to me is all about preserving their power and control over the American people," Trump told the America First Agenda Summit, delivering an America First Policy Institute speech, which aired live on Newsmax. "They want to damage you in any form, but they really want to damage me so I can no longer go back to work for you.
"And I don't think that's going to happen."
Trump repeated his statement that if he were not talking about a 2024 presidential bid, the investigations, witch hunts and House Jan. 6 Select Committee "persecution" would quickly end.
"If I renounce my beliefs, if I agreed to stay silent, if I stayed at home and just took it easy, the persecution of Donald Trump would stop — immediately stop," Trump continued. "But that's not what I will do. I can't do that."
Trump admitted he had a "much simpler" life outside of politics, but he cannot stay away, because we have to "save our country."
"I can't do that because I love our country, and I can't do that because I love the people of our country, so I can't do that," Trump said. "I wouldn't do it and people don't want me to do it.
"And I'm not doing this for me, because I had a very luxurious life. I had a very simple life."
Trump added that he was warned, "the best day of your life is the day before you run for president."
"And I laughed at it; I said may be true, actually. Right, Kelly?" Trump said, talking to former White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway. "May be true, but I'm doing it for America."
Trump also said that he is often asked why he takes the constant attacks from his political critics and opponents.
"Who else could have taken this?" Trump asked, noting that a successful American once asked him that, "How do you take it?"
"'How do you get up in the morning?' I say, 'do I have a choice?'
"We take it," he concluded, "but I think the people respect that. I really do. I see that, and I see it maybe now more than ever."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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