Four weeks into his presidency, Trump returns to campaign mode
The president used an adoring crowd in an airport hangar to project his strength after a rocky first month in the White House.
President Donald Trump throws a hat into the crowd during the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport on Feb. 18, in Melbourne, Florida. | AP Photo
Melbourne, Fla. — President Donald Trump's rally here featured all the classic signatures of his campaign: boasts about his poll numbers and magazine appearances, grandiose promises of quick action, protesters lining the streets, stinging attacks on the media, false statements and a large, roaring and adoring crowd that loved every minute.
It was a raucous campaign appearance — light on specifics and heavy on braggadocio — just four weeks after he was inaugurated and almost four years before he faces re-election.
Stung by the difficulties of governing, a cascade of negative news coverage and falling poll numbers, the president appeared in a flag-draped airport hangar to show that his supporters still love him and castigate the media for covering his missteps.
He cast the first month of his administration in his terms, praising his pick of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court and the stock market's climb since he took office. He boasted about his conversations with CEOs and ticked off companies that were bringing jobs here — or keeping ones they previously said would move elsewhere.
He told the crowd of his efforts to lower taxes on corporations, reduce environmental regulations and repeal the Affordable Care Act, though usually without concrete details. He talked generally—as he did in the campaign--about his efforts to support police officers, boost the military and fix the country's "inner cities" like Chicago.
On the short plane trip here from his weekend stay at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump said the speech would be about unifying the country. It was instead harsh and pitted the crowd, on his side, against a number of supposed foes — judges, unknown gang members and drug cartels allegedly pouring in from other countries, terrorists, Democrats, and most often, reporters.
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