Lara Trump’s all-in on the family

Lara Trump wasted no time Thursday riling up the passionate crowd of supporters gathered inside the local Republican Party headquarters with rhetoric disparaging her father-in-law’s Democratic opponent in the 2020 presidential election. Outside, a passenger of a car expressed their opposition, too.

With their windows rolled down, the determined driver turned up the volume and blared lyrics to the YG and Nipsey Hussle song “FDT,” the acronym of which is essentially an expletive-laced criticism of President Donald Trump. Regardless, the song did not stop Lara Trump from continuing her speech.

“We are in the homestretch now, folks,” Lara Trump said. “Forty days to victory.”

Democrats are getting “nervous” and “freaking out,” she added. Of all the candidates the Democrats had to choose from to “take down” Donald Trump, they chose former U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, Lara Trump said. The wife of Eric Trump questioned why Biden was chosen over other expected favorites.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Ind. mayor Pete Buttigieg, for instance, polled more favorably than Biden during the 2020 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses, even in Jasper County. Lara Trump briefly mentioned that disastrous process, which delayed results for several days.

“We still don’t know what happened here in Iowa ... Did anyone figure that out? I don’t think so,” Lara Trump quipped. “Fourth place. Third place. Then it dawned on me. I know why they chose Joe Biden. They chose Joe Biden because they can control Joe Biden. That is what this is about, ladies and gentlemen.”

Of course, Biden wasn’t the only Democrat to be named dropped by Lara Trump. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was slammed for her efforts to impeachment the president and was told to go back to San Francisco, clean up syringes, get her hair done and eat some ice cream.

“Let’s give that lady a break and take back the house on Nov. 3,” Lara Trump said.

Echoing her father-in-law and U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence, Lara Trump described Biden as a “Trojan Horse” for the far-left socialists, who she claimed now run the Democratic party. Biden winning the election would not bode well for the crowd, especially with running mate Kamala Harris, she suggested.

Like past guest speakers of the Jasper County Republican Party, Lara Trump painted Harris as the poster child of far-left extremism. If elected, she said, Biden and Harris would implement socialism and — using a Biden phrase adopted by former U.S. President Barack Obama — “fundamentally transform” America.

“I know every four years people say the same thing — ‘This is the most important election. This is the most important election.’ This is the most consequential election in American history, because we see what’s proposed on the other side,” Lara Trump said. “We see the Democrats want to change America.”

According to her, Democrats want to teach kids to hate this country. Lara Trump provided no evidence to support this claim.

“We stand up with our hand over our heart and we salute the American Flag and we say the Pledge of Allegiance (and) the National Anthem,” she said. “We do not want to defund our police, we defend our police officers … These people have gone crazy on the other side, let me tell you what. It is out of control.”

Lara Trump also highlighted the president’s accomplishments. She praised Donald Trump for “giving us the greatest economy in the history of America” and touted its “lowest unemployment rates in the history of American.” However, the COVID-19 pandemic has since thrown a wrench into those claims.

On Sept. 23, BBC News’ Reality Check team reported numbers that mired down some of the Trumps’ claims. In February, the United States’ unemployment rate was historically low at 3.5 percent under Donald Trump’s administration. In April, the pandemic jumped the rate to 14.7 percent. By August, it had fallen to 8.4.

BBC News reported poverty rates were down, too, but also noted the 2020 figures are not yet available; 4.2 million fewer people were living in poverty in the United States in 2019. It’s not the largest poverty reduction, BBCNews reported, but it is a “significant drop.”

Financial markets dropped as well as a result of the pandemic. But BBC News said the financial markets have been “remarkably resilient” and are now “largely recovered” to near pre-pandemic levels. Lara Trump also commended her father-in-law for rebuilding and revitalizing the military.

“We want to have the strongest military in the world, but we never want to have to use it, right? ‘Peace through strength’ — that’s what Donald Trump says, right?” Lara Trump said. “He’s bringing back our troops. Ending endless wars. He’s given us peace in the Middle East, ladies and gentlemen.”

Lara Trump claimed Donald Trump “has done more” in four years than Biden has in his combined years in politics. There’s “zero enthusiasm” for Biden, she added. Comparatively, the Jasper County Republican Party was full of excitement. Prior to Lara Trump’s arrival, Republicans received honks of support from passersby.

“What do I tell the president today when he says, ‘How are we doing in Iowa?’” Lara Trump asked the crowd, which responded with hooting and hollering.

Some Republicans briefly chanted, “Four! More! Years!”

“It is four more years. Absolutely,” Lara Trump added. “Or as the president likes to say, ‘Maybe eight more years?’ He loves doing that! The media goes crazy! They totally lose it, right?”

Lara Trump said she’s lucky to speak on behalf of her father-in-law, but people like the ones gathered in the crowd really “make the difference.” Other people in the community recognize them from the grocery store, church or their kid’s school. Lara Trump said these people trust them.

“Because you live in their community and they see you every single day,” Lara Trump said. “So they will listen to you, and you guys are the ones that have to them that on Nov. 3 not only are they voting for Trump at the top of the ticket, they’re voting red all the way down!”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com