(FreedomBeacon.com)- Former President Donald Trump says he knows the secret ingredient to the Republican Party being successful in the future: More Trumpism.
Speaking at a private event at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night, Trump told attendees that he is committed to the Republican Party going forward.
There have been rumblings of a rift between Trump and other leaders in the GOP. But it seems he doesn’t want to break from the party, but rather help re-shape the party in his vision. As the Associated Press reported he said, according to his prepared remarks:
“The key to this triumphant future will be to build on the gains our amazing movement has made over the past four years. Under our leadership, we welcomed millions upon millions of new voters into the Republican coalition. We transformed the Republican Party into a party that truly fights for all Americans.”
Trump’s comments were the final address that was made to a donor summit held in Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend. It was held by the republican National Committee.
While most of the events were held at a luxury hotel in Palm Beach, those who attended were then bused over to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club to hear him speak.
Outsiders have been suggesting that a significant cohort of the GOP wants to move past Trumpism, and what they term his divisive leadership. However, with the RNC hosting the event in Trump’s backyard, it does signal they aren’t quite ready to do that yet.
People are also saying that while his remarks show unity in the Republican Party, his long-term commitment to the GOP isn’t solid. As recently as a few months ago, Trump floated the possibility of starting a new political party for himself and those who believe in what he’s saying.
In addition, the former president’s political action committee sent a few letters to both the RNC and other groups. These letters asked them to “immediately cease and desist the unauthorized use of President Donald J. Trump’s name, image, and/or likeness in all fundraising, persuasion, and/or issue speech.”
Despite these apparent fissures in the relationship, the GOP have downplayed the tensions between Trump and the party, especially in fundraising efforts. Specifically, they refer to the former president’s willingness to participate in last weekend’s event as a sign that he’s still committed to the party and OK with them using his name.
That said, Trump’s political action committee is raising loads of cash that will ultimately fuel whatever political ambitions he has. That may be a future run for president again in 2024, or it could be simply trying to sway influence in future elections. In all reality, it’s likely both.
Trump has already said he’ll actively campaign against Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski during her re-election bid in 2022, and he’s also criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican Representative Liz Cheney, who voted for his impeachment.
As Politico said of his remarks at the event:
“The former president spent several minutes tearing into McConnell, saying that he didn’t do enough to defend him during the February impeachment trial. At one point, three people families with the remarks said Trump called the Senate GOP leader a ‘dumb son of a bitch.'”
