Trump was chained to his teleprompter and has been met with disinterest and mostly muted applause even from his adoring audience at CPAC.

It would be reasonable to expect that Trump would be freewheeling his remarks at what was set to be an adoring audience at CPAC, but the first problem was that apparently Trump can’t be trusted to give a speech anymore without his teleprompter, so CPAC got Teleprompter Trump complete with his mostly monotone voice reading his speech.

Video:

Trump is reading his speech at CPAC from a teleprompter, “Just. Think. About. It.” Where are the mainstream media stories about Trump not being able to give a speech without a teleprompter? pic.twitter.com/YklTCMtPPg

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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 24, 2024

Trump repeated his relatively new line that Biden is the real threat to democracy and was met with a smattering of applause.

Video:

Trump is reading his speech at CPAC from a teleprompter, “Just. Think. About. It.” Where are the mainstream media stories about Trump not being able to give a speech without a teleprompter? pic.twitter.com/YklTCMtPPg

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 24, 2024

The Trump as persecuted martyr schtick that the former president loves to use on the campaign trail went over with a thud.

Trump labeled himself a political dissident to zero applause:

Trump claims that he is a political dissident. I don’t think he knows what those words mean, “I stand before you today not only as your past and hopefully future president. But as a proud political dissident, I am a dissident.” pic.twitter.com/zf8L8AfkPD

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 24, 2024

Unlike the previous Trump CPAC speeches, this was a relatively muted and dull affair. Trump hit on all of his now standard talking points about how America will be finished if Joe Biden wins and how unfair all of the indictments are against him, but to quote a lyric from blues legend B.B. King, the thrill is gone.

Trump at CPAC 2024 had the look and feel of a group of people, including Trump, who were just going through the motions.

The MAGA movement and the Republican Party both seem bored and tired, and Trump’s speech was a resounding flop.

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