Donald Trump filled a speech Saturday with images of the United States on the world stage getting mistreated and taken advantage of — and declared that if he’s elected president in 2016, he won’t let that happen to America anymore. The Republican frontrunner said next year’s election will be “based on competence” rather than who’s likeable but may lose abroad. “We’re tired of being, like, the patsy for everybody,” Trump told those gathered at the National Federation of Republican Assemblies in Nashville.Trump also gave kudos to Tea Party supporters, who he said were much bigger and more influential than they realize.“I love the Tea Party,” Trump said. “You people have not been treated fairly. These are people that work hard and they love their country and then they get beat up all the time by the media. It’s disgusting.”As for his surging popularity, Trump noted there’s a “big, big, growing-by-leaps-and-bounds silent majority out there” who likes what he stands for.The real estate mogul also lambasted Republicans who get elected and go to Washington and “get weak” by not living up to their promises to fight Democratic policies.
