LIVE Donald Trump in Miami Florida - Oct 23, 2015
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech Friday night, Oct. 23, 2015, during his first presidential campaign rally in Florida at the Trump National Doral Miami resort.
Donald Trump, master of the one-liner, king of the rambling disquisition, rolled into Miami on Friday night — late, like everyone else, probably because of traffic — to deliver what has become his trademark presidential candidate speech, in which he was equal parts nostalgic raconteur, motivational speaker and plain-spoken truth-teller.
Donald Trump talked about negotiating down the price of his Trump National Doral golf resort, which hosted the rally, to $145 million from $170 million. “I’ve never told this story, actually,” he said, fondly recalling how he wanted to “impress” his daughter Ivanka by scoring a discount. Protesters interrupted him three times.
Donald Trump offered business advice: “Deals aren’t deals. Deals are people.” Trump also boasted about his eye for spotting talent: “I will find the next General Patton.” He summed up his candidacy: “If I’m in, I win.”
In short, classic Trump.
But the Republican also tackled the pressing issues of the day: his drop to second place in two Iowa polls, and his call for all presidential candidates to disavow super PACs — the political action committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money — after Trump himself severed ties with one of the groups backing him.
The polls are wrong, Trump declared — though only the ones that show him trailing Ben Carson. Just in case, Trump debuted a few jabs at Carson, the soft-spoken, retired neurosurgeon who, like Trump, is a part-time West Palm Beach resident.
Jeb Bush, Trump reiterated, is “low energy.” “But Ben Carson is super low energy, right?”
The hundreds of fervent fans standing in, yes, the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom, shrieked with approval.