Donald Trump’s ‘Save America’ Rally Packs Farm Near Cullman

| August 22, 2021 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2021/08/Phillips_screen_shot.png
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:2666;s:6:"height";i:1373;s:4:"file";s:32:"2021/08/Phillips_screen_shot.png";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-336x173.png";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:173;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-771x397.png";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:397;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-140x140.png";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-768x396.png";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:396;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Phillips_screen_shot-1536x791.png";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:791;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"2048x2048";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"Phillips_screen_shot-2048x1055.png";s:5:"width";i:2048;s:6:"height";i:1055;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:30:"Phillips_screen_shot-80x80.png";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-800x450.png";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-600x600.png";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-604x311.png";s:5:"width";i:604;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-470x242.png";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:242;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:32:"Phillips_screen_shot-125x125.png";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:9:"image/png";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => Former President Donald J. Trump
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Ryan Phillips
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Tuscaloosa Patch
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

)
1676751764 
1629591177
Former President Donald J. Trump

Ryan Phillips, Tuscaloosa Patch

Rain and the threat of severe weather didn’t stop supporters of former President Donald Trump from attending the “Save America” rally Saturday night in Cullman, Alabama. Several thousand people gathered at York Family Farms to hear from Trump and other Alabama Republicans.

Before Trump hit the stage, the tone for his speech was set by a video clip of the opening monologue from the film “Patton,” a 1970 biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II.

He spoke on many topics during his meandering speech. Trump criticized President Joe Biden for his handling of the Taliban’s recapture of Afghanistan earlier this month and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Biden failed totally on the pandemic and he’s now overseeing the greatest foreign policy humiliation in the history of the United States of America,” Trump said.

“This is not a withdrawal, this is a total surrender. They [Afghans] don’t respect us and this is what happens when you have weakness in the White House. Under my administration, everyone in the world knew not to mess with America,” he said.

Trump called the fall of the Afghan capital Kabul, “one of the great military defeats of all time.”

The former president said Biden is failing to control the pandemic.

“He didn’t stop the virus,” Trump said. “He’s done a terrible job, including on vaccinations and now the virus is back.”

Trump did recommend to the crowd to take a vaccine, which prompted some boos.

“You got your freedoms,” Trump said. “But I happened to take the vaccine.”

During the nearly 90-minute speech, Trump also repeated his claim that election fraud was responsible for his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Election observers say there is no evidence of widespread fraud in last year’s election. But the former president left the audience eager for 2024, as Republicans hope to take back the White House.

“We have to defeat the radical left,” Trump said. “We will not give up and we will never surrender. Our movement is far from over, in fact, our fight has just begun.”

Prior to his appearance, the crowd was fueled by speeches from state Republican leaders, including U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth , who during his remarks called for Biden to be impeached. Ainsworth did not say for what action.

Congressman Mo Brooks also spoke, although at one point received boos from the crowd for suggesting it was time to move past the 2020 election and focus on future contests.

Trump restated his support for Brooks whom he endorsed in the 2022 race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by longtime Senator Richard Shelby. When called to return to the stage by the former president, Brooks referred to Trump as a “future president” and spoke of the “second coming of President Donald J. Trump.” Trump has not said if he would run in 2024.

Trump’s “Save America” rally was anticipated by many Alabama Republicans, including Gov. Kay Ivey. “I look forward to welcoming President Trump back to Sweet Home Alabama,” she said.

The Alabama Democratic Party took aim at Republicans saying in a statement that instead of finding solutions to problems, “the political leaders of the Alabama Republican Party spent their Saturday worshipping former President Trump while he continued to spew lies about the 2020 election.”

“Donald Trump’s legacy is one of sowing division, amplifying conspiracy theories about COVID, trying to overturn a fair election, and increasing our national debt with massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires,” the statement read.

Editor’s note: The original story misstated Donald Trump’s last visit to Alabama. The former president visited the state in 2019 after deadly tornadoes.

 

Following Trump’s lead, Alabama seeks to limit environmental regulations

The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday approved legislation backed by business groups that would prevent state agencies from setting restrictions on pollutants and hazardous substances exceeding those set by the federal government. In areas where no federal standard exists, the state could adopt new rules only if there is a “direct causal link” between exposure to harmful emissions and “manifest bodily harm” to humans.

Trump would like the government he leads to pay him billions

President Trump is asking the federal government for billions of dollars in damages, putting his own Justice Department on the spot and creating an unprecedented ethical morass.

Australia bans a citizen with alleged IS links from returning from Syria

The Australian is among a group of 34 women and children who had planned to fly from Damascus to Australia on Monday but were turned back by Syrian authorities to the Roj detention camp due to procedural problems.

Russia’s hybrid warfare rattles Poland and NATO

Russia is stepping up covert attacks across Europe — rail sabotage, drones, cyber strikes — testing NATO. Polish officials warn "disposable agents" are sowing fear and weaken support for Ukraine.

‘Let them shower in hotels’: Johannesburg Premier faces backlash amid water crisis

In South Africa, as taps run dry in Johannesburg, Africa's richest city, a tone deaf remark by a senior politician there unleashes fury.

Greetings from Cairo, where lights and decorations transform the city during Ramadan

As Ramadan begins, traditional lanterns called fawanees brighten Cairo. They have become a symbol of Ramadan and are an almost-mandatory home decoration for the holy month in Egypt.

More Front Page Coverage