2020 a fight for 'survival of American democracy,' says Trump

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. Picture: Andrew Harnik/AP

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. Picture: Andrew Harnik/AP

Published Oct 18, 2019

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Washington - US President Donald Trump wasted little time

at a campaign rally in Dallas attacking the Democrats leading an

impeachment probe against him, saying "Crazy Nancy" and "Shifty

Schiff" hate the United States.

"The Democrats have betrayed our country," he said to cheers, as he

said the 2020 election is about the "survival of American democracy."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Chairman Adam B Schiff

say they are investigating the president and mulling articles of

impeachment to preserve the country's democratic republic.

When she announced the inquiry last month, Pelosi quoted Founding

Father Benjamin Franklin, who once warned of the challenges that

would be faced with trying to "keep it" - referring to the form of

government the founders had set up.

To Trump, the special counsel's Russia probe and now the impeachment

inquiry shows Democrats are "trying to overthrow the results of ...

maybe the greatest election in the history of our country."

"Don't kid yourself, that's what they want. But we will never let it

happen - not even close," he told the rallygoers Thursday, before

accusing Democrats of intending to "indoctrinate" America's children

with a "socialist" agenda.

The crowd roared as he dropped his latest derisive nickname for the

speaker and his still-new one for the Intelligence panel chairman.

Trump circled behind his lectern as a "Four more years" chant echoed

through the massive arena. He called all congressional Democrats

"sick people."

Pelosi on Wednesday questioned his mental health.

"They won't come close in 2020. They know it. They're not going to

win it. They said, 'Let's see, what another idea,' " Trump said,

suggesting again that the impeachment probe was merely designed to

sink his reelection bid. "I don't believe anymore that they love our

country. I don't believe it."

The president stepped onstage inside the American Airlines Arena,

home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, after raising 5.5 million dollars

at two Republican fundraisers earlier in the day, according to a

Republican National Committee official. The Dallas rally and

fundraisers came as the Lone Star State is no longer considered the

dark shade of deep red it was just a few years back.

A senior Trump campaign official earlier this week said the

reelection organization and Republican Party has seen a surge in

campaign cash donations - and voter registration - since House

Democrats launched their impeachment probe late last month. But that

official acknowledged there's lots of work left in places such as

Texas.

An average of several polls compiled by RealClearPolitics shows the

president already faces a tough fight in Texas as he and the eventual

Democratic nominee will jockey for the state's massive haul of 38

electoral votes.

The latest RCP averages give former Vice President Joe Biden a

3.5-point lead over the president in Texas, while Massachusetts

Senator Elizabeth Warren trails Trump by 2.5 points.

The president also used his favorite derisive nicknames for Biden and

Warren on Thursday, saying the former likely won't win the Democratic

nomination and giving the latter "credit" for her recent surge in the

polls.

He also mocked and slammed Biden and his son Hunter over what Trump

is calling "corruption" for their actions in Ukraine when the former

vice president pressed Ukraine's former government to oust someone

the Obama administration saw as a crooked prosecutor while his son

was on the board of a Ukrainian energy firm. (Neither Biden has been

charged with wrongdoing in either country.)

Trump's remarks again show how he intends to use harsh rhetoric to

wage a bare-knuckle reelection bid.

One GOP political strategist let out a long sigh when asked recently

if he thinks states such as Texas and Georgia - longtime GOP

strongholds - are actually in play.

"I should say, 'Do you really think Texas - Texas! - is going to

vote for Joe Biden or a liberal like Elizabeth Warren? Give me a

break," the strategist said. "But I can't really say that. Not right

now. I think Georgia is more of the threat to Trump - but neither

one should be this close, to be honest."

tca/dpa

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