Speaking to roughly 7,000 people at his rally in Tampa, Florida at the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump said he’s back on the campaign trail ahead of the Republican National Convention in July because he can’t wait, saying, “I want to do this.”
Trump told his supporters that he’s been told to wait and campaign after the convention. “I’m listening to lies being told about me by this dishonest media,” he said, as he’s sitting at home. “I can’t wait. I’m dying to get going,” he added. “I want to do this.”
“I didn’t need to do this,” Trump stated. “This is something, I want to give back. You ever hear the expression, ‘People want to give back?’”
“It’s been such a great country,” Trump said, adding, “I’ve done so well in this country.”
Trump also took time to criticize failed 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who continued his criticism of Trump during an interview with CNN on Friday.
“I watched this poor sad Mitt Romney this morning,” Trump recalled of the interview where Romney called Trump a racist, among other attacks. “I don’t think he knows what misogynist is.”
“Don’t forget this guy let us down,” Trump reminded his supporters, adding that Romney looked like a stiff during the interview.
Trump also said Romney doesn’t like him because he said not to give Romney another chance at running for president because he didn’t work hard enough to defeat President Obama in 2012.
“The guy is a stone cold loser,” Trump added of Romney. “A choker is a choker, you see it in sports.”
Trump also criticized former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, saying he doesn’t predict he’ll endorse him, but adding, “Who the hell cares, who cares?”
As he criticized Bush for not supporting him as the Republican nominee, Trump praised former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. “He became very vicious in the debate and he actually went to the Washington press club…he said, ‘Donald Trump is a cancer on the Republican Party.’ I said, ‘Man, that’s tough.’”
“Then he was off,” Trump said about Perry suspending his campaign. “Then he came back, didn’t call me and he said, ‘I endorse Donald Trump and he’s maybe the smartest person to ever run for president.’ How about that?”
“What a difference,” Trump added, saying he called and thanked Perry for endorsing him as the nominee. “You can lose and you show respect.”
The billionaire also responded to criticism from presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, who has criticized Trump’s tone and temper on the campaign trail.
“We need strong temperament,” Trump responded.
In a new type of exchange with supporters, Trump said people want to know who he will choose as vice president and asked the crowd to call out whom they want him to pick.
“Who do you like?” the billionaire yelled, as people shouted different names in response. Some names mentioned were: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Sen. Jeff Sessions, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
“This is fun,” Trump said as people were shouting their answers, adding he has a ton of people on his list. “You’ll be happy.”
He said he has a good person ready for Homeland Security and also Attorney General.
“Don’t forget with Hillary, you got a six-year statute of limitations, folks,” Trump said after he mentioned the Attorney General, referencing her email scandal. “Because honestly, we’re being 100 percent straight. Look, what’s happening with Hillary Clinton is a disgrace. She’s broken the laws of our land.”
Toward the end of the rally, his supporters sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump, who turns 70-years-old on Tuesday.
“I’m very torn on that birthday,” Trump responded. “I feel like I’m 35.”
Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Florida’s Attorney General Pam Bondi also attended the rally and spoke before the presumptive nominee took the stage, suggesting Trump is the best choice for Floridians.
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