WASHINGTON — Donald Trump previewed a new stump speech Friday when speaking before a gathering of social conservatives, hitting Hillary Clinton on a variety of issues while pitching a plan to “lift up everyone.”
Trump was speaking for the third time at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference, and he hit on themes important to the crowd. “We want to uphold the sanctity and dignity of life,” Trump read from a teleprompter as the crowd responded with cheers. He called the family “a building block of happiness and success.”
He said at one point, “we have a very divided nation and we are going to bring our nation back together.” Shortly thereafter, his speech was interrupted by several protesters, whose screams were eventually drowned out as the crowd chanted, “USA, USA!”
Trump spent much of his speech attacking Clinton. He said he will introduce “new ethics rules to restore dignity to the office of the secretary of state.”
Trump also attacked Clinton for championing policies that would hurt inner cities.
“She will plunge our inner cities into even deeper poverty, if that’s possible,” he said. Trump pitched his “America first” stance as one that will benefit poorer Americans. He called for a “new jobs program in our inner cities.”
Trump argued that instead of giving money to refugees, we should “take care of our poorest Americans.” During his speech Tuesday night, he reached out to disaffected Bernie Sanders supporters and pitched himself as standing up to special interests, and he did the same Friday.
“Bill and Hillary made $150 million giving speeches to special interest groups since 2001. That’s a lot of money,” Trump said. “These donors own Hillary Clinton, they own her and Bernie Sanders was right about that.”
Trump has been facing criticism over comments he made about the judge presiding over lawsuits against Trump University. He had claimed that the judge could not be impartial due to him because he’s a “Mexican.” Trump has since walked back these comments and during his speech he made a point of pitching his plan to all Americans.
“We will work together to build and restore and lift up everyone! Not just a certain group, everyone! The whole country we are going to lift up,” Trump said.