"A lot of things have changed."
Trump put the crowd energy on display as he left, describing what awaited him next. "We're now going to Montana. We're doing another big rally. The people are miles long and it's going to be fantastic." He noted a logistical stop along the way: "We're switching planes because of the small runway and then we get back on the big one. But this is going to be a great rally also."
President puts number on rally slate
Trump framed the pace of his appearances as a debt to his party. "I feel I owe it to the Republican party. I love the party. I love the people in the Republican party," he said. "And I wasn't going to do this, but you know, we're gonna end up doing about 32-33 of them and we're off to a very good start. I guess this number eight or so."
He said the turnout is the point. "Every one of them is packed. The one we're going to right now is packed Montana," Trump said. "It's just absolutely amazing what's going on. This tremendous spirit we brought back a spirit. You know, the country's doing so well. But we have to let people know about it."
Michigan and Montana stops tied to Senate races
The president tied the coming travel to specific races. In Michigan he leaned into a Senate contest, saying of the Republican candidate: "You can't have a member of the Muslim brotherhood in Congress being on one of our security committees, right? But he is a member of the Muslim brotherhood and you have in Mike Rogers such an amazing candidate. He's apple pie. He's all apple pie and that's what our country needs. We don't need the Muslim brotherhood in as a senator."
On Montana, Trump said the schedule is not about necessity. "I went by 45 points," he said. "Normally I wouldn't be going but I like to also pay my respect to places that I don't have to go." He added that the state's Senate race is a factor: "We have some great people there that are running and I want to make sure they win."
The president told reporters the stakes extend beyond his own name on a ballot. "When I don't run — which, you know, in theory I'm not running — but I feel that I'm running. When I don't run, we get 49% less turnout. When I do run we win easily. We won every time I've run," he said. "So essentially I'm saying, please pretend I'm running. And in the true sense, I am running, because I don't want them tearing down what we built."
Inflation and Iran
Asked about the inflation report, Trump pointed to recent numbers. "We're at 1.7 percent inflation for the last three months," he said. "We inherited a terrible inflation from Biden — the worst in the history of our country — and we have for the last three months 1.7, 1.8 percent, very low. We're doing great."
On Iran, the president said the conflict is winding down and predicted relief at the pump. "Iran will end very shortly. It's going to be over very shortly, and your energy prices will fall very rapidly, very fast," Trump said. He contrasted current oil prices with his predecessor's: "Remember, oil is less now under Trump than it was under Biden."
Trump returned to the nuclear question as the reason for the operation. "I had to make an excursion down to Iran to take away the nuclear weapon. We've done that. They won't have a nuclear weapon," he said. "The war's going to be over very soon."
Amid the range of topics, the president also offered well wishes to Pope Leo. "I want to see Pope Leo get well. I hear the prognosis for that type of a problem — it's cancer — it's big stuff anytime you have cancer, but the prognosis seems to be good," Trump said. "We just want to wish him our love and our best wishes."
