Trump: The People’s President

Donald Trump struck a defining contrast on Monday, hammering Hillary Clinton for her smear of his supporters and casting himself as the “people’s champion.”

Speaking at the National Guard Association of the United States’ 138^th General Conference & Exhibition in Baltimore on Monday afternoon Trump called himself the “people’s nominee.”

“Hillary Clinton spoke with hatred and derision for the people who make this country run.”

Trump lambasted Clinton as a political “insider” supported by “powerful insiders” who, together, attack Americans “who have no political power.” Referring back to Clinton’s controversial “Basket of Deplorables” comments given on Friday that were aimed at “half” of Trump’s supporters, Trump censured Clinton for calling millions of Americans racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamaphobic.

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“I was thus deeply shocked and alarmed this Friday to hear my opponent attack, slander, smear and demean these wonderful, amazing people who are supporting our campaign,” Trump said, noting that his campaign’s supporters are Americans from “every walk of life.”

“These were the people Hillary Clinton so viciously demonized. These were among the countless Americans that Hillary Clinton called deplorable, irredeemable and un-American. She called these patriotic men and women every vile name in the book,” Trump said. “She called them a ‘basket of deplorables’ in both a speech and an interview. She divides people into baskets as though they were objects, not human beings.”

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Trump rebooted key themes from his nomination at the Republican National Convention. The GOP nominee said he was a candidate for the people, who was chosen by the people, in contrast to Clinton.

“Our campaign is about giving voice to the voiceless. It’s about representing the forgotten men and women of this country,” Trump said. “I’m here to represent everyone, but especially those who are struggling against injustice and unfairness. I am running so that the powerful can no longer beat up on the powerless. I’m running to take on the special interests, the big donors, and the corrupt political insiders. I am running to be your voice.”

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The Republican nominee’s words echoed his daughter’s remarks delivered during the RNC Convention in July.

“For more than a year, Donald Trump has been the people’s champion, and tonight he’s the people’s nominee,” Ivanka Trump said while introducing her father, “Real change, the kind we have not seen in decades is only going to come from outside the system.”

Ivanka Trump painted the picture of a leader with a track record of fighting for those he cares about.

“I have seen him fight for his family. I have seen him fight for his employees. I have seen him fight for his company. And now, I am seeing him fight for our country,” Ivanka Trump said, “It’s been the story of his life and more recently the spirit of his campaign. It’s also a prelude to reaching the goal that unites us all: when this party, and better still, this country, knows what it is like to win again.”

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In contrast to the choice of the people, Trump cast Clinton as a representative of the elite political establishment who could care less about the concerns of the millions of hard-working Americans.

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“Hillary Clinton spoke with hatred and derision for the people who make this country run. She spoke with contempt for the people who thanklessly follow the rules, pay their taxes, and scratch out a living for their families,” Trump said. “While Hillary Clinton lives a sequestered life behind gates and walls and guards, she mocks and demeans hardworking Americans who only want their own families to enjoy a fraction of the security enjoyed by our politicians.”

Calling Clinton a voice for Wall Street and the “top tenth of the one percent,” Trump said that her disdain for decent Americans “disqualifies her for public office” and prevents her from credibly continuing to campaign.

“You cannot run for President if you have such contempt in your heart for the American voter,” Trump said. “You can’t lead this nation if you have such a low opinion of its citizens.”