By Amanda Walker, US correspondent
Donald Trump never stopped campaigning – he actually filed for re-election on his inauguration day.
But if the 23 Democrats who want to beat him get to have launch parties, so does he.
His most devoted fans have been buying hats, attending rallies and handing over their cash throughout his two years in the White House.
Diehards came to Orlando from far and wide – some queued overnight for the big event – so how's that old 2016 devotion holding up?
The short answer is that the devotion is holding up well. One attendee told me that Trump has "saved masculinity". Another assures me that "everyone is happier".
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Thankfully, Mr Trump has never tested his theory that he could shoot people in the street and still enjoy the devotion of his fans.
Here is where you get the sense there might be some truth in it.
More from Donald Trump
The people who have come to this arena don't need a new game plan or fresh policies.
They've got nostalgia for 2016 – the year they felt acknowledged. Which is lucky because aside from the new additions of "best economy in America's history" and "the Russia witch-hunt" – the script is the same.
Old classics like "drain the swamp", "build the wall" and even "lock her up" (no Hillary Clinton is not running in 2020) put the crowd in raptures.
Pantomime boos ring out as he bashes the media and his rivals.
"Our political opponents look down with hatred on our values and with utter disdain for the people whose lives they want to run," he said to a packed arena.
But he can no longer play the maverick outsider card – as president he's now the ultimate insider.
And he has a campaign toRead More – Source
By Amanda Walker, US correspondent
Donald Trump never stopped campaigning – he actually filed for re-election on his inauguration day.
But if the 23 Democrats who want to beat him get to have launch parties, so does he.
His most devoted fans have been buying hats, attending rallies and handing over their cash throughout his two years in the White House.
Diehards came to Orlando from far and wide – some queued overnight for the big event – so how's that old 2016 devotion holding up?
The short answer is that the devotion is holding up well. One attendee told me that Trump has "saved masculinity". Another assures me that "everyone is happier".
Advertisement
Thankfully, Mr Trump has never tested his theory that he could shoot people in the street and still enjoy the devotion of his fans.
Here is where you get the sense there might be some truth in it.
More from Donald Trump
The people who have come to this arena don't need a new game plan or fresh policies.
They've got nostalgia for 2016 – the year they felt acknowledged. Which is lucky because aside from the new additions of "best economy in America's history" and "the Russia witch-hunt" – the script is the same.
Old classics like "drain the swamp", "build the wall" and even "lock her up" (no Hillary Clinton is not running in 2020) put the crowd in raptures.
Pantomime boos ring out as he bashes the media and his rivals.
"Our political opponents look down with hatred on our values and with utter disdain for the people whose lives they want to run," he said to a packed arena.
But he can no longer play the maverick outsider card – as president he's now the ultimate insider.
And he has a campaign toRead More – Source
