MONTGOMERY — Fresh off of one of the most tumultuous weeks in his nearly decade-long political career, former President Donald Trump gave the Alabama Republican Party a record-setting event on Friday at its annual summer dinner at the Renaissance Hotel.
According to an ALGOP official, the event drew an estimated 2,700 people and raised $1.2 million.
"Biggest ALGOP dinner. Record-breaking fundraiser."
The former president touched on several issues, including his four-count federal indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith for the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.
"Any time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls," he declared.
"We need one more indictment to close out this election. One more indictment, and this election is closed out. Nobody has even a chance."
Despite his legal woes, Trump is enjoying unprecedented popularity. He is currently leading the 2024 Republican presidential field by a wide margin, and he is tied with incumbent President Joe Biden, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll.
During his speech, the former president did not shy away from the hot-button culture war topics.
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He urged Republicans not to shy away from the abortion issue on the heels of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Center decision.
"I have to tell you, from the Republican and conservative standpoint, you have to learn how to talk about pro-life," he said. "You have to learn how to talk about that decision because you don't know how to talk about it. Pro-lifers have a tremendous power now with that termination [of Roe v. Wade] to negotiate."
"Now like President Ronald Reagan before me, I support the three exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. I will say in terms of running, you have to go with your heart. You have to go with what you want. But the three exceptions to me are very important. Remember the Democrats are the radicals on this issue and you have to remember that ... the Democrats are the radicals because they're willing to kill babies in their fifth and sixth and seventh and eighth and ninth month, and even after birth."
"They're the extremist, not us," Trump added. "You have to fight that issue differently. A lot of Republicans, a lot of House members — they weren't able to talk about the issue. They didn't know how. They didn't say they were the radicals, they were the extremists. They didn't say it gave us tremendous power to negotiate. We now have that tremendous power."
In addition to abortion, Trump pledged to enact a law banning child sexual mutilation if elected back to the White House.
"I will sign a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states," he said. "Think of that — child sexual mutilation. Could you imagine 15 years ago saying we're going to stop child sexual mutilation? Do you even have to say a thing like that? It's not even believable. But we do because we have a sick country. In a way, it's a sick world. And we're going to stop it. We're going to stop it and we're going to stop it cold."
Jeff Poor is the editor in chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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