President Donald Trump gave a “peaceful protest” campaign speech Saturday from the White House as he continues his coronavirus recovery, telling Black and Latino supporters “you have to have police support you.”

Trump ridiculed former Vice President Joe Biden and Democrats during the “Blexit” campaign rally organized by Candace Owens and former Arizona police officer Brandon Tatum. Their Blexit Foundation touts itself as a movement encouraging minorities to leave the Democratic Party.

His repeated calls for “law and order” were paired with searing criticisms that Biden has “betrayed” Black and Hispanic Americans during his decades in office. Chants of “USA” echoed across the White House lawn as Trump said minority communities are rejecting “radical socialism” and a “nationwide crusade against” police officers that he claimed was being led by Biden.

Trump said his “pro-police” campaign is necessary in order for Blacks and Latinos in cities across the U.S. to feel safe under urban Democratic leaders.

“Sleepy Joe Biden, he’s betrayed Black and Latino Americans, if you think he can run this country you’re wrong. For half a century. We’ve got to vote these people into oblivion, got to get rid of them, so bad for our country,” Trump said. “Black and Latino Americans are rejecting the radical socialist left and embracing our pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-police—we have to have law and order—and pro-American agenda. I want to thank the Blexit Foundation for organizing this event.”

“In order to protect the lives of Black Americans and all Americans, you have to have your police support you,” Trump continued. “If the left gains power they will launch a nationwide crusade against law enforcement, which they’re already doing.”

Trump claimed manufacturing and other jobs in states including Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Texas will disappear from minority communities if Biden is elected president. He said that Democrats have run every major city for “100 years.”

The president’s official Saturday schedule described the rally as a “peaceful protest for law and order” amid his continued self-isolation after being infected with COVID-19 and spending several days in Walter Reed hospital last week. Thousands of people were expected to attend but photographs showed a few hundred attendees.

“First off I’m feeling great, how is everybody doing? Thank you so much for all of your prayers,” Trump said to the hundreds of supporters in attendance. He repeatedly thanked the co-founders of the Blexit Foundation, whose name is taken from the conservative British movement to withdraw from the European Union.

“We cannot allow our country to become a socialist nation. That’s what will happen—or worse,” Trump said, adding that “we will have law enforcement watching” for fraud on Election Day.

Trump repeatedly touted his “Platinum Plan” for Black Americans, which the Biden campaign last week ridiculed in a statement: “Trump lied about the danger of COVID-19 and failed to contain the virus and tens of thousands of Black Americans have lost their lives. More than 1.5 million additional Black Americans are unemployed than at the same time last year and 400,000 small businesses have closed because of the economic fallout,” said Kamau Marshall, strategic communications director for Biden for President.

The Biden campaign noted Trump referred to Black Lives Matter as a “symbol of hate” in remarks earlier this year.

Trump went on to say coronavirus cases are “going to disappear” after some “flare-ups” in the very near future. He highlighted that the southern border wall with Mexico is now “380 miles long” and “will soon be finished.”

p:last-of-type::after, .node-type-slideshow .article-body > p:last-of-type::after {
content: none
}]]>