Mr. Trump speaks from behind bulletproof glass. Photo: Doug Mills/New York Times .

After two days of focusing on policy issues, former US President Donald Trump returned to his familiar style on August 21, with a speech affirming that he would not give up personal attacks and continue to sow doubts about the fairness of the election.

Speaking to thousands of supporters outside the hangar at the aviation museum in Asheboro, North Carolina on August 21, Mr. Trump mocked his advisers for pressuring him to focus on policy, rather than personal attacks when mocking US President Joe Biden.

He called former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “crazy”, called Vice President Kamala Harris “stupid”, and said former President Barack Obama was “evil”, according to the New York Times.

Return

The former US president promised to invest in the military, criticized the Biden administration’s foreign policy, and said that only he could restore world peace. Mr. Trump also repeated false claims about widespread voter fraud in 2020 and will continue to raise them in the upcoming election.

When Mr Trump asserted that he could end the conflict in Ukraine simply by winning the election, he also portrayed his victory as a foregone conclusion that only election fraud could prevent.

Former President Trump after speaking at a campaign rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. Photo: Doug Mills/New York Times.

The Asheboro event was Mr Trump’s first outdoor rally since the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.

According to the New York Times, many security precautions were increased. The podium where Mr. Trump stood was partially surrounded by bulletproof glass. At least five staff members, some with sniper rifles, stood on the surrounding roof. Large containers were stacked on top of each other to obscure direct views of the stage from a distance.

The North Carolina speech was seen as a departure from two other events held at smaller venues this week, where Mr Trump spoke in a room to a quiet crowd.

The former US president appeared more relaxed and comfortable than on August 19-20, when he sometimes reread his prepared speech.

“Personalization”

His speech on August 21 was billed as focusing on national security. But he admitted early on that he had resisted his team’s demands to focus on policy, saying he felt the need to “respond” to the barrage of criticism leveled at the recent Democratic National Convention.

“They always say, ‘Sir, stick to policy. Don’t get personal,’” Trump said. “But these people, they’ve been attacking people all night long. I have to stick to policy?”

The crowd responded with a resounding “no.” Mr. Trump then asked his supporters about his approach: Should he “personalize” or “depersonalize.” The first option was greeted with loud cheers. The second received only a few scattered applause.

“My advisers were fired,” Trump joked. “No. We always wanted to focus on policy. But sometimes it’s hard when you’re being attacked from all sides.”

Mr Trump’s speech in North Carolina was a departure from two other events this week. Photo: Doug Mills/New York Times.

On national security, Mr. Trump criticized the Biden administration’s approach to foreign policy. He criticized both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris for their chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and failure to stop the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

“(Ms.) Kamala and (Mr.) Biden have taken us to the brink of World War III,” Mr. Trump said.

Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign spokesman James Singer criticized Trump’s foreign policy record as the previous US president.

“America doesn’t need to hear any more about national security from Donald Trump, we’ve seen it: bowing to dictators, sowing chaos and leading with reckless ignorance,” said Mr. Singer.

At the campaign, Mr. Trump emphasized that he would remove “hollow” leaders (those who are sensitive to social discontent, but in fact do not have a comprehensive and profound view of current events) from the military.

He will also ask for the resignation of “every senior military official” involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In 2021, as the US was withdrawing troops, a suicide bombing outside the airport killed more than 100 people, including 13 US soldiers.

Returning to a rhetoric often promoted by conservatives, Mr Trump – who as US president banned transgender people from serving in the military – mocked transgender soldiers as unfit to serve.

“Our soldiers should be focused on defeating America’s enemies, not figuring out their gender,” he said. “At that point, hopefully they know their gender.”

Mr. Trump’s speeches often moved abruptly from one policy issue to another.

The former US president also once again accused the Biden administration of deploying the justice system against him as a form of “political persecution” — a claim he offered no evidence for, and then hinted he might respond in kind.

“Weaponization is a double-edged sword that can come back to haunt them,” he said.