After A Week Of Scrutiny, Donald Trump Gives Tempered Primary Night Speech

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania as he speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club Westchester, Tuesday, June 7, 2016, in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. (AP Pho... Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by his wife Melania as he speaks during a news conference at the Trump National Golf Club Westchester, Tuesday, June 7, 2016, in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) MORE LESS
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Donald Trump gave a relatively subdued primary night speech Tuesday notable not because it marked any landmark wins (as the last GOP candidate standing, he was expected to win all of the night’s contests), but because it came after a week of controversy over Trump’s attacks on a federal judge.

On Tuesday, after facing heavy criticisms from even his fellow Republicans, Trump read what sounded like as close as he’s gotten to a typical stump speech. He also did not take questions from the press.

“Tonight, we close one chapter in history and we begin another,” Trump said, while thanking the voters in the handful of states with primaries tonight.

“You’ve given me the honor to lead the Republican Party this fall,” Trump said. “I understand the responsibility of carrying the mantle, and I will never, ever let you down.”

He made an appeal to “those who voted for someone else in either party” promising to “work hard to earn your support.”

He reached specifically to Bernie Sanders’ supporters, who Trump said had “been left out in the cold by a rigged system of super delegates.”

“We welcome you with open arms,” Trump said, while highlighting his and Sanders shared criticism of trade deals.

Occasionally Trump added a “big league” here and a “folks” there. But otherwise, he plodded through a set of policy issues — immigration, trade and jobs — that dominated his primary run, while also taking swipes at President Obama.

“Obama promised change. And it didn’t work out too well,” he said. Though the speech sounded closer to a typical politician’s speech than what is normal of Trump, he didn’t abandon his outsider message.

“Why would politicians want to change a system that’s totally rigged in order to keep them in power?” he said. “It’s what they’re doing, folks. Why would politicians want to change a system that’s made them and their friends very, very wealthy?”

In that vein, he previewed some attacks against presumptive Dem nominee Hillary Clinton, whose “corrupt dealings” he said he would explore in a speech next week.

“The last thing we need is Hillary Clinton in the White House or an extension of the Obama disaster,” he said.

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