Trump returns to Washington for the first time since leaving the White House to give a policy speech

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has returned Tuesday to Washington, the nation’s capital, since leaving the White House after losing the election to current President Joe Biden, to give a political speech as part of a summit organized by the NGO America First Policy Institute (AFPI, for its acronym in English).

Trump’s return to the capital comes at a time of heightened tension as the congressional investigation into the assault that took place on January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol moves forward. The inquiries point to the fact that it was precisely his refusal to recognize the results of the 2020 elections that led to the assault, which resulted in five deaths and more than fifty arrests.

The New York tycoon, who is groping the possibility of running again for president in 2024, is scheduled to address the summit attendees this Tuesday afternoon. “He remains the leader of the America First movement,” Marc Lotter, AFPI’s chief communications officer, told CNN.

“He’s the name with the most weight. He’s the visionary behind the policies that got him into the White House and when you look at what’s going on right now in the country, a lot of people are asking for his leadership to come back,” he said, before pointing out that people “want cheaper gas, higher wages and not what’s there now.”

His visit to Washington also highlights the schism between him and his former vice president, Mike Pence, whom Trump has publicly blamed for refusing to reject the election results in some key states for the course of the vote.

Trump has used his recent speeches to continue to talk about the situation surrounding the 2020 election. His appearances have focused, however, on giving support to the candidates running in the November ‘midterms’ who have endorsed him throughout.

“He’s going to speak out to give voice to that agenda, to send those messages with an eye toward the ‘midterms’ and beyond. I think there’s no one better than the former president to do that,” Lotter has said. “What’s going to happen next is entirely up to the voters and those who turn out,” he added.