Insisting the “idea of America” was at stake in 2016, Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., made his case to Florida Republicans to be the next president of the United States.
Jindal started his speech by going after businessman Donald Trump for attacking Dr. Ben Carson. Speaking at the Republican Party of Florida’s (RPOF) Sunshine Summit in Orlando on Saturday afternoon, Jindal called out Trump’s “insane comment” about Carson, accusing the celebrity businessman of calling the doctor a “child molester.” Trump had said Carson had a “pathological temper,” saying there was no cure for it, much like the impulse to commit pedophilia.
“There is a line we should not cross,” Jindal insisted to applause. “Whatever you think of Dr. Carson, there comes a point where enough is enough.”
Weighing in on “politically correct nonsense,” Jindal pointed to the recent events at the University of Missouri and jabbed President Barack Obama for encouraging the idea that “we are all victims.”
Defending the First Amendment, Jindal made the case for keeping religion in the public square.
“The United States of America did not create religious freedom,” Jindal said to cheers. “Religious freedom created the United States of America.”
Turning to the presidential election, Jindal hit Obama on health-care, international issues and the economy.
“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” Jindal said, repeating a point Republicans had made throughout the Sunshine Summit. Jindal insisted the nation was on a “path to socialism.”
The Louisiana governor called for a “smart immigration policy” and insisted, under Obama, America had a “dumb immigration policy.” Jindal called for securing the border and said it could be done in six months.
Jindal went after Beltway Republicans, insisting they were weakening the nation. “They have big business groups who want open borders, amnesty and Common Core,” Jindal said about Washington Republicans.
Turning to sanctuary cities, Jindal vowed to outlaw them as well as defund them. Noting his parents came to America legally, Jindal called Obama the “divider in chief” and urged legal immigrants to “get to work,” “learn English” and embrace American values.
“If somebody doesn’t want to be an American, don’t come to America,” Jindal said. “We’re not hyphenated Americans.”
Jindal stressed there was a difference between “assimilation” and “invasion” when it came to immigration before turning his focus to the terrorist attacks in Paris. Noting France had closed its borders, Jindal said America would do well to follow that example and insisted Obama was not identifying the real enemy: Islamic jihadism.
“Islam has a problem,” Jindal said. “Radical Islam is that problem.”
Speaking without notes, away from the podium, Jindal garnered cheers when he turned his fire towards the GOP at the end of his speech.
“I’m angrier with the Republicans in DC than I am at the Democrats in DC,” Jindal said, labeling congressional Republicans as the “surrender caucus.”
“It’s time to stand up to the establishment in both parties,” Jindal said. “It’s time to fire everyone in DC.”
While some polls have shown him moving up in Iowa, home of the first caucus, Jindal has lagged in most national polls. In the first four rounds of debates between the GOP hopefuls, Jindal has been included in the undercard debates with other lower tier candidates.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
