6 key lines from Trump’s Sunday speech to conservative activists in Phoenix

In Phoenix on Sunday to address a group of conservative activists, President-elect Trump largely repeated the same themes of his campaign, including claims of widespread voter fraud in last month’s election, but tempered them with his confidence in having won the vote.

“We had no riots, we had no fights, we had nothing,” Trump said. “It was beautiful, because [Democrats] conceded.”

“When I won, they said ‘we lost.’ … We want to bring people together; they want to divide.” he went on.

Trump skipped much of the past week’s events in Washington, notably missing the inauguration. He didn’t discuss them Sunday. That chaotic week included his decision to torpedo a last-minute House deal to fund the federal government with a short-term spending bill, after the president-elect announced on Twitter over the objections of his transition team that he opposed it. The bill died on Thursday amid a ferocious social media campaign led by Musk, who has spent much time with Trump in Mar-a-Lago over the past week. Their opposition to the deal sparked a scramble that resulted in lawmakers approving an alternative short-term continuing resolution that did not include a debt limit suspension, as Trump had demanded, to avoid a government shutdown.

Instead, Trump used his speech at the gathering sponsored by far-right group Turning Point USA to highlight how he plans to act on many of the promises he made during the campaign once he assumes office on Jan. 4. Here are six of the most key quotes from his remarks.

Return the Panama Canal

“We also believe it is critical that the Panama Canal, a vital national asset, is returned to the control of the US for the benefit of our military and commerce,” Trump said, doubling down on claims he’s made in recent tweets about the canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Trump said he will demand return of the canal “without question.”

Trump said Panama has treated the United States navy and shipping companies “extremely unfairly and without proper care.” The fees it charges are “outrageous and totally unreasonable.”

“The canal was given — as our foolish president, a very stupid man — gave it to Panama and the people of Panama. But it had provisions that you’ve got to treat us fairly. Well, they haven’t treated us fairly. And to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly,” Trump said.

“The complete and utter ripoff of our country will be stopped immediately,” he added.

“It’s very sad. It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions — you’ve got to treat us fairly. And they haven’t treated us fairly,” he said.

Trump has previously suggested that the United States could retake the canal by force if necessary.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said Sunday the Canal and its adjacent zone belong to Panama.

“The sovereignty and independence of our country is not at stake,” he said in a video statement posted to X. “Panama respects other nations and their decisions. And we demand respect from them. With the new administration in the United States, we aspire to continue a good and cordial bilateral relationship.”

“Security challenges such as illegal migration, drug trafficking and organized crime should be the priority of our bilateral agenda, as they are a real threat that should concern us,” Mulino said.

Meet Putin

Trump said it might not be too long before he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the war in Ukraine.

Putin has said publicly he wants to meet with Trump early in his presidency. Last week, in his year-end news conference, Putin said he was “ready” to discuss the war with the president-elect.

“Vladimir Putin wants to have a meeting, they want to have a meeting with me. So we have to wait. But we have to end that war,” Trump said.

“Putin — he likes me. I can tell you that.”

“I’ve heard that he wants to meet me as soon as possible. I’m not in any hurry to meet with Putin until we can start negotiating,” he said. “We want to have an important meeting.”

Trump again said he believes Putin was elected president of Russia “fair and square” and was “picked” by the Russian people.

Trump’s plan to meet with Putin is controversial. Many Republicans have said they think he should not meet Putin in the wake of Russia’s “unprovoked and brutal war” in Ukraine, a conflict that has lasted more than 22 months and killed tens of thousands of people. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said Trump’s decision could test party unity.

Musk’s influence

Trump defended his relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom the president-elect has spent much of the past week with in Mar-a-Lago. Musk was also instrumental in the president-elect’s opposition to the short-term spending bill, helping to sink it in Congress.

“No, he’s not taking the presidency. I like having smart people. I mean, they’re always on a new kick: Russia, Russia, Russia. Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine. All these different hoaxes. The new one is ‘President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon Musk.’ No, no, that’s not happening,” Trump said. “We just brought Elon Musk here. It’s very interesting.”

Trump went on to praise Musk’s company, SpaceX for helping advance space travel and for Starlink, a satellite technology that has connected Americans in rural areas to the internet.

“SpaceX is an amazing company. Elon Musk has done an unbelievable job. He’s a great guy,” Trump said. “But he’s not going to be president.”

“No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said. “And I’m safe, you know why? He can’t be.”

Trump also said Musk doesn’t support Democrats, a comment that seemed to reference a video of Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth that Tesla and Musk shared last summer.

Trump suggested the video, which criticized his handling of the Russian warship incident, was doctored.

Renaming Denali

President Barack Obama’s administration renamed the highest mountain peak in North America, Mount McKinley, to Denali to honor Alaska’s native population. The Athabascan people have called it Denali, the native word for “the high one,” for centuries.

Trump returned to the topic after crediting President William McKinley with jumpstarting the American economy that allowed President Teddy Roosevelt’s administration to begin construction of the Panama Canal.

Trump said McKinley should have his name restored because he was a “great president” who “deserves it.”

“McKinley was a very, very good president. I think he may have been a great president. And the name was taken off [Mount McKinley.] They took his name off. That’s what they do to people,” Trump said.

“He was responsible for creating a vast sum of money,” Trump said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re going to bring back the name of Mount McKinley because I think he deserves it.”

Trump has repeatedly spoken out against what he has said is a cultural war by progressives seeking to erase American history in recent years.

He has called on Republicans in state legislatures and Congress to pass a “1776 Commission Act” in the wake of a report issued last year by a commission he created to counter “the lies of the radical left.”

The report focused on the positive contributions of Americans to the country, including enslaved and immigrant populations, that Trump has highlighted at rallies.

Trump has also spoken out against efforts to erase the names of former President Teddy Roosevelt and former Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and against changing the name of several military bases, including Fort Bragg, the military base renamed as Fort Liberty by Congress last year.

“We’re going to bring back Fort Bragg. We’re going to bring back all the great names that mean so much to so many people,” he said. “Woke has to stop. Because along with everything else, it’s destroying our country. We’re going to stop woke.”

“Woke is bullsh-t,” he added. “We’re going to get rid of that garbage.”

Vaccine skepticism

Trump defended his choice of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, for health secretary — and seemed to suggest Kennedy may have a free hand to investigate a potential link between vaccines and autism, despite a broad scientific consensus that no such link exists.

Trump defended Kennedy’s “expertise” — and said Kennedy will investigate whether the link is real. Trump, who was asked about Kennedy’s views at a campaign news conference last month, said then that he expects Kennedy to “come back with a report as to what he thinks.”

“We’re going to bring people in that are experts — he’s an expert,” Trump said. “He will get to the bottom of it.”

Trump also pointed to the rise in diagnoses of autism, childhood cancer, and chronic diseases and said “something’s wrong here.”

“Together, we’re going to make America healthy again,” Trump said. “There’s been a tremendous increase in all the diseases — tremendous increases in childhood cancer, tremendous increases in autism, tremendous increases in chronic diseases. Something bad is happening.”

Trump’s comments came as many Republicans remain leery of Kennedy and his long-standing history of vaccine skepticism. Senate Republicans who have met with Trump’s nominees in recent weeks have questioned them about the appointment, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said last month he’s concerned Kennedy could undermine public confidence in vaccines.

Kennedy has claimed that the vaccines have been linked to a rise in autism diagnoses and that the government has covered up data that shows the link between vaccines and autism exists. Trump also expressed similar opinions during the campaign, claiming there is a link between autism and vaccines.

Still, Trump, during the campaign, said he has vaccinated his grandchildren. Kennedy has said he has vaccinated his children.

During last month’s news conference, Trump said he’s pro-vaccine. He pointed to the widespread success of vaccines against polio decades ago.

“We have vaccines; I’m a big believer in the polio vaccine. I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “But we had some problems. We don’t want to have a problem. We don’t want to have a situation. We want to find out. I’m sure, as he’s said, he doesn’t want to have a situation where it’s affecting children. Nobody wants that.”

Kennedy, in recent days, has said he plans to investigate whether the link exists. He said that despite the broad opposition to the claims, he plans to “find out if it’s true” because it’s his “duty.”

“I have got to go where the science takes me,” he said during a recent radio interview.

TikTok’s future

Trump again expressed openness to letting China-backed social media app TikTok continue operating in the United States. He hinted that it might have helped him win key swing states where young voters are often a key constituency.

His remarks come amid the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a lawsuit challenging Trump’s ban on the app, which could put more than 150 million Americans who use the social media site at risk of losing the app. The high court last week agreed to fast-track arguments, which will be held on January 10.

Trump touted his popularity on the app and the gains he made with young voters in the 2024 election on his way to victory over Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the Democratic nominee.