WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - Donald Trump ignored pressure from some fellow Republicans to avoid repeating his false claims about a stolen 2020 election on Tuesday, insisting that he won his second bid for the White House and would not allow his perceived enemies to bar a return.
In his first speech in Washington since leaving office 18 months ago, the former U.S. president stopped short of declaring his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election but predicted Republicans would retake the Senate, House of Representatives and the White House.
"I ran the first time and I won. Then I ran a second time and I did much better ... and you know what? That's going to be the story for a long time, what a disgrace it was. But we may just have to do it again," Trump said in a 93-minute speech to the conservative America First Policy Institute.
Mike Pence, who was vice president under Trump and may seek the White House in 2024, distanced himself from Trump's repeated election falsehoods, saying at a separate event earlier in the U.S. capital that conservatives needed to focus on the future to win. read more
"I don't know that the president and I differ on issues. But we may differ on focus. I truly do believe that elections are about the future," Pence said across town at the Heritage Foundation think tank.
"In order to win, conservatives need to do more than criticize and complain. We must unite our movement behind a bold, optimistic agenda," he said.
Trump used his speech to...
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