Trump tosses out insults, policy positions at blowout rally in N.H.

MANCHESTER, N.H. — It was pretty much everything you’d expect.

1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump, in front of a crowd of about 5,000 at the Verizon Wireless Center in Manchester, delivered a bombastic, wide-ranging address on the eve of the New Hampshire primaries.

Trump was particularly fiery in his proposals to secure the border with Mexico and overhaul trade policy, part of his plan to guarantee “so many more victories” for the United States as a whole.

His plan to halt illegal immigration through America’s southern border, featuring the construction of a “major wall,” was met with raucous enthusiasm from the predominantly white and middle-aged crowd.

“And who will build the wall?!” Trump screamed into the microphone midway through the address.

“MEXICO! MEXICO! MEXICO!” responded the crowd in unison.

The New York-based real estate mogul actually avoided the topic of politics altogether for much of the speech’s first half, choosing instead to praise his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, giving each a chance to briefly address the audience.

Trump started his stump speech in earnest after about 15 minutes, flowing freely from topic to topic, all informed with a generally negative view of America’s current state of affairs.

“I’m angry. I’m very angry. And the people that are with me are angry. We’re angry at incompetence … we’re angry at the Iran deal … We’re angry at our trade deals.”

Those in the audience echoed Trump’s frustration with the nation’s leadership.

“It’s just run amok with politicians, $19 trillion in debt, we have a major bubble coming up later this year, and he’s the only one who right now would have a clue about it,” Charlie Watson, a Trump supporter, said. “He’s going to straighten things out, from the business standpoint, because that’s what we need right now.”

Trump also provided a heavy dosage of his trademark personalized insults. His first two targets were South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (who gave the GOP response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union a month ago) and “dirty rotten traitor” Bowe Bergdahl, the former U.S. Army soldier who deserted and ended up a captive of the Taliban. 

After predictable shots at “low energy” Jeb Bush and Obama, Trump lit into the night’s most significant target: Iowa caucuses victor Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

While Trump discussed Cruz’s stance against waterboarding, an audience member yelled something at the stage. After asking the attendee to repeat herself, Trump feigned shock as he reiterated what the women had said: Cruz was a “pussy.”

Trump set aside several minutes to discuss his single-payer health care plan, a notable liberal outlier among his policy positions. 

“There are people at the bottom who have to be taken care of…We’re not going to have people dying in the streets," he said. "We’re going to get them into a hospital and take care of them.”

Trump spent the latter half of the night juggling multiple issues, including some time spent praising America’s police officers and questioning the extent of climate change.

“There’s a blizzard outside,” Trump said, in reference to the New Hampshire snowfall. “There’s no global warming.”

He then addressed his plans to one day live in Washington, D.C. — whether or not he actually wins the election.

“You know, I’m building a big building right now on Pennsylvania Avenue. That I got from the federal government — from Obama!” Trump said, referencing his soon-to-open hotel at the Old Washington Post Office. “I don’t give a damn if I don’t make the White House, we’re moving into that building. We’re moving to Pennsylvania Avenue.”

Trump then concluded with his well-worn, famous refrain:

“There is something so special going on. We have to go out, we have to vote, we have to celebrate tomorrow. This is so important," he said. 

“We are going to make America great again!”

Design Editor Ilana Wurman contributed reporting. 

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