Despite "some reservations" about former President Donald Trump making his official declaration Tuesday night, former Arkansas GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee said this "pitch perfect speech" can make Trump once again "unbeatable."
"I think he's going to be unbeatable, if he stays in this message," Huckabee told Newsmax host Rob Schmitt moments after the speech concluded.
Huckabee had earlier said he wanted Trump to hold off his official declaration until after Herschel Walker's final vote from the Dec. 6 runoff, which could take an indefinite amount of time counting votes.
"I thought it was a pitch perfect speech," Huckabee, changing his tune from earlier in the day on Newsmax. "I thought it was constructed brilliantly. He laid out the case for why he needed to run. He announced that he was going to run. But the most important thing he did tonight, he reminded us of why he won in the first place, because he made it about the American people and he talked about this is not my campaign, this is your campaign."
This message can make him "unbeatable," no matter who runs, according to Huckabee.
"This is the message that, if he sticks to it, I believe will make him unbeatable, unbeatable in the primary and unbeatable in the general election," Huckabee continued.
"We need a party that fights for working class men and women who come home bone tired from a day's work, having sweat through their clothes, and they know that somebody in a place of power is fighting for them.
"Tonight, Donald Trump said I'm that guy. I'll be there for you. I thought it was a brilliant speech."
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Huckabee's prior "reservations" were abated by Trump's speech at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
"I'm telling you, I think it's a winning message," Huckabee said. "I had some reservations, to be very honest, about him making this announcement right now, because we have an election going on in Georgia."
Huckabee is headed to Georgia on Wednesday to campaign for Walker, who is fighting for the 50th seat in the Senate, attempting to unseat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
"I was thrilled that he brought that race up, and he encouraged people go vote for Herschel Walker," Trump said. "That was a great and important touch because he reminded people that the 2022 election is not over. But I was really thrilled."
Huckabee did admit Trump has a "bedside manner" that does not sit well with everyone.
"One thing I always want to say about Donald Trump: Look, if this is a hospital, and there are a lot of doctors in it, he's got the worst bedside matter of anybody in the entire hospital — no doubt about that — but he's the best surgeon in that hospital," Huckabee concluded.
"Nobody can do the operation better than he can."
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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