Trump kicks off 2020 campaign at Orlando rally

ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump officially kicked off his reelection campaign Tuesday at a Florida rally where he exhorted thousands of rollicking supporters to keep advancing his political movement to put America's "own citizens first".

At the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, Trump reminisced about his 2016 campaign, describing it is as a "great political movement" and "a defining moment in American history".

And he said he had fundamentally upended Washington, staring down "a corrupt and broken political establishment" and restoring a government "of, for and by the people".

Vice President Mike Pence offered a more direct pitch.

"We're here for one reason and reason only: America needs four more years of President Donald Trump," he said, prompting a "Four more years!" chant.

"It's on," Pence added. "Time for round two."

Of course, Trump never really stopped running. He officially filed for re-election on January 20, 2017, the day of his inauguration, and held his first 2020 rally in February, 2017, in nearby Melbourne, Florida.

He has continued holding his signature "Make America Great Again" rallies in the months since, while also raising millions to fund a more professional, far larger campaign operation, with about 80 staffers now working at the campaign's Virginia headquarters, in New York and in key states across the country.

AP