Then Trump took the stage.

He didn't attempt to continue the carefully choreographed messaging of the night or to narrow the ever-deepening divide between the thousands of supporters gathered in the convention center hall before him and the thousands of protesters waiting outside.

Instead, Trump spent the first three minutes of his speech — which would drag on for 75 minutes — marveling at his crowd size, claiming that “there aren't too many people outside protesting,” predicting that the media would not broadcast shots of his “rather incredible” crowd and reminiscing about how he was “center stage, almost from day one, in the debates.”

“We love those debates — but we went to center stage, and we never left, right?” the president said, reliving his glory days. “All of us. We did it together.”

Over the next 72 minutes, the president launched into one angry rant after another, repeatedly attacking the media and providing a lengthy defense of his response to the violent clashes in Charlottesville, between white supremacists and neo-Nazis and the counterprotesters who challenged them. He threatened to shut down the government if he doesn't receive funding for a wall along the southern border, announced that he will “probably” get rid of the North American Free Trade Agreement, attacked the state's two Republican senators, repeatedly referred to protesters as “thugs” and coyly hinted that he will pardon Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County who was convicted in July of criminal contempt in Arizona for ignoring a judge’s order to stop detaining people because he merely suspected them of being undocumented immigrants.

Watch more!

Three times, the crowd burst into chants of “USA! USA! USA!” And once, at the mention of Trump's former rival Hillary Clinton, they chanted: “Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!” Several parents put their young children on their shoulders so they could get a good look at the president.

But as the night dragged on, many in the crowd lost interest in what the president was saying.

Hundreds left early, while others plopped down on the ground, scrolled through their social media feeds or started up a conversation with their neighbors. After waiting for hours in 107-degree heat to get into the rally hall — where their water bottles were confiscated by security — people were tired and dehydrated and the president just wasn't keeping their attention. Although Trump has long been the master of reading the mood of a room and quickly adjusting his message to satisfy as many of his fans as possible, his rage seemed to cloud his senses.

Early in his speech, when Trump still had the attention of his followers, he recited his definition of what it means to be a Trump supporter.

“This evening, joined together with friends, we reaffirm our shared customs, traditions and values,” Trump began. “We love our country. We celebrate our troops. We embrace our freedom. We respect our flag. We are proud of our history. We cherish our Constitution — including, by the way, the Second Amendment. We fully protect religious liberty. We believe in law and order. And we support the incredible men and women of law enforcement. And we pledge our allegiance to one nation under God.”

Minutes later, Trump transitioned to a topic that he would return to again and again.

“What happened in Charlottesville strikes at the core of America,” Trump said, appearing to read from the teleprompters placed on stage. “And tonight, this entire arena stands united in forceful condemnation of the thugs who perpetrate hatred and violence.”

Police officers applaud a line by U.S. President Donald Trump (R) as he delivers remarks about his proposed U.S. government effort against the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, to a gathering of federal, state and local law enforcement officials at the Long Island University campus in Brentwood, New York, U.S. July 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 27: President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Valor to US Capitol Police Officer Crystal Griner, center left, during a ceremony honoring the first responders of the June 14 shooting against members of the Republican Congressional Baseball team, where US House Majority Whip Representative Steve Scalise, Republican of Louisiana, was shot, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, July 27, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President Donald Trump stands for the colors as he arrives during the commissioning ceremony of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Saturday, July, 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 31: New White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and President Donald Trump shake hands after being privately sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, July 31, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 3: President Donald Trump, accompanied by Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin talks with a patient during a Veterans Affairs Department "telehealth" event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Aug 03, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L), U.S. Ambassador�to the United Nations Nikki Haley (2nd R) and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster (R) at Trump's golf estate in Bedminster, New Jersey U.S. August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a tour of U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Arizona, U.S., August 22, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump holds a flag of the state of Texas after receiving a briefing on Tropical Storm Harvey relief efforts at a local fire station where local residents gathered to welcome the president in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S., August 29, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (Carlos Barria/Reuters) WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 6: President Donald Trump, center left, meets with Hill leadership in the Oval Office, on September, 06, 2017 in Washington, DC. From left are House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy(R-CA), Vice President Pence, Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell(R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer(D-NY), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi(D-CA). (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 7: President Donald Trump, right, and Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait, left, hold their translation earphones as a reporter asks a question during a joint press conference in the East Room, on September, 07, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) ARLINGTON, VA - SEPTEMBER 11: President Trump and Secretary of Defense James Mattis greet members of the military following a memorial service for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, VA on September 11, 2017. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, right, tour Naples Estates, a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Irma, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, in Naples, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Palace Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) epa06206521 US President Donald J. Trump (C) encourages Frank 'FX' Giaccio (L), while Giaccio's father Greg Giaccio (R) looks on, as he mows the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 15 September 2017. President Trump accepted Giaccio's offer after he wrote to the president saying it would be an 'honor to mow the White House lawn.' EPA-EFE/SHAWN THEW (Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE) President Donald Trump speaks at campaign rally in support of Sen. Luther Strange, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, in Huntsville, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: President Donald Trump speaks before signing a memorandum to expand access to STEM, science technology engineering and math, education, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Sept 25, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: President Donald Trump stops to greet people as he walks from the Oval Office across the South lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Sept 29, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) U.S. President Donald Trump talks with local residents during a walking tour with first lady Melania Trump of areas damaged by Hurricane Maria in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, U.S., October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) WASHINGTON, DC - (L-R) With Penguins' coach Mike Sullivan, and co owners Ronald Burkle and Mario Lemieux behind, President Donald Trump honors the Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC Tuesday October 10, 2017. The Stanley Cup Trophy is in the foreground. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 11: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) US President Donald Trump speaks on tax reform, at Harrisburg International Airport on October 11, 2017 in Middletown, Pennsylvania. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGANMANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: President Donald Trump hands a pen that he used to sign an executive order on health care to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: President Donald Trump congratulates Kirstjen Nielsen, his nominee to be Secretary of Homeland Security, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: President Donald Trump with first lady Melania Trump speaks to reporters and members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON , DC - OCTOBER 17: President Donald Trump waits for the arrival of the Greek Prime Minster Alexis Tsipras to the West Wing of the White House, on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 17: President Donald Trump meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 19: President Donald Trump and Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 19: President Donald Trump and Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: President Donald Trump bestows the nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor, to retired Army Capt. Gary M. Rose, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: Boeing Executive Vice President Kevin McAllister, right, and CEO of Singapore Airlines Goh Choon Phong along with President Donald Trump and Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore attend a signing ceremony for airplane sales in the Roosevelt Room in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 24: Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) walks with President Donald Trump to the Senate Republican Policy Luncheon as a protester throws Russian flags at Capitol Hill on Tuesday October 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 26: President Donald Trump, with First lady Melania Trump by his side, signs a presidential memorandum to declare the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 27: President Donald Trump meets with and hands out candy to children of journalists and White House staffers for Halloween in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) U.S. President Donald Trump departs after an afternoon at his Trump National Golf Club, Sterling, Virginia, in suburban Washington, U.S., as he returns to the White House, October 28, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Theiler (Mike Theiler/Reuters) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pose for a photo with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family as they hand out treats as they welcome children from the Washington area and children of military families to trick-or-treat for Halloween at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 1: President Donald Trump flanked by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, right, speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Nov. 01, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) U.S. President Donald Trump, center right, and first lady Melania Trump, center left, accompanied by Command Commander Adm. Harry Harris, left, and his wife Bruni Bradley, throw flower pedals while visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii Friday, Nov. 3, 2017. Trump paid a solemn visit Friday to Pearl Harbor and its memorial to the USS Arizona, a hallowed place he said he had read about, discussed and studied but had never visited until just before opening his first official visit to Asia. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) WASHINGTON, DC - President Donald Trump visits Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans on the day the House will be voting on their tax bill on the floor, in Washington, DC Thursday November 16, 2017. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 17: President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos pose for photos with the University of Utah ski team during an event with NCAA championship teams at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 24: President Donald Trump speaks to a group of mayors in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 23: President Donald Trump hands a pen to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, left, after signing Section 201 actions in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: President Donald Trump speaks to the March for Life participants from an event in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: President Donald Trump waves as he walks back to the Oval Office after speaking to the March for Life participants during an event in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President Donald Trump, joined by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, left, Vice President Mike Pence, second from left, and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, right, speaks to the media as he arrives at the Pentagon, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Donald Trump welcomes H&K Equipment Company employee Ken Wilson during a visit to promote his tax and economic plan, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, in Coraopolis, Penn. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 16: President Donald Trump shakes hands with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 16: President Donald Trump greets Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway before speaking at the Conversations with the Women of America event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 16: President Donald Trump speaks at the Conversations with the Women of America event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) US President Donald Trump shakes hands after signing a proclamation during an event about Martin Luther King Jr. in the Roosevelt Room of the White House January 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan SmialowskiBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 11: President Donald Trump attends a discussion at the White House on making changes to the prison system on Thursday January 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 10: President Donald Trump meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 10: President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minster Erna Solberg in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 9: President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration policy in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 09, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 9: President Donald Trump signs the "Supporting our Veterans during their Transition from Uniformed Service to Civilian Life,"executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Jan. 09, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) U.S. President Donald Trump sings along with the national anthem before the NCAA College Football Playoff Championship game between Alabama and Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to fans during the first half between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images) US President Donald Trump speaks during a retreat with Republican lawmakers and members of his Cabinet at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, January 6, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEBSAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 4: President Donald Trump listens during a meeting about immigration with Republican Senators in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Jan. 04, 2018. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President Donald Trump arrives for a New Year's Eve gala at his Mar-a-Lago resort with first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) US President Donald Trump holds the flag of the United States Coast Guard while speaking to service members of the Coast Guard during an invitation to play golf at Trump International Golf Course in Mar-a-Lago, Florida on December 29, 217. The President invited members of the Coast Guard to play golf to thank them personally for their service of patroling the waters near Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas KammNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - US President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump participate in NORAD Santa Tracker phone calls at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida on December 24, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas KammNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 22: President Donald Trump signs the Tax Cut and Reform Bill, a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package, into law in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Dec. 22, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: President Donald Trump with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks about the passage of the tax bill on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 20: President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 14: President Donald Trump cuts the red ribbon across two stacks of paper depicting regulations in 1960 and today as he walks into an event regarding deregulation at the White House in Washington, DC on December 14, 2017. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: President Donald Trump makes a comment about the amount of pages a box containing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 bill has in Roosevelt Room of the White House on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, in Washington D.C. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post) President Donald Trump waves to supporters during a rally in Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 8: President Donald Trump, right, watches as Kirstjen Nielsen is sworn in as the new Secretary of Homeland Security by Vice President Mike Pence, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Friday, Dec. 08, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 7: President Donald Trump accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, meets with congressional leaders including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., left, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Dec. 07, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 7: President Donald Trump greets Lawrence Parry before signing a proclamation for National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day with survivors of the attack, during an event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Dec. 07, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 6: President Donald Trump, with Vice President Mike Pence by his side, signs an executive order to declare formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during a statement in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Dec. 06, 2017. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite intense Arab, Muslim and European opposition to a move that would upend decades of U.S. policy and risk potentially violent protests. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) U.S. President Donald Trump hands a pen used to sign an executive order to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) after announcing big cuts to Utah's sprawling wilderness national monuments at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., December 4, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel at a fundraising event in New York, U.S., December 2, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas (Yuri Gripas/Reuters) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: President Trump and first lady Melania Trump light the tree at the 95th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting on the Ellipse November 30, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: President Donald Trump meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President Donald Trump points as he arrives to speak about tax reform at the St. Charles Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in St. Charles, Mo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 28: President Donald Trump speaks with House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., by his side during a meeting with Republican congressional leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 27: President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Navajo Code Talkers including Fleming Begaye Sr., seated left, Thomas Begay, second from left, and Peter MacDonald, right, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump (L) visit members of the US Coast Guard at Station Lake Worth Inlet in Riviera Beach, Florida on Thanksgiving day November 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / NICHOLAS KAMMNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 21: President Donald Trump pardons Drumstick at the National Thanksgiving Turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. This is the 70th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 20: President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, announces that the United States will designate North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 17: Members of the University of Maryland women's lacrosse team react to something President Donald Trump said after posing for photographs on the south side of the White House during an event where he met with NCAA championship teams in Washington, DC on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 21: President Donald Trump looks up toward the Solar Eclipse without glasses from a balcony at the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, Aug 21, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Photo Gallery: A look at the second half of the president’s first year in the White House.

Many in the crowd lit up at the use of the word “thugs” and applauded. Later in the evening, Trump would repeatedly use the same word to describe the protesters who showed up to his campaign rallies.

“But the very dishonest media,” Trump continued, “those people right up there, with all the cameras.”

He was cut off by loud booing. He smirked and nodded in agreement. A few people shouted, “Fake news!” A young girl in the crowd, who was wearing a white Make America Great Again hat, looked down at the handmade credential round her neck that stated in blue marker: "4th grade press.”

“I mean truly dishonest people in the media and the fake media, they make up stories,” Trump said. “ … They don't report the facts. Just like they don't want to report that I spoke out forcefully against hatred, bigotry and violence and strongly condemned the neo-Nazis, the white supremacists and the KKK.”

Trump reached into his suit pocket and removed a different set of talking points.

“I'm really doing this to show you how damned dishonest these people are,” Trump said, promising that this would take “just a second” and would be “really fast.”

Trump then took more than 16 minutes to read the various statements that he made about Charlottesville over several days, noting the use of all-caps for one word and skipping over the part where he said that “many sides” were responsible for the violence. After reading each snippet, Trump would detail why that response was not good enough for the media.

“Why did it take a day? He must be a racist,” Trump said, the first of the five times he imitated people calling him a racist.

Along the way, Trump defended his use of Twitter and bragged that he went to “better schools” and lives “in a bigger, more beautiful apartment” than those who are considered elites. He said the “failing New York Times … is like so bad,” mocked CNN for its ratings and accused The Washington Post of being “a lobbying tool for Amazon” because the newspaper is owned by Jeffrey P. Bezos, who founded Amazon. The crowd repeatedly booed the reporters in their midst and chanted: “CNN sucks! CNN sucks!”

Watch more!

At one point, Trump was interrupted by two protesters, who were quickly led out of the arena by security, giving Trump's supporters something to videotape and share on Facebook or Snapchat.

“Don't bother,” Trump said, as the crowd booed. “It's only a single voice. And not a very powerful voice.”

He returned to reading aloud his own statements and recounting the resulting media coverage, which led to commenting on CNN's panels of “real lightweights,” which led to him defending a surrogate who was fired by CNN earlier this month for tweeting the Nazi salute, “Sieg Heil!”

“And they fired Jeffrey Lord. Poor Jeffrey. Jeffrey Lord,” Trump said. “I guess he was getting a little fed up, and he was probably fighting back a little bit too hard.”

Without even taking a breath, Trump resumed reading a statement from Aug. 14 in which he condemned violence caused by “the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold true as Americans.” That statement came two days after the violence in Charlottesville.

“So they were having a hard time with that one, because I said everything,” Trump said, then flippantly launching into a laundry list of hate groups. “I hit 'em with neo-Nazi. I hit 'em with everything. I got the white supremacists, the neo-Nazi. I got them all in there. Let's see: KKK? We have KKK. I got 'em all.”

Trump eventually wrapped up this defense by saying, in part: “The words were perfect.”

The president then tried to connect this lengthy self-examination to his supporters. Meanwhile, a growing number of them were calling it a night and heading to the exits.

“The media can attack me, but where I draw the line is when they attack you, which is what they do. When they attack the decency of our supporters,” Trump said, without explaining what he meant. “You are honest, hard-working, taxpaying — and by the way, you're overtaxed, but we're going to get your taxes down.”

Trump would return to taxes later — but first, he had to blame the media for “fomenting divisions” in the country, “trying to take away our history and our heritage” and “giving a platform to these hate groups.” He called reporters “sick people” and “really, really dishonest” and accused them of turning “a blind eye” to gang violence, public school failures and “terrible, terrible trade deals.”

“You would think they'd want to make our country great again, and I honestly believe they don't,” he said. “I honestly believe it.”

Trump took a brief detour into immigration, prompting him to ask the crowd: “By the way, I'm just curious. Do the people in this room like Sheriff Joe?”

The crowd burst into wild cheers, thinking that Trump was about to pardon Arpaio — something the press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had said just hours earlier would not happen that day.

“So, was Sheriff Joe convicted of doing his job?” Trump continued. “You know what? I'll make a prediction. I think he's going to be just fine, okay? But I won't do it tonight, because I don't want to cause any controversy. Is that okay?”

Back on his immigration talking points, Trump detailed a trip he made earlier that day to Yuma, Ariz., for a briefing on border security — and he casually threatened to “close down our government” to get funding for a wall along the southern border. He again called for getting rid of the filibuster rule requiring more than a simple majority — a change that congressional Republicans have said won't magically lead to the president's agenda passing. And he went after the state's two Republican senators without naming them.

Watch more!

“They all said, 'Mr. President, your speech was so good last night. Please, please, Mr. President, don't mention any names,'” Trump said, referring to a Monday night speech about Afghanistan. “So I won't. I won't. No I won't … I will not mention any names. Very presidential, isn't' it? Very presidential.”

Trump listed what he sees as accomplishments during his first seven months, including nominating a new Supreme Court justice and 31 federal judges.

“We've ended the war on beautiful, clean coal, and it's just been announced that a second, brand-new coal mine, where they're going to take out clean coal — meaning, they're taking out coal, they're going to clean it — is opening in the state of Pennsylvania,” Trump said, completely misrepresenting what clean coal is.

Trump noted that West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice switched back to being a Republican after a brief stint as a Democrat, which somehow segued into his thoughts on the removal of Confederate statues from many cities.

“They're trying to take away our culture. They are trying to take away our history,” Trump said. “And our weak leaders, they do it overnight. These things have been there for 150 years, for 100 years. You go back to a university, and it's gone. Weak, weak people.”

His next sentence: “We are going to protect American industry. We are going to protect the American worker.”

Trump apologized that it is taking so long to renegotiate NAFTA and commented that “we'll end up probably terminating NAFTA at some point.” He added for emphasis: “Probably.” Trump talked about climate change, adding jobs to the private sector, decreasing the unemployment rate and getting rid of regulations.

He acknowledged that he has had to disband some of his business advisory board following protests of his reaction to Charlottesville — although he claimed that some of these business leaders will still meet with him privately.

“These people just don't get it. They are calling, and they're saying, 'How about getting together privately?' They like it better. Why should they be on a council?” Trump said. “You know, that's the way it is, folks. That's the way it is.”

Trump finally got back to promising to pass tax legislation, along with a major infrastructure package, and called for Congress to help him with both.

“This is our moment. This is our chance,” Trump said. “This is our opportunity to recapture our destiny like never before.”

He ended the rally by declaring: “Thank you, Arizona. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Those who still remained filed out of the convention center, stepping outside and into what at times felt like a war zone. Hundreds of protesters shouted: “Racists go home!” Police wearing riot helmets formed a line between the two groups. Further down the street, small clumps of supporters and protesters started heated debates, with each side holding up their smartphones to record the interaction. Police released pepper balls and made three arrests. A helicopter circled overhead as police warned that those who stayed in the area risked arrest.

“Oh boy. Oh Lord,” said Kelly Coombs, a 42-year-old data administrator from Phoenix, as she stepped outside, holding a pink sign saying “Women for Trump” and trying to ignore the things yelled at her. “Here we go.”