"What the hell are we thinking?" wondered television star and hotel magnate Donald Trump as he regaled a ballroom of conservative activists on Friday.
"Our country is a total and complete mess," Trump griped to a sympathetic crowd at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a three-day grassroots gathering held at Maryland’s National Harbor.
Trump ticked off a laundry list of concerns: The Republican Party is in "serious trouble," the U.S. economy is in the toilet, illegal aliens are being granted blanket amnesty, and the superiority of South Korean electronics.
"I buy all my televisions from South Korea," Trump informed the audience, lamenting that American products are far inferior.
"We don’t have a great economy now, China has," said Trump, who is perhaps most well known for firing unwitting individuals on his massively popular television show, "The Apprentice." "We don’t make anything anymore. We buy from other countries."
"We buy!" Trump emphasized for clarity.
"We’re all so proud of Apple," Trump said, his famous tuft of hair tossing gently upon his head. But "they build all their products in China. China should be more proud of Apple than we are."
Trump motivated the crowd to "take back our jobs."
"We have to take back our jobs from China," Trump said. "We have to take back our jobs from other places."
Amnesty for illegal immigrants also remains a chief concern for Trump.
Millions of new Democratic voters will be added to the rolls if President Barack Obama succeeds in passing immigration reform, Trump said.
"The truth is 11 million people will be voting Democratic," he somberly informed the crowd. "Everyone of those 11 million will be voting Democratic. That’s just the way it works."
Trump also had some advice for failed presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
"If Mitt made one mistake … it’s that he didn’t talk enough about his success because honestly people really want success," Trump said. "They want a leader who’s successful."
The often-abrasive Trump also had some choice words for his critics: "Now, I’ve made over $8 billion dollars ... and I'm criticized by total lightweights all over the place."
Trump, who is an avid golfer, defended the president’s constant golf outings and revealed that he might be friendlier to the commander in chief if he would frequent one of his exclusive clubs.
"Anyone who’s a member of a club I own I’d love," Trump said. "Maybe President Obama should join one of my clubs."
The newly installed Pope Francis also received Trump’s seal of approval.
"They came out with a winner," he said.
Trump also touched on foreign policy during an invite-only press conference following his speech.
Asked by the Washington Free Beacon how he feels about Obama’s upcoming trip to Israel, Trump responded: "It’s about time he goes. … I think it’s great that he’s going."
The conservative billionaire later addressed corruption in politics as he took a potshot at disgraced former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner (N.Y.).
"I find it hard to believe that Anthony Weiner could have a future in politics," Trump said. "The guy is a sick pervert. … You think he’s going to change? We don’t need that."