He won’t win awards for tact or delicacy, but when Donald Trump Jr. recently took the stage at the Ada County Lincoln Day Banquet, he struck notes that resonated with a diverse audience.

The Ada County Lincoln Day is unique. Unlike other similar county fundraisers, Ada’s is the only one not sponsored by a political party. The Ada County Lincoln Day Association is its own historic nonprofit, host of the longest running annual honor to President Lincoln west of the Mississippi River. Its first event was held in 1911.

Among past keynoters are world-renowned historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, national columnist Fred Barnes and presidential contender Barry Goldwater. It is unusual for the association to feature a sharp-tongued and controversial son of a fanatically idolized yet obsessively hated former president.

Don Jr. lives up to his reputation. At the pre-banquet reception he dropped at least three “f-bombs” while describing Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris and Jen Psaki in terms that would, in the #MeToo era, get any man immediately fired.

His formal banquet address was, by comparison, “cleaned up” for public consumption. His disdain for Democrats and mainstream media dripped from every sentence uttered. But, if you managed to overlook the presenter’s biases and language, there was truth underlying his grievances.

Don Jr. began by highlighting the recent news from federal Special Prosecutor John Durham. Durham has leveled the charge of “lying to the FBI” against the original “source” of the rumor linking President Trump with Russian banks. That source was Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussman.

“Hillary has her attorney lie to the FBI, eventually sending millions of our tax dollars off on a wild goose chase, and no one asks her a question about it,” quipped Don Jr. “In the meantime, I meet with an adoption advocate and get deposed over 30 hours, with each question asked 50 times in different ways, knowing the slightest deviation in my answers could earn me a perjury charge.”

He has a point.

Don Jr. then asked the audience if they’d ever been in Facebook jail. He bragged, “I’ve been there five times,” and listed his offenses:

1. Accusing California Congressman Adam Schiff of being “full of bull#*@t” for claiming conclusive evidence President Trump colluded with Russia. After a $30 million investigation, the “Mueller team” reported they “did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government.”

2. Denying Russia placed bounties on U.S. soldiers. A year later a Military Times headline revealed, “There may not have been Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan after all.”

3. Claiming COVID-19’s origin was likely the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “It’s the one place on earth where they are studying this same virus. Absurd to think it coincidentally appeared a few feet outside the door from natural causes,” the young Trump jeered.

4. Advocating reopening schools. A few months later Dr. Anthony Fauci told the Washington Post “the evidence doesn’t support closing schools.”

5. Asserting Hunter Biden was getting away with “crap” (not the actual word used) that he, Don Jr., would have been crucified for doing. “Can you imagine pictures of me with a crack pipe, or me with a whore? Not to mention with both,” he complained. “And what would the reaction be if I had a sham consulting contract with Ukraine, or obtained a billion-dollar investment deal from China?”

Don Jr. wrapped up by taking a sketch of Abraham Lincoln and autographing it. “If Hunter Biden can sell watercolors splashed on a canvas for half a million, I should get a few thousand for this,” he said. He then offered the drawing to raise scholarships for the children of fallen patriots.

In each case, while eloquence and poise were missing, it can’t be denied: He raised valid points.

Trent Clark of Soda Springs is president and CEO of Customalting Inc. and has served in the leadership of Idaho business, politics, workforce and humanities education.