Regardless of how this election plays out, one thing is certain — anyone who attended a President Donald J. Trump rally is part of history.
As crazy as 2020 has been, I’ve been blessed to see President Trump five times.
While all five events provided unique experiences, one thing was the same — Trump supporters are great.
There is a certain electricity that I believe is probably different with every President. The way that President Trump’s rallies draw crowds, I am sure his events provide as much energy as any other — if not more.
My favorite part of Trump events — both those featuring President Trump and the random boat parades/tractor parades/street parades — is getting to know the people who attend them.
Talk about people from varied backgrounds. Trump draws many Americans to his events. We have our differences in some things, of course, but what unites us is our love of country.
And quite honestly, that’s what attracts so many to President Trump. Say what you will about President Trump, he certainly did not need this job. It’s likely he will be one of the few Presidents in history to enter office with more money than he had leaving office.
Prior to his presidency, President Trump was able to influence politicians. He had wealth. He had a family. He had a lot of aspects of the American Dream that so many can only — for lack of a better word — dream about.
But it was his love of country that inspired him to run for office.
And despite everything he has encountered, I don’t think he has ever looked back with regret.
His love of country is courageous. It is what his supporters feed off.
When he says he wants to put America first, he means it. And he does it.
He has ignited a sense of pride in our country that was severely lacking from about 2009-2016. He has sparked respect for our law enforcement officers — or at least attempted to. He has rebuilt our nation’s military. He has gone toe-to-toe with world leaders in negotiations and won.
What’s more, his spirit and love for America has been put on full display to our youth. And that is my favorite thing about Trump rallies.
Honestly, looking back, I’m astonished at the number of young people attending Trump rallies.
For years Americans who hold the values and beliefs of a typical Trump voter have been made to feel like they are the minority in America. That they are a bigot, a hater, xenophobic, homophobic, any-other-kind-of-phobic.
That they have no sense of reality.
Then along came President Trump. Someone who popped the lid off of American exceptionalism by, well, popping off so often with his mouth.
President Trump has created a space for his supporters to not just hold their beliefs, but to actually express them.
Many of the people at Trump rallies I talk to tell me they weren’t involved in politics before Trump. But they see a President who fights for them and stands up for them. And they feel obligated to reciprocate.
Trump rallies are an amazing experience. It’s awesome to see Air Force One’s lights blinking from miles out and then watch as it approaches and lands on the runway. Hearing President Trump’s name announced right before “I’m Proud to be an American” is blasted on the speakers as he steps off Air Force One elicits goosebumps. Listening to the WWE-like chants from the crowd during President Trump’s speech is entertaining.
But more than all of that — more than the theatrics and the entertainment — is the hope.
Hope that the next generation in this country loves America just as much as this one — if not a little bit more. Hope that our young people become involved in politics at an earlier age. Hope that they see they do not have to be ashamed of their political views. Hope that the generation that comes after them will have been taught what so many in my generation were taught — America is the greatest country in the history of the world.
That’s the best part of a Trump rally. The sense of community you have with thousands of other Americans. The sense that, despite your “radical, right-wing” ideas, you are not alone.
President Trump is a human being. He’s flawed, yes.
He has accomplished much in his first four years despite Democrat obstruction. He has accomplished far more than I expected.
He has laid a blueprint for how conservatives can, perhaps, win over young people.
Boldness. Confidence. Toughness. Unapologetic. Masculine.
Many of the things that, unfortunately, culture tries to downplay in a man.
Trump is exactly the kind of person who the media wants us to think will drive young people away from the Republican Party. Yet he seems to be exactly the kind of person ushering them into the GOP.
Let this be a lesson moving forward. Conservatives should be bold, they should be confident, they must be tough and they should never apologize for loving their country.
I believe President Trump will be re-elected. I just don’t think enough Americans hate their country to kick him out and put the Democrat Party in the White House.
