As someone fascinated by both politics and live events, I wanted to attend a Donald Trump rally to experience first-hand the political force that has pervaded American politics for a decade. When they announced one at Nassau Coliseum, under 10 miles from New York City, I realized it was my best and possibly last chance.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
What I saw Wednesday brought the Trump movement to life in a way that didn’t happen from watching videos of, and reading articles about, Trump. And, quite frankly, it was far scarier than I imagined.
He again painted an apocalyptic view of the nation and of New York City, making false claims that preyed on his followers’ concerns about crime, inflation and immigration.
However, despite so much media effort to report on the basis for Trump’s support, for me it didn’t hit home how strong a following he has, and the frustration and anger his followers feel even in deep blue New York. In fact, knowing that Joe Biden convincingly won Nassau County by a 9-point margin loses sight that a startling 45% of county voters voted for Trump in 2020.
Living in the progressive bubble of the Upper West Side, I went to the rally with several expectations. 1) there might be some die-hard fans making the effort to attend, but that the arena would be at most partially filled; 2) attendees would be nearly entirely working-class white men; and 3) Trump, who would be the oldest person elected president should he win in November, would ramble incoherently, leading to people streaming out midway, as Kamala Harris notably taunted him in last week’s debate.
These assumptions were all wrong. Upon arriving, I saw an enormous mass of people, with multiple lines snaking around the building and throughout the parking lot. It took more than two hours for the crowd to get through security and get in, with an overflow crowd kept outside after the venue filled to capacity.
While white men dominated, there were plenty of women (though fewer younger women), African-Americans, and a surprisingly diverse range of other attendees. And Trump seemed perfectly coherent in speaking for approximately 90 minutes, though the New York Times did report that he stuck to his teleprompter more than usual.
My biggest wrong assumption was that Trump’s rabid base is in red states and rural areas, and that New York City and surroundings are safe from the extreme ravages of Trumpism. With even hundreds of top former national GOP leaders and even Trump cabinet members saying they won’t vote for him, surely our neighbors would see through Trump’s alternate reality. The Long Island rally showed me that the metastasis of Trumpism is pervasive even on New York City’s doorstep.
What one needs to see to appreciate is the event’s vibe. It reminded me in some ways of a Grateful Dead show, with a carnival of vendors in the parking lot and a following of extremely enthusiastic (and arguably brainwashed) fans cheering their hero while wearing appropriate garb. Just replace tie-dyes with Trump hats, shirts, and banners, many with offensive slogans.
While I, and so many others on the Upper West Side, view Trump as a dangerous charlatan, his fans have a near messianic fervor for him. And while media coverage of his rally speeches focuses on the most controversial topics such as his race-baiting with false accusations about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, and his categorizing immigrants as violent criminals, he spoke at length about bread and butter economic issues impacting working-class voters, and his policies to help.
He clearly understands that voters are swayed by the economy, and that pledges to stop taxing Social Security, to lower housing prices, and to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. are incredibly appealing to his followers.
Trump’s felony convictions are a badge of honor — many people wore shirts saying, “I’m voting for the convicted felon” — as they cheered him on for his support for “law and order.” Also ironic was his long rant about immigrants being dangerous rapists, when he himself was found by a judge to have raped a woman.
Of course, Harris is certain to win New York, and hopefully will prevail in enough of the seven states that matter to win the presidency. But knowing that so many of our neighbors are drinking Trump’s Kool-Aid, with a worldview that is so opposite of the progressive bubble in which we live on the Upper West Side is eye opening — and terrifying.
Robbins owns Upper West Strategies, a NYC-based small business that runs internship programs…CLICK HERE FOR MORE ARTICLE>>>
