Trump tried to stage a major event to mark his return to the scene of of the first assassination attempt, but what resulted was a scene that was so weird, it should be disqualifying.
Lara Trump gave us a preview when she claimed that God saved Trump:
Lara Trump, “If you had any question whether God exists and performs miracles we got our answer here July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
He spared Donald Trump’s life because he wasn’t finished with Donald Trump.” pic.twitter.com/Ggm5cVWVOH— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 5, 2024
Trump wanted to go for a somber and serious presidential entrance, with Lee Greenwood singing Proud To Be An American live, but what it looked like was just strange:
Trump might have been going for dramatic and serious with his Butler entrance, but instead he came off as dark and weird pic.twitter.com/KdU0yS2OZ2
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 5, 2024
Trump brought an opera singer with him after the moment of silence for those who who were shot three months, and then promised rural Western Pennsylvania Republicans more live opera after he was done speaking:
Showing that common touch, Trump promises his rural Western Pennsylvania audience more live opera after he is done speaking. pic.twitter.com/eTbbYTG1r7
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 5, 2024
Trump claimed, falsely that Democrats tried to kill him:
Trump falsely suggests that Democrats tried to kill him, “Over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, and I, tried to throw me off the ballot, and who knows? Maybe even tried to kill me.” pic.twitter.com/pc8yrZ2kau
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 5, 2024
Then Trump invited his even weirder billionaire buddy Elon Musk to say a few words:
Elon Musk claims falsely that Democrats are trying to take away the right to vote, “The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech. They want to take away your right to bear arms. They want to take away your right to vote effectively.” pic.twitter.com/af12zQb7ua
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) October 5, 2024
In the near decade that Trump has been on the national scene, there has been a lot of criminality and a lot of weirdness. The way that Trump and MAGA hyped the return to Butler made this feel like some sort of religious ceremony.
The Trumps themselves invoked religious imagery throughout the event, with Trump even talking about MAGA angels.
The key point to take away from Butler is that Trump and MAGA are desperate true believers who will do anything to get back into the White House, and will take a strong majority of Americans to turn them away.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association