Former President Donald Trump concluded his Super Tuesday victory speech on a remarkably dystopian note that starkly contrasted with his opulent surroundings in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom.
Trump is apparently a big believer in repetition as a rhetorical device, as his speech hit many of the same exact notes we’ve heard for nearly a decade. None of it was necessarily new, as his fearmongering of cities “chocking to death’ and states an the country “dying” evoked memories of the “American carnage” he spoke of during his inauguration speech in 2017.
“This is an incredible group of people,” Trump said earlier in the speech. “There are so many celebrities that I’m not going to introduce any because I’m just going to get myself in trouble if I do that because I’ll leave out most of you, but we have this as a room chock-full of incredibly talented people.” It is not clear what “celebrities” he referred to, but Trump was clearly impressed.
The setting of Trump’s speech was a Mar-a-Lago ballroom made famous for its temporary use as a storage facility of presidential documents, some of which may or may not have been classified and/or purloined from the National Archives. It’s also a very fancy room, complete with gilded columns and deep velvet curtains. Critics might say a better word to describe it is “schmancy,” but the over-the-top decor surely appeals to some.
And what demographic does the chintzy decor apparently appeal to? The very same rich and (allegedly) famous voters who agree with Trump that the country is going to hell. And that’s not my take; that’s the observation made by the former president.
Trump ended his speech on a remarkably dystopian note, warning about “migrant crime” and undocumented migrants “coming in from such, such bad places,” that he pledged a mass deportation because “our country can’t live like this.”
“Our cities are choking to death,” Trump said. “Our states are dying. And frankly, our country is dying. And we’re going to make America great again, greater than ever before.”
It’s standard Trump fare, sure. Highlighting it here runs the risk of irresponsibility. He surely doesn’t need more amplification.
But the emperor’s claim that the nation is dying is made of whole cloth. It belies the fact that the only time America was great in recent history was the short four years he was in office. It’s not only a deeply cynical and self-serving analysis, but it also undermines the nation’s standing.
Watch above via CNN.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite.com. He is also a Peabody Award-winning television producer of non-fiction narrative programming as well as a terrific dancer and preparer of grilled meats.
Have a tip or story idea? Email us. Or to keep it anonymous, click here.
