FUTILE RAMBLINGS: Trump’s North Carolina rally provides him with ever diminishing returns
For a man still pretending that he hasn’t announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2024, Donald Trump sure holds an awful lot of rallies. Yet, as his most recent gathering of the MAGA hordes in Selma, North Carolina last night, the twice-impeached former president offered no real new reasons for his followers to continue to support him.
Offering a rehash of the same assortment of lies, half-truths, exaggerations, and outright insanity that has been his stock in trade over the course of his political career, Trump has so little new to offer that even Aaron Rupar — the journalist behind the Public Notice substack newsletter and a regular chronicler of video clips from the ex-president’s rallies — felt compelled to sit out the reposting of excerpts from this week’s celebration of political shamelessness.
Trump's North Carolina rally is news, in that a lunatic is not only a former POTUS but the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee. But it's also not news, in that he's out there saying pretty much the stuff over and over. His material has barely changed over the past 4 years.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 10, 2022
Still, self-described “internet hooligan” Acyn was on hand to cherry-pick the most outrageous moments from the North Carolina rally and post them to his Twitter feed, so we are able to compile them here for you in one handy reference guide to the material that even Trump’s own supporters are beginning to get tired of hearing about for the umpteenth time, judging from the steadily declining attendance at his clan gatherings.
One of the highlights was the moment that the stable genius — as Trump likes to refer to himself — confused the meanings of extortion and exoneration as he described the acquittal of a single January 6th insurrectionist while simultaneously attempting to pin the blame for the violence that day on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democratic Mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser.
Trump: As you probably have heard, one of the first January 6th trials ended in an extortion pic.twitter.com/uq5efs2kjB
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 9, 2022
Sticking to his theme of avoiding personal accountability, Trump went on to spread lies about New York State Attorney General Letitia James, claiming that she had abandoned her responsibilities as Attorney General to work as a full-time Democratic political operative — all because James has been successfully pursuing a civil investigation against the Trump Organization for financial fraud and tax violations.
Trump says Letitia James is no longer working as the AG pic.twitter.com/ycxz2ddduC
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 9, 2022
The former president again tested the gullibility of his audience by claiming he’s been subject to an unprecedented level of investigation by Democrats, rightfully comparing himself to some of the nation’s most notorious outlaws while apparently hoping that nobody notices the aptness of the comparisons — all of this while lying that he’s been found innocent of all of which he’s been accused.
Trump: I’ve been investigated by the Democrats more than Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Al Capone combined! pic.twitter.com/JLRqgOLPWf
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 10, 2022
Trump put a stake in the heart of humility with this gem of a statement that tested the boundaries of the gag reflex for anyone allergic to reflexive mendacity.
Trump: I’ve gotta be the cleanest— I think I’m the most honest human being perhaps that god ever created pic.twitter.com/D98itzA6vi
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 10, 2022
If there was one bit of actual news to be gleaned from Trump’s North Carolina appearance last night, it was his endorsement of Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Republican nomination for Senator in Pennsylvania. Perhaps even more interesting than Trump’s actual choice was the reason he gave for making it, an admittance that he picks his endorsees for their possession of the pixie dust of celebrity more than any actual suitability for the role for which they would be running.
Trump on Oz Endorsement: When you’re in television for 18 years. That’s like a poll. That means people like you pic.twitter.com/Te5aCTTlQE
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 10, 2022
With such quality content like what we’ve seen above, it’s no suprise that Twitter commenters felt compelled to point out that Trump’s schtick isn’t attracting quite as many rubes as it used to.
In 2016 Trump drew 15,000 to his rally in Selma NC. This weekend he drew 1,000 to 2,000 to his rally in Selma North Carolina. Hopefully that’s a sign his bullshit is wearing thin.
— Wayne B (@Gopack28) April 10, 2022
Hopefully, enough people will lose interest in Trump’s traveling carnival barker show that they will eventually become unprofitable for him to continue holding them. Or — better still — he’ll be held accountable for his multiple misdeeds and won’t be able to join the traveling circus from his jail cell.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
Original reporting by Acyn.
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