Something strange happens when you watch Donald Trump talk for an hour. At first, you’ll be nodding along in agreement if you support him, or throwing your hands up in exasperation if you don’t. But as the minutes roll by, that initial, almost involuntary emotional response he usually inspires begins to fade. The lines become increasingly tedious with repetition, and the result is a performance that might have you nodding off.
That was Trump’s “town hall” Wednesday night on Fox News: a halfhearted recitation of a hundred well-worn lies, repeated ad nauseam. It was enough to make one wonder whether Trump can persuade anyone of anything anymore.
Even to the majority of citizens who pay little attention to politics, Trump’s message all would have been mind-numbingly familiar.
The former president could not have chosen a friendlier environment to repeat his message; the queries from the Fox anchors were so gentle you’d think their questions had been written by Donald Trump Jr. The same was for the questions from the audience: Most came from Iowans who, almost bursting with joy at being in Trump’s presence, announced their intention to caucus for him next week before asking what wonders await us in a second Trump term. They did laugh at times, but only at jokes they have heard a hundred times before (“He said, ‘Ron DeSanctimonious,’ ha-ha!”), more out of obligation than genuine mirth.
Even to the majority of citizens who pay little attention to politics, Trump’s message would have been mind-numbingly familiar. It’s simple: America was a paradise when he was president; now it’s a nightmare, and everything will be spectacular again if he wins in November. “We were so successful that the country was coming together,” he said about his first term, in the face of all evidence.
The picture Trump painted of the years between 2017 and 2021 was truly remarkable. “We ran it very smart for four years and we won everything,” he said. “We…
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