Trump's Obsession with Crowds Continues
Do you remember Trump's inauguration and the first days of his presidency? On January 21, 2017, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer held an unusual press briefing. He angrily declared that Trump had attracted "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration – period."
However, the National Park Service photos and Metro ridership data quickly debunked this statement. It showed a significantly smaller crowd than the packed National Mall during Obama's swearing-in ceremony in 2009.
Further investigations revealed that a government photographer had edited the official pictures of Trump's inauguration to make the crowd appear larger, following a direct intervention from Trump himself. I remember following the news those days and wondered if this incident would set the tone for an administration more preoccupied with its president's image and personal grievances rather than policy and governance.
Fast-forward to 2024, and Vice President Kamala Harris is drawing significant attention as she campaigns for the presidency. Harris, with her dynamic performance and strong track record as a former prosecutor and senator, has become a focal point in the media, attracting large crowds at her events. I enjoy following her campaign, which has energetic rallies and a forward-looking policy agenda, and I note how it sharply contrasts with Trump's approach.
Harris's appeal is multifaceted: she represents a break from the past and embodies a fresh perspective on issues like women's rights, criminal justice reform, immigration, health, and climate change. Her ability to connect with diverse voter bases and articulate a clear vision for the future has made her a formidable candidate. In contrast, Trump's campaign seems mired in the past, with the former president often reverting to familiar grievances and claims of personal victimhood.
Since Kamala Harris took over the spotlight, Trump has been bewildered, even calling it a coup. Clearly, there is fear. He has left most of the campaigning to his running mate, J.D. Vance, whose efforts to attract crowds look pathetic. Vance even had to walk up to Harris's plane, desperately seeking media attention. It was, once again, weird.
Trump's Continued Obsession with Crowds
There is a lot at stake for Trump. Unlike any presidential candidate before him, losing has much more severe consequences as he risks facing jail time; this was a significant consideration for his renewed effort to become president again at an old age.
You would, therefore, expect him to be actively campaigning. Instead, he stays at Mar-a-Lago, plays golf, and has mainly limited his activities to one press conference to grab the spotlight from Kamala Harris.
Despite all major television channels focusing entirely on him instead of Harris's excellent campaign speech that day, his press conference didn't go well. There wasn't the usual admiring audience of the MAGA cult, but journalists eagerly awaited a story to share.
In the press conference, despite the nation's pressing issues, Trump remained fixated on crowd sizes. He shamelessly compared Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech to his own remarks on January 6, 2021, that preceded the violent assault on the Capitol. In Trump's Washington speech, he told a crowd of supporters to "fight" and walk to the U.S. Capitol to pressure leaders not to certify Joe Biden's presidential election victory.
Trump had a dream
Trump said: "When he did his speech, his great speech, and you look at ours, same real estate, same everything. You look at it, and you look at the picture of his crowd, my crowd – we actually had more people."
Except for the venue, Trump's words "same everything" is a grotesque claim by the man who tried (and continues to try) to destroy democracy. MLK aimed to make democracy work for all by advocating for civil rights and economic equality.
But since Trump focuses on the numbers, let's compare these. According to the national archives, 250,000 people attended MLK's speech, while the House select committee that investigated the events of January 6, 2021, estimated 53,000 people attended Trump's speech.
Trump's dream was indeed just that: a dream. It was a dream limited to his persistent need for personal validation by Trump-admiring crowds. Like MLK's speech, Trump's speech in Washington will forever be part of the country's identity, but the page in the American history book about Trump is the one that suddenly happened to turn black.
A Pattern of Distraction
His latest performance reflects a deeper pattern of distraction and insecurity. During his presidency, this tendency often diverted attention from critical issues like healthcare, immigration reform, and foreign policy. As he campaigns for a return to the White House, the same pattern is emerging. Even though the press flocked to his press conference, it became increasingly repetitive and boring.
Trump hopes to gain voters by promising more and more tax cuts. Independent analyses project his plans to add nearly $4 trillion to America's fast-growing national debt over the next decade. This number won't be cushioned by any additional revenues from new taxes he wants to impose on imports; these are already factored into this calculation.
In contrast, Harris's campaign is fresh, energetic, and centered on addressing substantive issues. While Trump remains trapped by his insecurities and need for validation, Harris represents a forward-looking alternative focused on the nation's real challenges.
Kamala Harris will likely follow Biden's latest budget proposal, which calls for about $3 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. Contrary to Trump's presidential track record, she will primarily rely on raising taxes on corporations and high earners.
The voters face a choice between a candidate mired in the past and one looking towards the future, and the outcome will shape the nation's direction for years to come.
Notes:
photo: Presidential Inauguration Parade 170120-A-TI382-0134.jpg By Master Sgt. Michel Sauret - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/3112535/presidential-inauguration-parade, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56083546
photo 2: Trump supporters watch the Inauguration ceremony at the Capitol. Photo by Lorie Shaull from Washington, United States. CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55255619
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/09/business/trump-harris-taxes-economy.html?te=1&nl=today's-headlines&emc=edit_th_20240810
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/aug/09/donald-trump/trumps-false-mlk-speech-jan-6-crowd-size/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/march-on-washington.htm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/06/here-are-the-photos-that-show-obamas-inauguration-crowd-was-bigger-than-trumps/
Great analysis and reminder of 45's track record of lying. There is nothing truthful about that candidate. With little more than two months before election, we in the US need to remind our neighbors to register and vote. Can't sit this election out. The world depends on it.
Unpleasant flashbacks to his inauguration! I sincerely hope that we never have to face that again. Thank you for such a thoughtful and timely article!