The Trump Rhapsody and World Tour

There is one metaphor that most aptly describes the force that drives Trump supporters and that is the “Trump Rhapsody.” It’s the music and lyrics that Donald Trump and his allies and the right wing media have spun and played daily as performance and “hit music” for millions of fans. It’s a huge force that is propagated and amplified throughout the right-wing media with precision.

This phenomenon began at the start of Trump’s presidency when he began holding political election-style rallies using the same staging and techniques from his 2016 campaign. He developed themes and slogans and a combative and dismissive style that he repeated over and over. He raised new campaign funding and then used this along with a new source of government funding and staff to create the Donald Trump World Tour. He used Air Force One and American flags for props, and taxpayer-paid limousine service and security details. He put together an 18-wheeler transport system to move his staging, walkways, sound and lighting. He enlisted Fox News to be his break-free cost-free broadcaster to cover his biweekly or monthly shows.

The result is a devoted audience that sees Donald Trump as a rock star and one that looks forward to the next concert. Trump knows this, and the art of performance, and he and his promotion team will keep the tour going as long as the cash keeps coming in. This, at the very least, is his new gig. It’s not making peoples’ lives better or being a good president. It just is not and has not been.

Ken Camarro

Fairfield