Reflecting on last night’s Trump rally in Dallas, it struck me that part of the reason the political elite want Trump gone is because of these massive rallies and what they represent. The elite—from both parties—see Americans unified and electrified by a vision for American Exceptionalism.
Frankly, the political elite hate President Trump because he connects with the hopes and aspirations of Americans—running contrary to the self-serving cronyism that has become the hallmark of most American politicians.
Indeed, the rallies are less about Trump the man than about people being united in a shared passion for the American dream our Founding Fathers presented. People rally with Trump because he unabashedly stands with them. The rallies are full of people who see in Trump someone who fights alongside them. Yes, Donald Trump may be the “brandname,” but he is the brand because people see in him someone who doesn’t lecture them, but speaks with them; someone who is serving them, not pandering to them.
Before the president spoke, I had the opportunity to visit in line at the concession stand with a retired Army officer—fully decked out in Trump regalia. As we spoke, he mentioned his disagreement—strong disagreement, in fact—with the president’s position on Syria, Turkey, and the Kurds.
But then he said something remarkable; he said he’d probably have less respect for Trump if the president had adopted his position. Why? Because President Trump campaigned on staying out of foreign wars and scaling back overseas commitments.
This man spoke about how he appreciates, finally, having a president whose words and actions are so closely aligned.
He might have been unique, but I believe many more men and women in the audience view the president in the same way. They see a man who actually loves America and is earnestly seeking to deliver on his promises, to keep his commitments, and to join the people in the task of keeping America exceptional.
The rallies have Trump as the highlight, but at the center is something deeper, something even more substantive, something more lasting. It’s the optimistic hope that America’s best days are ahead of her, that the promise of the American Revolution is alive, that we will be an ever more brightly shining city on a hill.
The political elite probably think that by overthrowing President Trump, they can shut the people up. If last night’s rally in Dallas is any indication, that isn’t happening.
We must tell the political elite—the swamp-dwellers and cronies of both parties—that we are not giving up; not on Trump, not on America. Not now, not ever.
