Donald Trump is having mic issues. He points his finger and says something with emphasis, but the back rows of the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, can’t hear him.
Eventually, chants of ‘turn it up’ reach the former president, and he rips the microphone from his lectern.
“This is what happens when you don’t pay the contractor,” he shouts to the crowd’s delight.
But a couple of minutes later, the sound issues became worse. A horrible slapping echo has turned Turmp’s New York drawl into an inaudible mess.
When one of the technicians hands him a new mic, the former president is really starting to get annoyed. “This is the second time this has happened today,” he says, raising two fingers to emphasise the point.
“You know, I’m going to find the person whose fault it is and fire them,” he pauses, “and they’ll say I’m a bad guy.”
The Wisconsin crowd likes the idea.
Whether it’s Kamala Harris, the generals responsible for the Afghanistan withdrawal, or the sound technician, every time Trump discusses ‘firing’ someone, there is a roar of appreciation.
People remember The Apprentice TV show’s catchphrase, especially when combined with his signature point.
Before I went to this rally in one of this incredibly tight election’s most crucial swing states, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Trump’s recent event in Maddison Square Garden was repeatedly compared to Nazi spectacles, and in the aftermath, he was described as a ‘fascist’ by his rival for the White House.
But when I spoke to some of the supporters in Wisconsin, they didn’t sound like people in the hardline movement seeking to end democracy in the USA.
From the black couple laughing heartily in their customised Make America Great Again Hats to the group of female Asian American students in hoodies, the Wisconsin crowd was much more diverse than I expected; there were people of all races, ages, and even gender split.
None of the people I spoke to believed the election ‘would be fair,’ but they weren’t exactly reaching for their AR15 if Kamala Harris won.
“We’ll just go to work the next day,” Christian Hammond, a first-time voter, told me. I don’t think the other side will be like that.”
It wasn’t unreasonable to ask attendees about the safe transfer of power. No one needs reminding that on January 6th, 2021, Trump supporters who didn’t accept the result of the election stormed the capital.
But the people who turned out for the former president in Wisconsin were more concerned about everyday issues that affect normal people than a transformation of the political system. They were concerned about inflation, home ownership, and job prospects.
This is the most surprising thing about a Trump rally. When people in sequined baseball caps stop dancing to a playlist (which includes the rather on-the-nose “No More’ Mr. Nice Guy” and ‘”Hit Me With Your Best Shot'”), it’s basically a man in his 70s complaining about how bad the economy is and that immigration needs stopping.
Everything is broken down into catchphrases. He says, “Drill, baby, drill. Frack, frack, frack,” or “I want you to dream.” But when you boil it down, most of them relate to dry policy ideas about energy policy and taxation.
Even the controversial “too big to rig” line about alleged voter fraud is supposed to boost voting turnout; they need to make the margin of victory ‘too big to rig.’
Seeing him speak live, I understand why he has established a new type of politics that cuts through, especially for people who feel alienated from the traditional figures.
Although he has an autocue and prepared remarks, the points when he reads from the script are the dullest. The crowd is far more engaged, and it’s more entertaining when he breaks off to tell weird anecdotes about how former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre has “fingers like sausages.”
Obviously, there are lots of reasons why being able to riff about sports stars to a live audience isn’t a qualification for being the leader of the most powerful country in the world. But you understand that if people, like the ones in the Firserv Forum, feel sick of having politicians who are boring and disconnected, having someone who doesn’t fit with any of the traditional norms is so attractive.
“Don’t you want a president who doesn’t have to stick to the script,” Trump tells the crowd to a roar. “Half the time, I can’t even read the thing anyway.”
Trump finishes his speech, and YMCA by the Village People comes blaring out of the speakers. He turns to each side of the arena to do his twitchy arm dance and point at people in the crowd.
It is one of the weirdest spectacles I’ve ever seen, but apparently not to the thousands of other fans in the audience. They are having the time of their lives.
