Who is the most popular man to ever live?
Why, it’s Donald Trump, of course. Just ask him, he’ll tell you.
But in recent days, there’s been some glaring evidence that Trump’s popularity is beginning to wane.
Hours before his Saturday rally in Ohio, the former president took to his own Truth Social platform to boast about his “sold out” show, declaring there would be a “massive crowd” packed into the 7,000-seat Covelli Centre in Youngstown.
“The Pennsylvania Rally was a massive success, ‘packed’ with great American Patriots, and the Ohio Rally, tonight, is a likewise sold out juggernaut – Look at the massive crowds,” Trump said with his characteristically weird capitalization.
Eh, not so much.
“Uncharacteristically thin crowd in Ohio as Trump prepares to take the stage,” the Daily Mail wrote Saturday evening.
Enjoy this headline for Trump’s Ohio rally: “Trump’s thin crowd”. #TrumpRally pic.twitter.com/7GP20TnywK
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 18, 2022
The stadium filled in a bit before Trump took the stage, but it still was clearly NOT packed to capacity at showtime.
Then there was a new poll that came out Sunday, which showed Trump’s approval rating has plunged to its lowest point since April 2021.
The NBC poll found just 34% of those surveyed viewed Trump positively, while 54% viewed him negatively. Forty-six percent of those who viewed him badly said they viewed him “very negatively,” while just 20% of the pro-Trump respondents said they viewed him “very positively.”
In the runup to the November midterm elections, Trump has had a good record of his endorsed candidates winning. But it’s worth noting that incumbents seeking re-election win at greater than 90%, and Trump has been pretty safe with his picks (he did endorse the candidate running against his nemesis, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, and Cheney lost).
But things have most definitely changed. Republicans balked on new gun restrictions after another series of mass shootings, then the GOP-dominated Supreme Court effectively overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that codified abortion as a constitutionally protected right.
And THEN the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, seizing numerous “top secret” documents he scampered off with when he left the White House. The talk that the GOP would win in a landslide in November has evaporated.
The Ohio rally didn’t help things. There was some weird, weird stuff that went on there.
this is one of the most bizarre things I've seen at a Trump rally. All it is missing is passing around Kool-Aid right after. pic.twitter.com/BmPOztb7kA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2022
Just, uh, weird.
Rolling Stone pointed out where the odd string song came from during Trump’s speech closing.
“The song has not been definitively identified, although some — including The Daily Beast’s Will Sommer — said it is titled ‘WWG1WGA’ after the QAnon slogan, ‘Where we go one, we go all,’ and is affiliated with the movement. The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman speculated Trump may have used a song titled ‘Mirrors’ by film and TV composer Will Van De Crommer. But, as a music professor who analyzed ‘Mirrors’ after Trump used it in a video told Vice in August, the two songs are ‘identical.'”
“I have listened to both [‘Mirrors’ and ‘WWG1WGA’] closely several times now, and I have 100% professional confidence these recordings are identical, not even a reinterpretation of a composition, but the same recording,” David Dominique told Vice News.
American Fascism
Youngstown Ohio Trump Rally.
September 17, 2022
Heil Trump! pic.twitter.com/3AwBhHvluR— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) September 18, 2022
Trump’s power is still real. There’s little chance Trump will tone it down in the runup to 2024. And he has a pathologically need to be loved. At 76, that ain’t going away.
The question is, will Trump’s power still exist in 2024? And will more people love him — even like him — than hate him by then?
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.