“Send Her Back” Replaces “Lock Her Up”
By: Eric J Scholl
Tags: Racism, Politics, Democrats, Donald Trump, Elections

At rally tonight in Greenville, North Carolina

“Send Her Back” Replaces “Lock Her Up”

Other than that, Trump’s got no new material.

We expected a lot more of the President at his first rally following his racist comments of last weekend that stirred up the country so much since then.

Some new broad sweeping vision however despicable it might be. Some heightened controversial proposals. Surely he had something up his sleeve if his racist Tweets were actually the brilliant political masterstroke a bunch of pundits with nothing better to do are making them out to be. But no. All we got was same-old. At the same time, the President accurately lambasted those very same pundits, saying they say:

“He’s really stupid. But then the next week he has a sinister plot to take over the world”.

Yes, when Trump brought up Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) MN, chants of “send her back” erupted. They filled the slot in his rally that used to be reserved for “lock her up”.

Here’s a glimpse (click on the photo to watch):

A pregnant pause, as some in the crowd chant “send her back!”

We’re not trying to minimize the repugnance of this chant. Yeah it does normalize saying those things, especially if the President says them first. But we’re so deep down that hole already. Does it really turn 2020 into a more stark “us against them” scenario than it is already? Regardless of who the Democratic nominee is, or how vivid a picture Trump paints for his devotees of the rising influence of Omar et. al. within the Democratic Party, and the damage they intend to do to this country. How could it?

And Trump’s fans taking the opportunity to shout out along with his latest punch-line? Big whoop. (Also, we think it’s interesting the people standing behind Trump by and large did not participate in that chant, as if they were told to hang back a bit by Trump’s team. And if they weren’t, nice show, mostly, of self-restraint.)

Trump himself also backpedaled a bit, or cast himself as a bit of a victim, as he often does, depending on how you look at it. Still calling his targets “hate-filled extremists”. But complaining “I’ll go back tonight: ‘oh SIR that was so controversial. SIR!’” (He doesn’t identify who’ll be saying that). Then he says: “No, I’m just saying it’s their choice. They can come back when they want.” Uh-huh…Only to quickly assert again that they “hate our country”.

If that makes no sense, here’s that clip (which won’t help), but here it is anyway (click on the photo to watch):

Other than that, Trump’s Greenville, North Carolina rally was tired. Stuff we could’ve recited in our sleep without even hearing it again: from bashing Arnold Schwarzenegger for failing to continue to make “The Apprentice” a success, to meeting a General “right out of Central Casting” in the Mideast named “Raisin”.

We’ve often lauded Trump’s brilliance as an insult comic, but even the best comedians come up with new material every year or two. Not so for Trump, whose rally speech has become a hodgepodge of old saws, call and response, and stale one liners. Even Trump has some realization of this. In an interesting moment of self-reflection, he wondered if he revived his “Pocahontas” routine a bit too soon. That’s his derogatory nickname for Democratic Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. The President not expecting her to close as much ground as she has vs. the other would-be nominees.

And there were a few truly odd moments we really can’t explain. (And yes, we’re going to nitpick a little, because these were the only things that were interesting enough because we hadn’t heard them dozens of times or more before). First of all, Trump used the word “Goddamn” an awful lot, which he does sometimes, but not this prominently usually. Including in relating a very strange story, which Trump tells almost as a Biblical parable. Where a businessman who he doesn’t like, and doesn’t like him is supporting him anyway, because he’s rich, and he’s realized if he doesn’t: “he’ll be so goddamn poor!”

Here’s Trump expanding upon that and not really reaching a conclusion or moral. Or actually reaching several. Again, depending on how you want to look at it. (Click on the photo to watch):

Maybe people will make a lot of the fact Trump promised to “leave in 2024” and not become one of those so-called Democratically elected Presidents-for-Life he so admires. Like Putin. (Of course Trump didn’t say what he’d do if he loses in 2020). But anyway, we will never get worked up about the President simply saying he’ll be sane and do the normal thing.