No, I hadn't drunk the snake oil or been reprogrammed by watching too much Fox News. For the record, I don't watch Fox News, period.
I arrived outside the Wildwood Convention Center just as the impunity-emboldened, impeached President took the stage to a sudden amusement park, roller coaster roar from thousands of adoring fans.
I came to join local protesters a block or so from the convention center. But, the protesters, a police officer munching on a sausage sandwich tells me, had packed up and gone already.
So, here I am amidst a sea of thousands of exhuberent Trump supporters in the parking lot outside the convention center watching their cult leader up on the jumbotron TV.
"While we are creating jobs and killing terrorists, congressional Democrats are obsessed with demented hoaxes, crazy witch hunts.." decries Trump to loud cheers. "Which is worse? The impeachment hoax or the witch hunt from Russia?"
The crowds, inside and outside the convention center, roar again.
No evident damage caused by recent revelations from former National Security Advisor John Bolton's pending book that nails Trump on the Ukranian quid pro quo -- which led to the President's impeachment.
And, certainly that's no surprise.
Why should further unsettling truths about the President's brazen behavior -- relentlessly threatening the Democratic integrity and national security of the American Republic - put a damper on a rollicking "Reality TV" good time?
Predictably, Trump widely overestimates the crowd outside the center as "10's of thousands of people," prompting a cheer from his fans surrounding me.
Another bogus claim. I know. I'm there. The crowd's large, maybe a few thousand. Another few thousand reportedly are watching a second jumbotron at nearby Fox Park. But there's not at least 20,000, outside as the President suggests.
I'm reminded that the truth never matters at a Trump rally. Hey, it never matters in his tweets. It never matters during his rushed interactions with press pool reporters, shouting questions as he heads for the Air Force One helicopter.
Why should it matter at his maniacal rallies?
In fact, I'm convinced for Trump lovers, Trump's "Keep America Great" rallies are just a chance to delude themselves that everything -- border security, jobs numbers and the economy is "great."
Never mind an estimated 40 million Americans are living in poverty, largely due to wage inequality. And the income gap between the richest and the poor continues to widen.
Experiencing the unsettling, unbridled fanaticism of a Trump rally in person for the first time, it's more clear to me than ever, that his rallies are an alluring invitation to literally escape reality, be exhaustively entertained, to bash those hated Democrats, frown on "fake news" and target anything that threatens to burst your bubble, baby.
Donald Trump is Trumpers' collective pipe dream come true. They can attack anything or anyone they want. They can profess hate, sneer at justice and disparage the less fortunate. Trump gives them that permission.
And that's an extremely dangerous state of affairs for the sovereignty of America.
Rabid Trump believers, in essence, have become everything crude, cruel and demeaning that Trump represents.
Dr. Evil of Austin Power's fame had his cloned Mini Me; Trump has his millions of loyal, apologist Mini Trumps.
The crowds, inside and outside the convention center, roar again.
No evident damage caused by recent revelations from former National Security Advisor John Bolton's pending book that nails Trump on the Ukranian quid pro quo -- which led to the President's impeachment.
And, certainly that's no surprise.
Why should further unsettling truths about the President's brazen behavior -- relentlessly threatening the Democratic integrity and national security of the American Republic - put a damper on a rollicking "Reality TV" good time?
Predictably, Trump widely overestimates the crowd outside the center as "10's of thousands of people," prompting a cheer from his fans surrounding me.
Another bogus claim. I know. I'm there. The crowd's large, maybe a few thousand. Another few thousand reportedly are watching a second jumbotron at nearby Fox Park. But there's not at least 20,000, outside as the President suggests.
I'm reminded that the truth never matters at a Trump rally. Hey, it never matters in his tweets. It never matters during his rushed interactions with press pool reporters, shouting questions as he heads for the Air Force One helicopter.
Why should it matter at his maniacal rallies?
In fact, I'm convinced for Trump lovers, Trump's "Keep America Great" rallies are just a chance to delude themselves that everything -- border security, jobs numbers and the economy is "great."
Never mind an estimated 40 million Americans are living in poverty, largely due to wage inequality. And the income gap between the richest and the poor continues to widen.
Experiencing the unsettling, unbridled fanaticism of a Trump rally in person for the first time, it's more clear to me than ever, that his rallies are an alluring invitation to literally escape reality, be exhaustively entertained, to bash those hated Democrats, frown on "fake news" and target anything that threatens to burst your bubble, baby.
Donald Trump is Trumpers' collective pipe dream come true. They can attack anything or anyone they want. They can profess hate, sneer at justice and disparage the less fortunate. Trump gives them that permission.
And that's an extremely dangerous state of affairs for the sovereignty of America.
Rabid Trump believers, in essence, have become everything crude, cruel and demeaning that Trump represents.
Dr. Evil of Austin Power's fame had his cloned Mini Me; Trump has his millions of loyal, apologist Mini Trumps.
