By Nick Amon–

Oh, Donald Trump. Words can’t even begin to explain how fortunate I was to have been blessed with your teeth-gritting ignorance and misogynistic presence this past Super Tuesday.  Thousands of Kentuckians poured in the entrance doors alongside myself for Trump’s rambunctious rally held at the Kentucky International Convention Center, some to catch a glimpse of his amazing combover, some to have an excuse to shout “USA” at the top of their lungs like they’ve never done before. I can tell you it was definitely an experience.

Regardless of where you may stand on the political spectrum, it’s vital to see Trump for what he is.  Besides a millionaire and a former TV show host, Trump is the same presidential hopeful calling for a number of controversial changes to the United States.  Actually, controversial may be an understatement.

There’s his politically driven statements: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re bringing drugs.  They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And I assume…some, are good people.”

And then there’s the creepier driven statements: “…she does have a very nice figure.  I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”

Oh yeah, then there’s his blatantly racist ones: “I have black guys counting my money, I hate it. The only guys I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes all day.”

You’d think statements like these would alienate this guy and open America’s eyes to his true character. Right? Wrong. If anything, statements like these have somehow sculpted Trump’s character (and ego I might add), into a superhero for anyone who thinks a giant wall is our nation’s savior, and a colossal headache for anyone with a sense of decency.

The sad part is, Trump’s horrific public speaking skills doesn’t reflect his performance in the polls.  With the rest of Trump’s competition breathing in his exhaust fumes in almost every poll, you’ve got to give it to the guy – he knows how to put on a show and get results.  Though as painful as admitting all this may be, it is interesting to see where his attraction truly comes from.

With a peaked interest in not only Trump himself, but the supporters of this egomaniac, I reluctantly decided to attend Trump’s rally here in Louisville and get a firsthand account of the madness. Oh, and I was part of the often vilified press pool.

Seeing protestors getting drug out and repeatedly shoved around because of a sign they were holding up or a shirt they were wearing seemed to be a common theme throughout the duration of the rally. After observing situations unfold time after time, I began to lose count of how many times Trump shouted on the microphone “Get ’em out of here!” in which he simultaneously incited the violence even further.

It’s gotten to the point where I’m convinced Trump doesn’t even have a need for security at these rallies, considering the fact that the Trump supporters take it upon themselves to physically confront and nearly assault the rally’s protestors on such a consistent basis regardless of the presence of on-site police.

Protestor or not, nobody deserves to have hands put on them because of their disagreeing political views – especially when it’s by untrained and unpaid attendance members of a Trump rally wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. But hey, what can I expect? These are the same people who stand behind a guy who said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”

By far the most awing part of the entire rally was when Trump directed his anger and frustrations towards the press themselves.  To explain the situation a bit further, a group of roughly 50 news correspondents including myself attended the rally within a gated area, smack dab in the middle of the crowd. During the middle of the rally, Trump geared his aim towards us and the press in general by stating, “The press are the most dishonest humans in the world.” How do his loyal band of supporters respond?  They turn their sights on us with a simultaneous “boo” in agreement to Trump’s statement. And this guy wonders why he has such a bad public image? All I can say is I feel bad for the reporter that went to the rally to actually write a good review on Trump (if one ever even existed).

The Trump rally didn’t really surprise me. This was simply one of many stops on Trump’s campaign trail, and he’ll more than likely use the same hateful and ignorant rhetoric in his speeches at the others. What surprised me was the amount of tension in the rally – the amount of collective frustration and anger waiting to be taken out on someone and anyone. Instead of a rally for progress and innovative thinking, it felt more along the lines of a rally for battle instead. “Make America Great Again?” The only way we’ll be able to make America great again is to vote and ensure Trump doesn’t take a step anywhere near the Oval Office.

 

Photo by Nick Amon / The Louisville Cardinal