The day after President Biden collapsed in Thursday’s prime-time debate, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin stood next to former President Donald J. Trump at a Chesapeake farm and gushed.
“This is the best Trump rally ever!”
In the past, when it suited him, Mr. Youngkin kept his distance from Mr. Trump and his erratic behavior.
Not now. Not with all the winning going on.
“Hello, Virginia,” Mr. Trump cooed as he took the stage before thousands of his supporters in what Republicans increasingly see as a winnable state. “Has anyone seen a thing called a debate?” He bellowed, “That was a big deal.”
On the surface, the Chesapeake rally was a quick victory lap after the debate and before the 2024 race shifts into higher gear.
“The Democrats are in a lot of trouble, so I feel pretty good today,” said Jason Alter, 35, a dentist from Miami.
But beneath the cheers there was a slight sense of panic. It was the kind of panic you sometimes feel when everything in life seems to be going… a little too well.
During Mr. Trump’s comeback campaign, his supporters told anyone who would listen that Mr. Biden was nothing more than a tool of a shady establishment that would, at the right moment, lead him to install a more formidable candidate. From their point of view, this very conspiracy is now playing out before the eyes of the nation.
“We all suspected it,” said Phil Capron, 40, a Virginia Beach resident and real estate investor. “And that is now the official narrative that all major outlets are operating with.”
The suspicion arose on Friday. “They did this to get him out,” said Tara Silvasy, 55, a FEMA contractor.
But who is “she”? “The party,” she said simply.
Never one to pass up a spidery conspiracy theory, Mr. Trump seemed as frightened as any of his supporters about what might, perhaps, now be afoot.
“A lot of people are saying that Joe Biden is leaving the race after last night’s performance,” he said from the stage, followed by scattered, seemingly confused applause. “The fact is, I don’t really believe that,” he continued, “because he’s doing better in the polls than any of the Democrats they’re talking about.” Did you see that, Glenn?”
Mr. Trump spent the next few minutes explaining to his supporters why the alternatives to Mr. Biden are actually weaker. He said that Gov. Gavin Newsom “can’t run California,” and the crowd booed. He mentioned Vice President Kamala Harris and the crowd booed louder. “It might have been Joe Biden’s best decision to pick her as vice president, because nobody wants that. I would be very happy about that.”
Then he said, “Did you interview Michelle Obama? She does very poorly. She votes terribly.” The crowd remained strangely silent. No one seemed to believe that — least of all Mr. Trump, even as the words came from his own mouth. “It’s hard to believe,” he said, pausing. “But crooked Joe Biden is doing better in the polls than these people.”
This was all somewhat undermined by the fact that at another part of his speech, Mr. Trump had told them that pollsters could never be trusted.
“Michelle Obama would be an interesting choice,” mused Mr. Capron, wearing an “Alex Jones was right” T-shirt. “I actually think she would get a lot of support. A lot of people really enjoyed the Obama years.”
Ms Silvasy said: “Unfortunately I think it will be Gavin Newsom.”
Mr. Alter, the Miami dentist, feared the same thing. “Yes, that would make me very nervous. I hope Joe is too stubborn and just stays on the ticket and believes he can win.”
What earned Mr. Trump the loudest applause on Friday had nothing to do with the debate or Mr. Biden’s gaffe; It was his mention of the Supreme Court’s decision that day, which ruled that prosecutors had gone too far in charging some members of the pro-Trump mafia that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. “These people were treated so badly,” Mr. Trump said. “They should be released immediately, the J6 hostages.”
The next morning, Mr. Trump tried to do a little damage control — for his opponent. He posted about Mr Biden on Truth Social on Saturday, saying: “His speech on Friday was better and he seems to be coming out of his trance.”
But at Chesapeake, he ultimately agreed with his loyalists about the coming battle. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he finally admitted. “I have absolutely no idea.”
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2024-06-29 20:48:56
www.nytimes.com