{"id":311968,"date":"2019-06-12T16:11:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T20:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.rushlimbaugh.com\/?p=311968"},"modified":"2019-06-12T23:32:17","modified_gmt":"2019-06-13T03:32:17","slug":"donald-trump-one-man-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admin.rushlimbaugh.com\/daily\/2019\/06\/12\/donald-trump-one-man-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump: Natural Performer"},"content":{"rendered":"

RUSH: You know, the Democrats, they\u2019re also off and harping about something now, and it\u2019s funny. Mayor Pete. I just watched a clip of Mayor Pete out there. “I guarantee you,” said Mayor Pete, “if I become president, you won\u2019t have me writing love letters to Kim Jong-un.” This is all because Trump said he got a lovely letter from Kim Jong-un and Kim Jong-un sees a lot of potential.<\/p>\n

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Trump\u2019s thinking of condos and ocean resorts over there trying to talk Kim Jong-un into it. He says Kim Jong-un\u2019s getting close to liking the idea, if he can own it all. Trump wants to own some of it, no doubt. I\u2019m… Folks, I\u2019m having fun with things here. But… (impression) “This is really crazy. Trump sending love letters to Kim Jong-un.” You know (sigh), speaking of polls, I have an observation to make here. (interruption) No, no. I\u2019m gonna answer the landslide question in a minute.<\/p>\n

Hang on. Do you know that Donald Trump is probably the first president in our lifetimes who has not used focus groups to figure out where to go, what to say, how to dress, where to vacation? I mean, the Clintons focus grouped. They focus grouped where to go on vacation. They focus grouped whether or not to go down to the Virgin Islands and pretend to be dancing in their swimsuits on the beach the week before the Lewinsky story came out.<\/p>\n

They focus grouped everything. Trump doesn\u2019t. And why not? Donald Trump has the ear and the sense of a successful insult comic. Donald Trump… There\u2019s a strain of Don Rickles in Donald Trump, and this is one of the things the Democrats who keep talking about “our values” just can\u2019t… Well, Republicans, too, some of them. They just can\u2019t accept it. But Trump\u2019s nicknames are not focus grouped. They\u2019re improvised.<\/p>\n

He thinks of this stuff on the fly. It\u2019s another reason people like Trump irritate traditional politicians. Traditional politicians, network news anchors, they don\u2019t do anything that\u2019s not on the teleprompter. Politicians and TV people have that in common. They don\u2019t do a damn thing that\u2019s not written for them on the prompter — and much of it tested, focus grouped, tested, run by lawyers or what have you. That\u2019s not Trump. He\u2019s improv.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s got a prompter at some of his speeches where the serious policy stuff is talked about, but he also goes “off prompter,” as we say, and starts improvising, ad-libbing. And that\u2019s how he creates a bond with voters. It\u2019s when he is real. Trump synthesizes his impressions into descriptions that are insightful, hilarious, and defining. He studies people. He captures their vibe. He captures their identity in a single nickname.<\/p>\n

Another way to look at it: Trump is a branding genius. Normally it\u2019s a source of pride of some famous guy comes along and gives you nickname. In Trump\u2019s case, if you\u2019re a Democrat and he gives you a nickname, it ain\u2019t good because Trump is successfully branding you. “Make America Great Again” has aged excitedly well. (laughing) Oh, you want to hear something funny? Biden goes out yesterday in his speech where CNN said he was gonna “eviscerate” Trump.<\/p>\n

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And he said, “I don\u2019t need to Make America Great Again. We need to make America ‘America\u2019 again.” And you know who popped up? The creepy porn lawyer, Michael Avenatti. “That\u2019s my line!” said Avenatti. “I said that when I was exploring my presidential run [laughing] that CNN said I was a great choice for and a frontrunner in!” Michael Avenatti, who\u2019s gonna be in jail soon! “That\u2019s my line. I created that line.” But then he said, “I don\u2019t care. Since I can\u2019t use it, somebody may as well.”<\/p>\n

Biden stole another line! But you know who actually used the line first? Let me clue you in. It was at the Republican National Convention in 2016 in Cleveland. It was the actor Scott Baio on stage at the RNC who first used the line, “Make America ‘America\u2019 Again.” He was trying to add to Trump\u2019s branding of Make America Great Again. So Avenatti comes along and steals from Scott Baio, then Biden comes along and plagiarizes Avenatti.<\/p>\n

And Avenatti says, “That\u2019s okay! Since I can\u2019t use it anymore, it\u2019s okay that somebody else does.” (laughing) Ah, folks, some days it\u2019s just so much fun. Make America Great Again is a slogan — and you talk about something aging very well? It still works. With that phrase, Trump captured the mood of the country. It was shorthand for his platform. It lined up with his skill set. “Crooked Hillary.” “Crooked Hillary” works as well today as the day he coined it. “Nervous Nancy.” She\u2019s very nervous about Democrat activists and their agenda, her grip on power.<\/p>\n

These are brilliant. There are a lot more examples of this, and I doubt that any of this is focus grouped. I doubt that any of it is researched. And that\u2019s why these people cannot abide it. They cannot relate to it. There aren\u2019t any natural — and don\u2019t misunderstand the word here. There aren\u2019t any “natural” performers, or very few, in American politics — and don\u2019t be off-put by the word “performer” because it is a performance.<\/p>\n

A campaign is a performance. If you\u2019re on TV, you are performing. Writing a column, you\u2019re performing. It is a performance. It doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re not serious. It doesn\u2019t mean that you can\u2019t be taken seriously. It doesn\u2019t mean that you are not qualified. It\u2019s just another added skill set that others don\u2019t have — most don\u2019t have — and so it stands out. Trump is a natural performer, a great communicator. He doesn\u2019t need polling data, doesn\u2019t need focus groups.<\/p>\n

The Clintons are incapable of this, as an example. And I think every time Trump unveils a new nickname or position, these people in effect quake in their boots because, folks, I don\u2019t care who you are, in any business or any area where you compete, you hate it when somebody\u2019s better than you are. You hate it when somebody is more popular than you are. You hate it when somebody gets more laughs than you do. You hate it when somebody gets more applause than you do.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t hate it, it bothers you, in a competitive sense. And some people don\u2019t deal with not dealing well in a competitive sense. Look at the Clintons. They said, “We\u2019re gonna schedule our own national tour. We\u2019re gonna do rallies. We\u2019re gonna show we can do that too.” Except they can\u2019t. Nobody\u2019s willing to pay, and nobody\u2019s willing to show up. Hillary can\u2019t draw flies. Nobody can draw flies.<\/p>\n

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I made the guess yesterday that the reason the close-up shot on Biden never changed at his rallies is \u2019cause the crowd wasn\u2019t very big. And it wasn\u2019t. Trump\u2019s crowd yesterday was overflowing. Biden\u2019s was zilch, zero, nada. And they\u2019re back to saying, “Well, crowd size in politics doesn\u2019t mean anything.” Don\u2019t believe them. It bugs them every Trump rally they see, that they can\u2019t do it, and they wish they could.<\/p>\n

They wish they could draw crowds like that. They wish the crowds they drew were naturally effervescent like that rather than having to be coached by cue cards and warmup acts. A Trump crowd doesn\u2019t need to be warmed up. They are loaded for bear from the moment they get there until Trump leaves, and they\u2019re motivated because of Trump.<\/p>\n

And Trump demonstrates every day what these lifelong professionals in American politics can\u2019t do. And that is another reason they hate him. They can\u2019t do what he does without a teleprompter, and they can\u2019t do what he does with a teleprompter. They can\u2019t do what he does naturally unless they go out and focus group it, and then when they focus group it, it\u2019s not theirs, it\u2019s always somebody else\u2019s. They cannot make it look like it\u2019s original to them.<\/p>\n

Everybody knows they\u2019ve got writers just like the late-night comedy hosts have writers, a whole staff of writers. Trump doesn\u2019t have any writers, doesn\u2019t need any writers. He\u2019s his own producer, he\u2019s his own director, and he is the talent. And Democrats tell us that Trump is an idiot. Trump is running circles around them in all of the ways they wish they could compete.<\/p>\n

And he\u2019s doing it without the usual army of paid advisers, paid consultants, comedy writers, speechwriters, nickname creators. I don\u2019t know how long it\u2019s gonna be before we see his kind again in politics. And I\u2019ll tell you, no matter where you look on the Democrat or Republican side, they\u2019re all gonna try to outdo Trump by not being Trump.<\/p>\n

\"\"They\u2019re all gonna try to outdo Trump by being buttoned down and sophisticated and presidential and real and upholding our values and blah, blah, blah, blah, sophistication and all that. Because they tell themselves, “Well, nobody wants what we can\u2019t do anyway. They hate Trump. People hate Trump. We\u2019re not gonna be Trump.” They would love, they would love to have Trump\u2019s talent.<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: I was watching Trump, and I\u2019m sure we\u2019re gonna get some audio sound bites of this because he had some interesting things to say about polling data and the media. He\u2019s meeting in the Oval Office with the president of Poland, and the press is shouting, “What about the polls, Mr. President? What about the polls?” “I don\u2019t believe in polls. I don\u2019t like polls? I like ideas. Ideas are what I focus on. Not crazy about not polls.” Somehow the subject of his speech at the 75th commemoration of the Normandy invasion came up.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t able to hear the question as asked by whoever in the media asked it. And, by the way, Trump looks — and this is important. The news all morning has been that Trump is rattled, that Trump is prowling the Oval Office enraged over this polling data showing him losing in landslides, that he\u2019s holding meetings with the staff telling them to lie about it, telling them to deny it or they\u2019re gonna be fired — telling them not to talk about the truth of the polling data that Trump is losing and is gonna lose.<\/p>\n

So they\u2019re creating this impression that Trump is running around the Oval Office almost out of control in a fit of rage. And you watch him here, he is thoroughly relaxed. He is appearing as confident as you\u2019ve ever seen him — unrattled, unruffled, and literally enjoying himself to the max sitting there with the president of Poland. He\u2019s talking about his new relationship with Poland. He\u2019s gonna send some troops to Poland to help them deal with some problems that they\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s fielding every question the press asks him. He\u2019s not being snarky. He\u2019s not doing anything. It doesn\u2019t look at all like the guy that the Drive-By Media is portraying all morning long in the news. Well, then this question comes up about the speech at Normandy. This is classic Trump, and when he says this, I just… I imagine Biden and the Never Trumpers and all the rest of these people just fuming. Just fuming! Privately fuming, calling each other up, “Can you…? Are you watching this? Can you believe…? Can you believe how he behaves!<\/p>\n

\"\"“This is so unpresidential. I can\u2019t believe he\u2019s doing this,” and all that happened was somebody asked him about his speech. He said, “Well, you know, I would never say it. I would never say it. But you people… You people… In fact, some people said that not only was it a great speech, that it was the best speech ever in Europe by any American president.” (laughing) Just staring… He\u2019s got this little glint in his eye and he\u2019s got a half smile.<\/p>\n

He looks dead serious but smiling about it, and I just bust out laughing. This is a… (laughing) I was talking about performance ability. This is just a natural talent, and Trump is one of these people who can be as braggadocious as the day is long and make you laugh at it instead of being offended by it. Except these people (laughing) in Washington and in the Democrat side of things are offended. I actually think… Now that I have studied this, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s anger so much as it is jealousy.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think it\u2019s anger so much as it is envy. He stands so far out from these people. There is such a contrasting difference. No, don\u2019t misunderstand, folks. I know that there are a lot of people who think that Trump\u2019s personality and style are not “presidential.” I understand what people mean when they say that. I\u2019m not talking about the disinterested faction of people who would say this. But the Democrat presidential candidates, official elected Democrats who are in this daily political competition every day who will look at Trump?<\/p>\n

I think rather than being genuinely outraged by it, they\u2019re jealous as they can be of it. And they mask the jealousy and the envy with feigned outrage. Look, there probably is some genuine anger, too, over the fact that they know they\u2019re envious. Let me give you… You know as well as I do that back during the era of Clinton… You back me up on this. Back in the era of Clinton, there were a lot of people in our side who professed not to like the way Clinton was womanizing, but they wished they were him, wished they could get away with it, wished they could do what did.<\/p>\n

They envied him and so forth. For example, Clinton had an event on Catalina Island, and some babe in the Washington Post wrote… No, it was a guy! Some guy wrote a story, and the lede was, “Bill Clinton sharply dressed in his crackling jeans, bulging below the waist strode the streets of Catalina today, crackling with power, crackling with power.” There was just outrage from people about media bias. What it really was, is there were just a lot of people jealous of that. Just jealous of it.<\/p>\n

It seemed like women were throwing themselves at Bill Clinton and their underwear at Bill Clinton every day. And I think, upon reflection, that some of this professed anger at Donald Trump… Some of it\u2019s real. Don\u2019t misunderstand. But a lot of it is envy, at Trump. I think a lot of it is envy, particularly when he says of the speech (laughing), “I didn\u2019t say it. I would never say it. I would never say. Don\u2019t tell anybody I said it. I would never say it. But you people wrote — many people have written — that it was the best speech by any American.”<\/p>\n

(laughing) And of course, then you can see them just running to Twitter to express their outrage. “How unpresidential. You\u2019d never see Joe Biden doing.” That\u2019s exactly right. You couldn\u2019t ever see Joe Biden this way. You couldn\u2019t see Crazy Bernie doing this. You couldn\u2019t see any of them this way, and they all know it.<\/p>\n

BREAK TRANSCRIPT<\/p>\n

RUSH: Now to the Trump sound bites. I\u2019ve talked about these, and I want you to hear these. This is Trump in the Oval Office today about an hour and a half ago, and he is with the president of Poland, Andrzej Duda. Of course, the press is there, and they\u2019re peppering Trump with questions, and the first question (impression), “Mr. President! Mr. President!<\/p>\n

“Do you have any concerns over internal polling as it relates to Biden and showing that you\u2019re gonna lose in a landslide? Do you have any reaction to this, that the people hate you? Do you have any…? Do you have any reaction to the fact nobody likes you? Do you have any reaction to the fact that we can\u2019t wait \u2019til you lose? Do you have any reaction to the fact that Biden\u2019s gonna beat you in a landslide? Do you have any reaction to all the polling data that shows that you suck?”<\/p>\n

THE PRESIDENT: No, because we have great internal polling.<\/p>\n

RUSH: (laughs)<\/p>\n

THE PRESIDENT: There were fake polls that were released by somebody that is… It\u2019s ridiculous. No. We are winning in every single state that we\u2019ve polled. We\u2019re winning in Texas very big. We\u2019re winning in Ohio very big. We\u2019re winning in Florida very big. They were fake polls that were either put out by the corrupt media, \u2019cause much of the media in this country — unfortunately — is corrupt. Those are fake numbers.<\/p>\n