Donald Trump capped off a whirlwind trip from Mar-a-Lago to New York, then back to Mar-a-Lago late Tuesday with a campaign speech to mark the historic day.
I had expected fire and brimstone, something to mark a new chapter with fresh angry material. But the resulting show did not meet those expectations. As Abigail Weinberg notes, Trump's rambling remarks were filled with much of the same tedious lies and tired complaints we've seen for years. She writes, "Even though the audience at Mar-a-Lago was ostensibly full of diehard fans, Trump's incoherent ramblings this evening did not seem to generate the kind of audience fervor that occurs during your typical Trump rally."
NBC News seemed to agree, calling the Mar-a-Lago performance strangely subdued. But me? I'm almost impressed that Trump was able to deliver a speech in the first place. Speaking as someone who crawls to bed at 9 p.m. and now bristles at the stress of plane travel, it feels natural that a 76-year-old man in dubious health would appear exhausted after a chaotic trip to plead not guilty to 34 felony counts. I mean, just look at how small and sad he looked at his arraignment. Then you gotta get up there in front of your MAGA weirdo friends and give it your all? That's a young man's game.
This isn't to invite sympathy for our former president. Far from it. But I suspect his Tuesday night performance is a preview of what's to come, as the law closes in on Trump with multiple investigations this year. Anyway, if you're in the mood for something other than rambling, grievance-filled speeches, most definitely check out Ari Berman's excellent write-up of progressives' major, major, major win in Wisconsin.
—Inae Oh
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