My take-aways from Trump's July 3 rally in Des Moines
And the new friends I met who also braved the crowd and heat
Dear Friends,
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I went to last week’s Trump rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds to (1) hear first-hand what the President had to say, (2) interview rally attendees, and (3) check out the counter protest.
Last things first, between 50 and 100 protesters showed up. Many conveyed important messages. A few were counterproductive, like the woman who yelled "racist" at everyone (including me) entering the venue.
[PHOTO: A creative protest outside the July 3 Trump rally in Des Moines, referencing "Alligator Alcatraz," Trump's new immigration detention center in south Florida.]
Once inside, I spoke with five Trump supporters, two who agreed to be interviewed. My summary of those conversations is at 5:15 of this week's program.
Here are my takeaways from the rally:
TRUMP IS FUNNY. Humor is part of what endears Trump to his base. Objectively, while it's not brilliant comedy, Trump is indeed sometimes humorous.
Like when he says we oughta get rid of Johnson County because it's the only county that caucused for Nikki Haley (15:44).
Or when he "jokes" about being right all the time (16:55). Ok, he probably believes that, since his narcissism knows no bounds.
Or when he says he might throw all the farmers out of the country and put immigrants in charge of agriculture (27:40). That was genuinely funny.
But beneath the occasional snippets of humor, Trump's march toward being a dictator was evident.
TRUMP THE AUTHORITARIAN. Since 2015, I've been warning that Trump is a fascist. Others have issued similar warnings. We wish it weren't so, but Trump is proving us right. His fascist rhetoric and drive to further consolidate power was on full display at the Des Moines rally.
Like fascists throughout history, Trump rallies his supporters by demonizing others.
DEMOCRATS. (21:40) "I hate them too, you know that. I really do, I hate them. I cannot stand them because I really believe they hate our country."
That was possibly the most disturbing thing I heard Trump say last week, especially given the big round of applause it received. Really? "Hate" the other party? That's absolutely the rhetoric of dictators, the language of fascists. It's how Vladimir Putin feels about his political enemies -- before he poisons them.
TRANS PEOPLE. Trump called it "transgender insanity." He goes on to boast that the official policy of the US is now that there are only two genders. Check out 36:55.
Trans Americans need to be concerned about their safety and well being. Perhaps trans people won't be rounded up and thrown into detention camps like immigrants (at least not yet). But Trump's rhetoric gives license to the haters to commit violence against trans people.
PROSECUTORS. Trump also dug into his threat to go after the "criminals who tried to put your president in jail(31:00)." That’s chilling. You can’t watch video footage of what happened on Jan 6, 2020, and not come away understanding that a mob attacked the US Capitol. Yet if you did your duty -- as an attorney, judge, or government official -- and tried to hold accountable the vandals who hurt and even killed people, you are now a Trump target.
IMMIGRANTS. During his campaign, Trump talked about deporting immigrants with a criminal record. He again claimed (without evidence) that 11,888 murderers came into the US. Stoking public fears of immigrants by focusing on crime is a lie. (22:30)
According to the CATO Institute (hardly a liberal think tank), "As of June 14, ICE had booked into detention 204,297 individuals (since October 1, 2024, the start of fiscal year 2025). Of those book-ins, 65 percent, or 133,687 individuals, had no criminal convictions. Moreover, more than 93 percent of ICE book-ins were never convicted of any violent offenses."
So much for deporting the murderers, rapists, and drug dealers. What's becoming increasingly clear in Trump-land is that you can't deport hundreds of thousands of foreign workers without severely damaging several key sectors of the US economy -- most crucially, agriculture.
FARM WORKERS. Trump sought to address that during his Des Moines rally. Here's what he said, at 24:15: "We're going to sort of put the farmers in charge. ... Some of the farmers are literally, you know, they cry when they see [ICE raids] happening. If a farmer's willing to vouch for these people, in some way we're going to have to say that's good, because we don't want to take all the workers off the farms."
That's remarkable. It's a clear recognition that mass deportation of immigrant farm laborers is causing major problems for the farm sector -- problems serious enough to make a farmer cry, according to Trump. We'll see what happens next, but as of today, I'd say that if you're an immigrant and want to dodge deportation, find a farm job. Yeah, crazy hard work, but it might be the safest place to be.
THE CLIMATE CHANGE "HOAX." Of course, no Trump speech is complete without a rant against climate science. Last week's remarks were as bad as any I've heard, and I truly wonder what percentage of his audience is still in the climate denier camp. At 39:57, Trump says, "They're telling you what's going to happen a hundred years from now. The oceans are going to rise a 1/4 inch and everyone's going to be wiped out. No, you're going to have more ocean-front property."
How do you have more ocean-front property? You just have different ocean-front property. I really can't imagine any thinking person (like the five I spoke with earlier) buying such drivel.
IOWA GOVERNOR'S RACE. Trump gave a shout-out to a whole mess of Iowa politicians. Notably, the biggest nod went to State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, who is weighing a run for governor. I predict that Trump will endorse Kaufmann, and that Kaufmann will win the Republican primary. (That's at 46:00.)
It used to be said that all politics is local. These days, on the Republican side at least, all politics is Trump. An endorsement from Trump, coupled with Kaufmann's grassroots style and strong record of opposition to the abuse of eminent domain, will give him the boost he needs to rise above a crowded field.
You're welcome to hold me to that prediction. And go Rob Sand!
MY NEW FRIENDS. The most memorable (and positive) moment of the rally was when I realized four people standing next to me were also not Trump fans. Candidly, it's zero fun to be at such an event. To hear so many horrible things said about people I love and respect is draining. Especially in 90-degree heat. So it's like a waft of cool air to suddenly discover you're in the same space as a handful of people who also support immigrants and trans people, who understand climate science, and who value the importance of freedom and diversity. Thank you, new friends.
And thank you for reading, listening, and speaking out.
Ed Fallon
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