Donald Trump’s tired old lounge act

Some โconservativeโ diehards are hailing Donald Trumpโs CPAC speech as a pivotal event, signaling his return to glory, which they can vicariously enjoy. In truth, it more resembled the sad spectacle of lounge singer whoโd once ruled the airwaves and concert halls with big hits and big crowds, lazily going through his standards before a modest crowd that longed for the glory years as much as he did.
Trumpโs timing was off right from the start. He came onstage before his entrance song had even begun. Like a washed up singer, he began with an old hit, about some dangerous guys down by the border. As Trump surveyed the modest crowd, he wistfully recalled how heโd recently drawn โhuge crowdsโ for his 52 rallies, never pausing to reflect that this was a terrible idea during a pandemic.
Trump got a burst of applause when he teased he might run for President again and assured the CPAC crowd they were part of a big movement, โthe likes of which has never been seen.โ
Apparently against his aidesโ advice, Trump reprised the Big Lie, falsely proclaiming that the election was rigged, and heโd really won. And he lashed out at perceived enemies whoโd turned on him, neglecting to mention they did so because heโd launched an insurrection against Congress to prevent it from certifying electoral votes that showed heโd lost. He said heโd work to banish these officials from the public arena, oblivious to the fact that he did so in front of CPACโs โAmerica Uncancelledโ sign.
Finally, he put together a string of crowd-pleaser retreads of his hate-filled policies that brought the crowd to its feet โ whether out of real enthusiasm or nostalgia, itโs difficult to say. And then it was over, and he left the stage. If only for good.