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Overcast Feeling claustrophobic at the Trump rally
I should start by saying I’m not a supporter of Donald Trump, but I wanted to see the rally he held at Grumman Studios in Bethpage firsthand to find out what makes this candidate so appealing to so many. Thousands of dedicated Trump supporters were relishing in the atmosphere and camaraderie of the event, and as one of the few black people in attendance, I can say I had a very different perspective of the experience.
Trump made loud, passionate statements about the diminishing rights of the American people, the corruption of our political leaders, and predictably appealed to the crowd’s unanimous animosity towards President Obama.
Earlier that night, rally-goers were directed to chant “Trump! Trump!” if they encountered anyone protesting during the event, making it difficult to gauge whether people were reporting a perceived enemy in their midst or were just cheering.
Throughout the rally, I tried to keep a blank stare; I didn’t want the sea of avid Trump supporters surrounding me to see the occasional look of disgust or bewilderment on my face whenever I heard offensive rhetoric. On the other hand, with all the news cameras covering the event, I didn’t want to be mistaken for an actual Trump supporter by anyone filming the rally.
During one of the most memorable parts of his speech, Trump recited the Al Wilson song “The Snake” repurposing the song’s lyrics as a parable for Syrian refuges seeking asylum in the U.S. The song tells the story of a woman who finds and shelters a snake, which then turns around to fatally bite her.
He had just equated an entire nation of people with a treacherous snake that would bite the first chance it gets, and an airplane hangar full of people were in total agreement. I found the comparison extremely unfair, and simplistic, but it was the reaction from the crowd that was truly stunning.
Playing witness to thousands of people all supporting this anger and fear-fueled rhetoric was a claustrophobic and unnerving experience. Of all the things I had seen and heard that night, it was the tumultuous applause from the crowd that scared me the most.
All in all, the rally was every bit as uniformed and divisive as I expected, having seen footage of Trump’s other events. While I still have many questions left unanswered, one thing is for sure: I can say conclusively that I will not be voting for Mr. Trump.
