Here & Now

Trump Rallies in Milwaukee

Frederica Freyberg:

The impeachment trial of Donald Trump transitioned from the lower House up to the U.S. Senate, where charges of the president’s abuse of power and obstruction of Congress will be tried. Meanwhile, the president held a campaign rally in Wisconsin this week, where the topic of impeachment barely came up. “Here & Now” reporter Zac Schultz was there.

Announcer at rally:

Donald J. Trump.

Zac Schultz:

Tuesday night, Donald Trump was welcomed by a standing ovation from a full house at Panther Arena in downtown Milwaukee.

Donald Trump:

Hello, Milwaukee. Hello.

Zac Schultz:

A Trump campaign rally always focuses more on the rally than the campaign.

Donald Trump:

You gotta love Trump. You gotta love Trump.

Zac Schultz:

Even before the president’s arrival, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson told the crowd to prepare for an experience.

Ron Johnson:

But Donald Trump is different and Donald Trump is going to come here. He’s going to inspire you and he’s going to entertain you and you’re going to leave in a really good mood.

Zac Schultz:

That’s exactly why so many in the crowd waited in line for hours to get a front row seat.

Chris Kreitlow:

It’s just the energy, the people. I love it. It’s close to home, so something to do on a Tuesday night. Nothing better than a Trump rally on a Tuesday night, baby. Hooh!

Jerry Lohr:

Yeah. We’re looking for a little excitement and I’m sure he’s going to supply it.

Zac Schultz:

Even before Trump took the stage, the crowd provided their own excitement doing “the wave” and chanting for “Four more years.”

Crowd:

Four more years.

Woman:

It’s great. It’s better than a ball game.

Donald Trump:

And is there ever, ever a better place to be than a Trump rally?

Zac Schultz:

During his hour and a half on stage, Trump spent his time talking about his accomplishments in office, criticizing his opponents and the media.

Donald Trump:

Anything I say that’s even slightly false, it’s headlines. Trump said this. These people. He said this. This is one of the greatest — I would say this. This is the greatest movement in the history of our country.

Zac Schultz:

But Trump says things that are slightly false, as he acknowledges, and things that are blatantly false, like the 15,000 false or misleading claims tracked by the Washington Post through December of last year. He repeated another lie Tuesday regarding whether Mexico is paying for his border wall.

Donald Trump:

And by the way, they think they caught me. They never catch us. Because, you know, Mexico’s paying for the wall. You know that. You’ll see that. It’s all worked out.

Zac Schultz:

Mexico is not paying for the wall. Trump is actually diverting money away from the military for the reconstruction that’s underway, something he acknowledged just an hour later in the same speech.

Donald Trump:

A very big and very powerful border wall is going up at a record speed and we are at — we’re fully financed now. Isn’t that nice? That wasn’t easy.

William Decaire:

You gotta love him. He is what he is.

Zac Schultz:

But many Trump supporters don’t worry about a fact check because they consider Trump to be emotionally honest.

William Decaire:

100% honest. Whatever is going through his brain comes right out of his mouth and sometimes right through his fingertips onto Twitter.

Zac Schultz:

And that’s a character trait they can support.

William Decaire:

You can’t hold him accountable for every little mistake that comes out of his mouth and that is blunt honesty right there. That’s what I’m voting for.

Crowd:

Four more years.

Zac Schultz:

Reporting from Milwaukee, I’m Zac Schultz for “Here & Now.”

Crowd:

Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!