US Presidential Election 2024 - All AI, right? Trump's audience fetish becomes campaign flyers
If applause is a hard drug, then Donald Trump is the most famous junkie. Nothing keeps the former president more energized than an applause meter at full tilt. That was the case back in the early 90s when he posed as his own press secretary, calling New York newspapers to feed them with gossip about himself. Or later on TV, as a reality "businessman" firing people for ratings. The main thing is the audience, always and above all: a large audience.
Largest Viewership Ever!
At the time, he couldn't seriously expect it, but the peak was still to come for the attention-seeking real estate heir: the US Presidency. He took the oath on January 20, 2017, and set new standards for audience measurement with his inauguration: it was the "largest viewership ever for a presidential inauguration," his spokesperson said at the time. The obvious lie was later dubbed "alternative facts" by his communications chief.
Seven and a half years have passed since then, but Trump's obsession with audience numbers has not changed. Only quantity counts. And this applies in every respect, as shown by a recent campaign appearance by Kamala Harris in Detroit. The Democratic presidential candidate recently landed at the local airport with the US Vice President's machine and was greeted by around 15,000 cheering spectators.
So Many People? For Kamala Harris?
Rumor has it that people had been waiting for Harris in the blazing sun for hours, which could indeed serve as an indication that Trump's opponent has sparked a wave of euphoria. But wait! So many people? For Kamala Harris, the once-grey vice president? At an airport hangar? In the middle of the week? Not likely!
"Has anyone noticed that Kamala cheated at the airport? She inflated a huge 'crowd' with AI. The same thing happens with her fake 'crowds' at her speeches," Trump suspiciously announced on his "Truth Social" platform. The former US President provided no evidence for his claim. In his post, he only mentions an ominous reflection on the body of the government aircraft.
Donald Trump Waves into the Void
Harris' campaign team responded promptly and factually via social media: it was a real photo of the Harris-Walz audience in Michigan, they wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Her supporters, on the other hand, flooded the platform with videos of Trump appearances in half-empty halls or with half-truths in which Trump waves into the void.
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The stern team on the ground informs you every Saturday in the free newsletter "Inside America" about the most important developments and gives insights into how Americans really look at their country. After entering your email address, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription. Your data will always be treated confidentially. The list of "I have the biggest" boasts could go on. In late August 2017, for example, US President Trump visited Corpus Christi, Texas, which had been severely affected by Hurricane "Harvey". Of course, he promised help, but he was even more thrilled about how many people wanted to see him there and that the storm would boost TV ratings. He was probably right about that. If "The Donald" has learned one thing, it's that loud, constant clapping is his only currency.
Aimless Monologuing and Rambling Thoughts
After Kamala Harris's entry into the presidential race, Trump has somewhat faded from the spotlight. There's even a whiff of campaign spirit from 2016, when the then not-yet-president regularly embarrassed himself with his own spectacle and was delightedly outmaneuvered by his opponent. Trump still won, which is why US President Joe Biden now warns against repeating the mistake of underestimating him, as he did after withdrawing as a candidate.
It's easy to do so when listening to the campaigner Trump's aimless monologuing and rambling thoughts at public appearances. Yet, he still masterfully draws the audience's attention with outlandish comparisons.
At a hastily convened press conference in his home state of Florida recently, he claimed that his audience on January 6, 2021, was larger than the crowd at Martin Luther King's legendary "I have a dream" speech. Around 250,000 people attended the "March on Washington" on August 28, 1963. Three and a half years ago, there were several thousand people present – many of whom later stormed the Capitol, making that Wednesday a dark day for US democracy.
Trump's latest post about the allegedly AI-manipulated Harris audience in Detroit also hints at the direction he'll take the campaign: "She's cheating. That's how the Democrats want to win elections, by cheating. She should be disqualified, because false images are vote manipulation. Those who do such things will cheat everywhere," the former US president wrote.
As he did at this point four years ago, Trump sows doubt. Doubt about the legitimacy of candidate Harris, doubt about the images she produces, doubt about the election itself. Each of his "concerned" objections about an allegedly "unfair" vote gets him headlines and attention. But it also brings the country closer to what he ominously threatened in the "Time" magazine as a "bloodbath" in the event of his election defeat.
Despite claiming that Kamala Harris inflated her crowd size at a Detroit appearance using AI, Trump provided no evidence to support his claim. (This sentence contains the words: ['Kamala Harris', 'his claim'])
The former president's obsession with audience numbers remains unchanged, as shown by his suspicion towards Harris' crowd size and his constant focus on his own viewership numbers. (This sentence contains the words: ['former president', 'his focus', 'viewership numbers'])
