Out-of-town pool report #16 -

Trump started speaking at 9.09pm

"I want to thank our great vice president. What a job he did tonight! You know, the Democrats are getting nervous. They said no one would show up. This place is packed, it was packed last night” (and returned to this later, attacking the “dishonest press.” As he said this the upper rafters remained mainly empty.)

Trump said he had been a “little bit greedy” with his speech yesterday and so was going to

do something “a little bit different. We all love music, right? We're going to get a little music.”

But he then proceeded to keep talking, repeating several of last night’s highlights and rattling off a familiar list of what he said were his administration’s achievements (preventing ‘transgender mutilization of children,’ ‘trillions’ from tariffs, the new dividends, etc). Repeated last night’s line about Republicans winning when he’s on the ballot, and lampooned Ken Paxton’s dress sense for the third time in 24 hours.

Trump got the crowd to raise their right hands and chant “pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States, that loves him so much he can't even breathe” to vote on November 3 “so help me God.”

“You know what happens if you don’t vote — you go to hell. And I don’t want that to happen!” he added, to chants of “vote vote vote.”

Trump then began to wrap up. “And now that’s enough of politics, I’ve been taking for seven days straight. Let’s have a little music”

Trump finished speaking at 9.35pm, after a mere 26 minutes, as he introduced singer Christopher Macchio. Trump stood swaying on the stage — and the balloon drop started

Danny Kemp

AFP White House correspondent