‘You’d clap even if I said stupid things’ — Trump says about loyal supporters
United States President Donald Trump has told supporters at a rally in Tennessee that they would applaud him even if he said “the stupidest things”, attributing their reaction to the strong affection he receives from his political base.
Trump made the remark on Saturday while addressing supporters at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, about 50 miles northwest of Nashville, as Republicans intensify campaigns ahead of the midterm elections.
According to the Republican National Committee, the rally was organised to energise supporters of the Make America Great Again movement ahead of the elections.
During the event, Trump questioned why he needed to campaign in Tennessee, claiming that he had repeatedly won the state by wide margins.
“What am I doing in Tennessee? I don’t have to campaign here. I’ve won your state by many, many, many points. Some ridiculous number. All the time,” he said.
The president also repeated his unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him.
“So, three times I won the election, the big election three times. I got screwed the second time because they cheated. They cheated. We cannot let that happen again,” Trump said.
He added that he had chosen to visit the state to appreciate voters who had supported him.
“But, I said, ‘You know, sometimes it’s nice to go to a place where you don’t have to be, but you are there to say thank you to the great people that elected you three separate times,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
Trump subsequently recounted a conversation with a friend who reportedly struggled with stage fright and asked how he managed to address large audiences.
“I said, ‘You know, for me it’s easy because there is such love in these rooms,” he said, prompting cheers and chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump” from the audience.
As supporters shouted, “We love you,” Trump continued by describing the reception he receives at his rallies.
“I could say the stupidest things, and you’d clap. ‘Oh, I love you so — it’s true,” he said.
Trump, however, insisted that his remarks were based on common sense rather than foolishness.
“But we don’t say the stupidest things; we say things of common sense. We say things that make sense, and probably are mostly conservative. But it’s not really conservative; it’s the things of common sense,” he added.
He cited border security, low taxes and a strong military as examples of the issues he said reflected common sense.
At the end of the rally, Trump invited Republican candidates contesting various positions to join him on stage and urged supporters to vote for them.
“I’m on the ballot — just pretend I’m on the ballot,” he told the crowd, repeating a request he has made at other campaign events.
The rally came as Republicans stepped up mobilisation efforts ahead of the US midterm elections, in which voters will decide contests for seats in Congress and other offices.
