海角大神

Barnstorming with Trump in the ultimate campaign prop: Air Force One

The view from Air Force One as we approached Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport was breathtaking: snow-capped mountains, low-hanging clouds, farms dotting the valleys.

As we landed, we could see the brightly lit rally site 鈥� an airport hangar. The presidential jet taxied over and pulled to a stop, creating a dramatic backdrop for President Trump鈥檚 next Make America Great Again rally.

In these final days of the 2018 midterms, Air Force One 鈥渉angar rallies鈥� have been part of the show. And they鈥檙e not just about efficiency, as Mr. Trump barnstorms the country. They are a visual reminder of the power and prestige of the presidency, as he stumps for Republican candidates and revs up his own reelection fight.

In Montana, the main beneficiary was state Auditor Matt Rosendale, the Republican trying to replace Sen. Jon Tester, who鈥檚 pretty popular for a Democrat in a state Trump won by 20 points.

But at all four MAGA rallies this reporter attended Friday and Saturday as part of the Air Force One traveling press pool, the show was really mostly about Trump. He鈥檚 the one folks came to see, to make sure they got in.

鈥淲ow, we get the biggest crowds,鈥澛燭rump said as he took the stage at the Bozeman airport in Belgrade, Mont. 鈥淗ello Montana, I said I鈥檇 be back, and I am.鈥�

Trump, in short, is the closer. And at his MAGA rallies, the candidates 鈥� the ones whose names are actually on the ballot Tuesday 鈥� are almost bit players. They get their few minutes on stage, and then off they go, back to the sidelines, in rallies that can last more than an hour. Supporters hold signs pre-printed with Trump slogans 鈥� 鈥淒rain the Swamp,鈥� 鈥淲omen for Trump,鈥� 鈥淛obs vs. Mobs.鈥� No signs for the local candidates are in sight.

In Montana, Trump made clear his main goal is to defeat Senator Tester, whom he blames for last spring as Veterans Affairs secretary.

鈥淚t鈥檚 honestly one of the reasons I鈥檓 here so much,鈥澛燭rump said Saturday, on his fourth visit to Montana since taking office 鈥� a record for a sitting president.

But in this home stretch of the 2018 midterms, Trump barely needs a reason to go out and campaign. He clearly loves the adulation, the dramatic entrances, the show. Campaigning seems to get his competitive juices flowing, and with the 2020 presidential campaign already under way, the MAGA rallies are expected to keep right on going after Tuesday.

Rallies also give Trump an opportunity to fight an old battle: comparing crowd sizes with former President Barack Obama, the issue that bit Trump on Inauguration Day. Like Trump, Mr. Obama has been campaigning vigorously in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 elections 鈥� a break from the norm for an ex-president, as Trump himself has broken the mold in his own all-out midterm push.

On Saturday afternoon, Trump a video showing the line for his Belgrade event and : 鈥淟anding in Montana now 鈥� at least everybody admits that my lines and crowds are far bigger than Barack Obama鈥檚鈥︹��

The day before, this White House pool reporter learned the perils of estimating a Trump crowd size. We were at the first MAGA rally of our trip, in a small airport hangar in Huntington, W.Va. Air Force One was in its place, parked behind the stage. It was a cozy event 鈥� small enough that one could eyeball a rough estimate of attendance. Or so I thought.

Another reporter and I settled on 鈥渕aybe 1,000,鈥� and I put that in my report to the rest of the press corps. (I also noted that some folks were trickling out; after all, it was 51 degrees in that hangar.) Soon I received an email from a White House staffer saying the official 鈥渕ag鈥� count 鈥� that is, people who had gone through screening devices 鈥� was more than 4,000.

Later, at our second event of the day, in a high school in Indianapolis, the big gymnasium was packed. Maybe 10,000 people? I thought. This time, I asked: 鈥淎pproximately 8,500 and there were a few thousand in overflow,鈥� came the email reply.

I give up.

More important is the remarks. In West Virginia, Trump acknowledged that the Republicans could lose control of the House 鈥� a noteworthy moment, given his usual insistence that a 鈥渞ed wave鈥� is building and the widespread view that the midterms are a referendum on his presidency, which he himself has said.

鈥淚t could happen,鈥� he said of a Democratic House takeover. 鈥淵ou know what I say? Don鈥檛 worry about it. I鈥檒l just figure it out.鈥�

Trump talked up the strong economy, but spent more time attacking Democrats on issues that induce fear and anger 鈥� the US-Mexico border, the caravan, 鈥渋llegal aliens,鈥� 鈥渧iolent predators,鈥� and the recent, messy Supreme Court confirmation battle.

鈥淚 think they overplayed their hands on this one, folks, because between Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh and the caravans, you people are energized!鈥� 聽Trump said in Indianapolis.

Curiously, the issue of 聽鈥渂irthright citizenship鈥� 鈥� the right of any person born on US soil to American citizenship 鈥� vanished from Trump鈥檚 rhetoric as quickly as it had arrived. There was also no 鈥渏oking鈥� about body-slamming, which a Montana GOP candidate had done to a reporter last year. Even the nicknames got tamer. Perhaps Trump had gotten a message that his language may be turning off independents.

The final stop of the day 鈥� Pensacola, Fla., in the state鈥檚 conservative panhandle 鈥� was arguably the most important. Florida is the nation鈥檚 biggest political battleground, and the GOP鈥檚 top statewide candidates are locked in tight races.

Air Force One pulled right up alongside a massive hangar, outfitted with bleachers festooned in red, white, and blue. When I reached the bottom of the stairs at the back of the plane, I looked up, and there was Gov. Rick Scott (R), who is running for Senate.

鈥淗ello, governor,鈥� I said, startled. He smiled and offered a slight wave.

Moments later, Trump, Governor Scott, gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, and his wife, Casey, descended the stairs at the front of Air Force One and made their grand entrance.

Mr. DeSantis knew just what to say when he took his turn on stage.

鈥淧resident Obama came to Florida the other day, and he didn鈥檛 get a crowd this big,鈥� said the former congressman, a Trump acolyte. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 even come close.鈥�

In my pool report, I didn鈥檛 venture an estimate on crowd size. 鈥淗angar is huge,鈥� I wrote. 鈥淢any AF1s would fit in here.鈥�