CNN’S political director sounded worried tonight after seeing the huge enthusiasm from Trump supporters who pitched tents just to wait in line to see Trump speak tonight:
You really need to watch the video to hear the intensity in David Chalian’s voice. But in case you can’t, here’s a quick transcript of his comments, slightly modified to make them more readable:
“When you look [at] this notion of excitement, of enthusiasm. When you look at people pitching tents and waiting for two days to get into the Trump rally.
[When you look at] people who are just coming out of the woodwork because they are so committed and loyal to this man that they want to see and join this effort to re-elect [him], you have to ask yourself that among those 23 Democrats, WHICH one of those do you think are gonna have people who would be pitching tents a day before a rally to get inside and show their support?
Obviously I don’t mean that literally, but I do mean that as an instruction that you have to think through which one of those Democrats can enthuse their supporters that much, that they can like take this battle to the president?
It looks to me that just from the spectacle alone Trump accomplished something big tonight, perhaps striking fear in his enemies that he is very capable of winning re-election against any Democrat you put against him.
The enthusiasm that Chalian referred to among Trump supporters waiting outside and in the arena tonight must rival the enthusiasm they saw for Obama in 2008, and that must have them worried – especially after the hell they’ve put Trump through over the last two and a half years, trying to scandalize him every chance they could.
On top of this they are seeing massive enthusiasm for Trump in a huge battleground state.
So yeah, just on that alone, I do think it was a good night for Trump.