It was his second rally since he was convicted in a Manhattan courtroom, and it was hot. But that didn't stop thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—of supporters from waiting for hours to attend Donald Trump's Sunday campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Trump was convicted in late May on 34 counts of business fraud in DA Alvin Bragg's dubious prosecution, but that didn't seem to matter to these folks. Trump posted his entrance to social media, showing a crowd that seemed as enthusiastic as ever:
There is no official estimate of the crowd size yet, but Trump guesstimated it at over 20,000.
PANORAMIC SHOT of President Trump’s record-breaking rally today in Las Vegas, Nevada.
— Paul Ingrassia (@PaulIngrassia) June 9, 2024
The President estimated a crowd size of 20k — but that was only those in Sunset Park venue. Thousands more waited outside the park because the venue was absolutely packed! @RSBNetwork… pic.twitter.com/Mt4MicUBHv
This supporter pointed out that the former president spoke for over an hour in 100-degree heat but never needed notes or a teleprompter—a feat that the befuddled Joe Biden could only dream of.
No teleprompter?
— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) June 9, 2024
No problem!
President Trump just finished up an EPIC 90 minute rally in 100° weather without notes or a teleprompter.👊
Joe could NEVER do that.
NEVER. pic.twitter.com/MhToXBhhvI
As we reported Sunday, Trump's conviction has had little effect on his popularity.
What trial?
Note that the poll came out of liberal CBS News, but a recent Fox survey has the former president with a more commanding national lead of five points.
Trump hit on many of his usual themes, including of course the corrupt antics of President Biden:
Thousands of Nevadans piled into Sunset Park, just miles from the Las Vegas Strip, to hear the former president, who spared no time in blasting the "Biden crime family" and his conviction, which he called "bulls--t."
"We're going to knock off the Biden crime family. It's a Biden family of crime, including the fact that they've weaponized the Department of Justice like has never happened in this country," Trump said. "We're going to end the weak and failed regime of crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of our country, and we're going to make America great again."
And it wouldn't be a Trump rally if he didn't hit Ole Joe on his incoherence and his disastrous policies at the southern border.
"Under Biden, the invasion is just a disaster. … In four years, crooked Joe has imported more people than at any other time in our history," Trump said. "They’re changing the fabric of our country. They’re destroying our country."
Trump later targeted Biden's age, mental fitness and frequent vacations to the beaches of Delaware, saying, "This guy goes to the beach all the time. Somebody thinks he looks good in a bathing suit. I don’t know."
I recently saw Trump speak at the CPAC convention in Washington, D.C., and whether you love the guy or loathe him, it's apparent that he can command a crowd's attention and fire them up with his slice-and-dice humor.
The appearance is in stark contrast with recent public events by Biden, who continues to decline and whose gaffes and falsehoods only seem to be increasing.
Editor's note: In its reporting, Fox News wrote that it was Trump's first rally since the conviction, but he actually had one in Phoenix on Thursday. We've updated this story, and apologize for the error.
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