When Houston’s very own returned as a part of her On the Run II Tour, Beyonce Knowles, with husband Jay-Z accompanying, sold 70,000 seats in the NRG Stadium.
On the brink of a supposed blue wave hitting Texas, President Trump attracted nearly the same crowd, with over 100,000 signing up to attend his Monday evening rally and thousands of those waiting for hours — or in some cases, even 24 hours to 32 hours before — to nab one of the roughly 20,000 first-come, first-serve seats. With the lights and enthusiasm bright, Trump (for better or worse) embraced his role as the Lone Star of the GOP.
In the bluster of late October political winds and Cruz’s Democratic opponent, Beto O’Rourke, sinking in the polls, Trump finds ease in chaos. His cavalcade included Cruz, daughter-in-law Lara Trump, and Texas’ extremely popular Governor Greg Abbott. Amid this cast, Trump was clearly the star. No one knows how to rile the crowd better than Trump, who has capitalized on the mad electoral season to push his own messages with more certitude than since at least two years ago exactly.
[Byron York: In Texas, Trump and Cruz complete the transaction]
“Radical Democrats want to turn back the clock. Restore the rule of corrupt, power-hungry globalists,” said Trump. “A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly not caring about our country so much. And, you know what? We can’t have that.”
Under the lights and devotion of tens of thousands, Trump finally conceded, “You know what I am? I’m a nationalist. OK? I’m a nationalist.”
The great Western hero Charles de Gaulle once said, “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.” For all of his intelligence, on this matter, de Gaulle was incorrect. Patriotism is allegiance to country based on principle. Usually, nationalism is allegiance to country based on tribe. For Trump, it’s allegiance to country based on winning.
The Monday night rally showed how much has changed since Trump won the 2016 election.
“He’s not Lyin’ Ted anymore,” Trump said of the junior senator from Texas. “He’s beautiful Ted.”
It’s a marriage the throngs in Houston evidently loved. As always, the president played to the crowd, and after nearly two hours, the crowd still reveled in Trump’s performance.
Under the bright lights and on the big stage, Trump reminded us how he got to the White House: He is at bottom, like Jay Z and Beyonce, a star entertainer.
