How could a presidential candidate turn the largest crowd of the Republican contest so far into a turnout that didn’t quite live up to expectations? That’s what Donald Trump did with his Friday night speech in Mobile, Ala.
Trump had predicted up to 40,000 people would fill Ladd-Peebles Stadium. That would have been huge, had it happened. As it was, filling about half the stadium was huge, too — extremely impressive by any standard, except Trump’s own.
How did Trump do? He gave what is now his trademark speech, which means it was a long stream of consciousness address incorporating all sorts of extraneous information about his business dealings but also connecting with audiences, both in the stadium and on television, with his outsider’s message on immigration and trade. And all in Trump’s distinctive style. Like this: “The 14th Amendment? You know what? I was right on it. You can do something with it, and you can do something fast.” It’s a style that probably works better in a smaller setting than a stadium. But Trump still made his points.
If there was anything newsworthy about Trump’s time in Alabama, it was the brief onstage appearance of Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions, who lives in Mobile and whose positions on immigration form the backbone of Trump’s immigration plan. (The written one, at least, which is somewhat different from the one Trump has described in various TV appearances.) While Sessions attended the event, he had no plans to speak or appear on stage until Trump called him up to praise his work on immigration. Standing next to Trump, Sessions briefly put on one of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hats. Sessions took off the hat almost as soon as he put it on, but the image will remain, and it gave the impression that Sessions was endorsing Trump.
He wasn’t. But he appeared to come close. Sessions met Trump at the airport, left the stadium with him, and in his time at the microphone had a lot of good things to say about the New York developer. “The American people, these people, want somebody in the presidency who stands up for them, defends their interests and the laws and traditions of this country,” Sessions said. “Thank you for the work you’ve put into the immigration issue. I’m really impressed with your plan. I know it will make a difference. And this crowd shows a lot of people agree with that.”
Trump was equally gracious. Perhaps that’s not a surprise, because the fact is, Sessions needs Trump, and Trump needs Sessions. The Alabama senator, much admired among conservatives, is the best informed and most steadfast opponent of Gang of Eight-style comprehensive immigration reform in Washington. The work he has done in the last few years was invaluable to Trump in formulating his immigration proposal (again, at least the written one). On the other hand, Sessions needed a presidential candidate to highlight his work, and didn’t have a lot of takers. Trump changed that. Now, even if Trump leaves the race, Sessions’ proposals will still be in play in the Republican campaign.
Trump’s decision to visit Alabama raised a few eyebrows among those who haven’t been following the campaign very closely. Why isn’t he in Iowa or New Hampshire? But the move made a lot of sense for Trump. The so-called “SEC Primary” of eight southern states, including Alabama, will take place March 1, hot on the heels of the Iowa-New Hampshire-South Carolina-Nevada opening four. It could be the decisive event of the primary and caucus season, and a lot of Republican candidates are already spending time in the Southeast, as evidenced most recently by Ted Cruz’s 21-stop bus tour of the region. It’s an important place to be, and now Donald Trump has made his mark there, too.
