Former Republican President Donald Trump announced he would campaign for the White House in 2024—to a literally captive audience.
Video footage of the event—which took place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort club—showed security guards blocked people from leaving the room before Trump finished.
A video was uploaded to Twitter by ABC News journalist Olivia Rubin, who noted a crowd had formed "by the exit of the ballroom" but security blocked the exits as Trump rambled on and on.
You can see the video below.
\u201cA crowd has formed by the exit of the ballroom as some try to leave Trump\u2019s announcement speech before he has finished\u2026. But security won\u2019t let them.\u201d— Olivia Rubin (@Olivia Rubin) 1668569029
The video prompted many to point out the experience of audience members locked in the room offers a perfect metaphor for the state of American politics since Trump entered the scene.
\u201cIt\u2019s like a metaphor for the Republican Party trying to ditch Trump\u201d— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) 1668609790
\u201cHell on earth is being locked in a room, denied exit and being forced to listen to donald trump talk about himself.\u201d— Kenny BooYah! \ud83d\udd96\ud83c\udffe (@Kenny BooYah! \ud83d\udd96\ud83c\udffe) 1668621937
\u201cExactly how America has felt for the past seven years.\u201d— Bryan Behar (@Bryan Behar) 1668626492
\u201cThere's no richer metaphor for where Trump is in his political career.@GOP\u201d— NoelCaslerComedy\ud83c\udf19 (@NoelCaslerComedy\ud83c\udf19) 1668620794
\u201cNot only did he hold the entire country to hostage, he even does it with his "supporters" - you can't leave until you donate to his grift, right?\u201d— Clara Ross (@Clara Ross) 1668619075
\u201cNothing says your campaign is hot quite like a fire code violation.\u201d— The Hoarse Whisperer (@The Hoarse Whisperer) 1668606776
\u201cShades of pregnant women forced to bear children on the steps of the amphitheater because they weren\u2019t allowed to leave during Caesar\u2019s address.\u201d— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1668607447
\u201cTrump holding hostages during his speech is certainly a metaphor for his grip on the GOP. It's his party.\u201d— The Lincoln Project (@The Lincoln Project) 1668612299
\u201cYou can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.\u201d— Rachel Vindman \ud83c\udf3b (@Rachel Vindman \ud83c\udf3b) 1668620095
Trump's speech lasted more than an hour and was described as "incredibly low energy" by ABC News journalist Jonathan Karl, who reported that he "saw people trying to leave and people leaving early even before he was done" but that security guards, perhaps concerned that the ballroom would empty out before Trump had finished, "actually started preventing people from leaving."
Trump's announcement came after the midterm elections did not result in the "red wave" Republican legislators and pollsters had counted on, and many candidates who had backed Trump's false narrative about election fraud were repudiated at the ballot box.
Despite their influence, this year's midterm elections were seen as a referendum on how much sway Trump and his rhetoric still have over the American electorate. The lack of a "red wave" indicates that many voters have repudiated his lies and blatant attempts to subvert the democratic process.
The New York Times this week reported that Trump's announcement—which has been largely discouraged by GOP insiders who have urged senior leadership to break from Trump following the GOP's disappointing midterm election performance—is largely an attempt to "inject uncertainty" into ongoing Justice Department investigations into his alleged criminality.
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