Donald Trump Jr.—who has long sought to cast his father former Republican President Donald Trump as a man of the people and has often boasted of his father's success with working class members of the electorate—suggested people who attend political rallies don't "have jobs" in an awkward rally speech.
Trump Jr. issued the remarks during a speech in Ohio to support Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance, best known as the author of Hillbilly Elegy—an ode to blue collar Appalaicha.
Don Jr. referred to "political junkies" and said the average person doesn't show up "to events like this in the middle of the day" because they're "working hard to feed their families" and "have jobs."
You can hear what Trump Jr. said in the video below.
Junior insults the people at the JD Vance rally today: \u201cThe average person who\u2019s working really hard to put some food on the table to feed their families .. they\u2019re not showing up to events like this in the middle of the day .. they have jobs!\u201dpic.twitter.com/Bd9vXVwXh7— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1650486517
If Trump Jr. feels that way about people who attend political rallies, what does that say about the people who came to see him in support of Vance and, to a larger extent, his father?
In short, why was he so openly insulting his father's MAGA minions base?
That was the question on people's minds when many criticized Trump Jr. for expressing such open disdain for those who'd come to hear him speak.
Everyone who still thinks the Republican Party is \u201cfor the working class\u201d explain this to me?https://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— Tyler Bouslog (@Tyler Bouslog) 1650546229
Nice going Jr. You were speaking to people who don\u2019t work hard to feed their families, so: Rich people, the unemployed and those that don\u2019t care about their families.\n\nThats your base?https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— Retweet: #trumpCrimeFamily \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 \u2721\ud83c\udf0a (@Retweet: #trumpCrimeFamily \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 \u2721\ud83c\udf0a) 1650549000
So he is basically telling everyone there they are a bunch of losers! Good job, Eight Ball.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6#BBBCrew Kelvin Resists\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf0a (@\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6#BBBCrew Kelvin Resists\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf0a) 1650553248
Junior should know because he doesn't have a real job, unless you count putting your foot in your mouth...https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\uddfdgrammacat\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83d\uddfdgrammacat\ud83c\udf0a\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1650554057
\u201cSo I\u2019d like to thank all you pathetic layabouts who\u2019ve come out today in support of the candidate I\u2019m endorsing.\u201dhttps://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— Jim Snowden (@Jim Snowden) 1650510296
Jr: Only losers show up for #maga rallies in the middle of a work day!\n\nMe: Agree!https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— Maureen (@Maureen) 1650493675
You have to wonder if this guy has any self-awareness whatsoever; every utterance so cringe-worthy, embarrassing.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— Andrew Malekoff (@Andrew Malekoff) 1650508668
Trump Jr needs a brain scan. He may have contracted a rare brain infection- that causes irreversible control of thinking. logic, rationality \u2013 results in complete incoherency incompetency + spreading lies and disinformationhttps://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— GovAssess (@GovAssess) 1650556063
Well, he of all people should understand about being average.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1516876514524020736\u00a0\u2026— Herbert A Hartline (@Herbert A Hartline) 1650506929
Former President Trump once infamously declared he loves "the poorly educated," words he uttered after winning a primary in Nevada in 2016.
And while "poorly educated" is not the same as "less educated," Trump has nonetheless performed well among White working class voters and White men who lack college degrees.
Trump has also mocked his Christian base in private, according to former Trump White House aides who said he spoke about them with contempt, once referring to Evangelical Christian pastors as a group of "hustlers" as he mocked one pastor—who had endorsed him as early as 2011 when he first considered launching a presidential bid—for wanting to purchase a private jet.
@jimmyfallon/Instagram