For Trump Superfans, Huge Rallies Can’t Resume Soon Enough

The Front Row Joes 'are all going to be down there come hell or high water.'

By
128

Three months ago today, the Trump campaign begrudgingly announced that it would suspend the president’s signature mega-rallies “out of an abundance of caution” as coronavirus crisis bore down on the nation. It didn’t take long, though, before Trump was champing at the bit to get back in front of his adoring crowds. And on Tuesday, after two weeks of nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Trump decided the moment had come. By Wednesday, a date was set: June 19, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump,” campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. “The great American comeback is real and the rallies will be tremendous.” Deputy campaign communications director Erin Perrine tweeted out a slick video of footage from former Trump rallies. “This month, we’re back,” it exulted.

That footage—cheering, shouting people packed into every seat of monster arenas—is the kind of thing to make some epidemiologists wake up in a cold sweat. But the president’s biggest fans have been longing for this to happen for almost as long as rallies have been suspended.

A few weeks ago, I spent an afternoon hanging out with a group of those superfans from around the country—over a Zoom video call, naturally. Over the last several years, these folks, who call themselves the Front Row Joes, have developed a reputation as the most diehard of the president’s rallygoing supporters.

Keep reading with a free account
Create a free Dispatch account to keep reading Get Started ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN
128
By
Comments (128)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Merlin

    Their having to sign a liability waiver should they contract COVID-19 at the rally should tell them something.

    Collapse
  2. Avatar photo
    Angie

    Oh, and I have seen clips of the kinds of things he says and they all cheer...particularly depressing is when they promote violence against liberals, which would be me...I find that dangerous

    Collapse
  3. Avatar photo
    Angie

    I don't know, I don't hate them or anything, I actually feel sorry for them...but, I just can't take them seriously or feel comfortable around them...

    Collapse
  4. Avatar photo
    Angie

    I know this is no secret but, it dismays that when he says "Americans" he only means his base and/or the ones who worship him...if anything, the fact that he only cares about one part of the US is the most distressing thing for me

    Collapse
  5. Avatar photo
    VladimusPrime

    Well I can't wait to see how the virus spread will track with Trump's rallies. Remember that in Italy one of the major spreading event for the virus early on was a soccer match held in a crowded stadium. These events are bound to be indoors, air conditioned, crowded, and filled with people yelling (also not wearing masks). All ideal factors for building up viral load in the air as aerosols. And with the events drawing not just large local crowds but travelling groupies they will inevitably serve to spread the virus around. To regions as yet more isolated, and therefore up till now less impacted.

    People look at rural areas and make note that people live so far apart from each other. But any salutary effects of that low density are soon gone when people concentrate themselves into one gym, arena, church, or supermarket. Any reduction in spread caused by increased temperatures are negated inside air conditioned spaces, and the spread of the virus will only be enhanced by recycled air. Just look at the issues meat packing plants are having with super spreading events.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      Jake

      Maybe they’ll all get too sick to vote ;)

      Collapse
    2. Avatar photo
      Visibly

      I hope you are wrong. But I am worried seeing the increase after Memorial day. I think NC Governor was right to push for control. Now it will be in Jacksonville, FL.

      Collapse
  6. Bradley Potts

    The irony of someone traveling across country to hang on the every word of the president calling mask wearers "sheep".

    Collapse
  7. RunTrail

    I want badly to understand the mindset of people like the ones described here. I want badly not to think badly of them. I just think they're so dug into their corner, they'll never be able to reasonably, rationally accept any legitimate criticism of Trump. For all they talk about TDS, it's they who are suffering enthrallment to a man they barely know merely because he says mean things about people they like to say mean things about. I think if Trump had never run for office, I'd probably like these people, find an awful lot of commonality with them. But now? I think Trumpism itself is the wall Trump swore up, down and under that he'd build. I can't. I just can't.

    Collapse
    1. linda

      I kind of get it. I once worked with two elderly ladies who were super fans of Jimmy Carter. They planned their first faraway vacation to fly from Wa St to Georgia so they could just look at Jimmy's peanut farm. They didn't drive. It was their first plane trip and when they got there they had to take a long bus ride to his farm. He, of course, was in DC. They spent their wad and an enormous amount of energy to look at a farm. When they returned they were elated and showed me what seemed to be hundreds of pictures of dirt and plants. I was happy for them and I'm happy for these Trumpsters. Go with it front row people! You made some pals. Enjoy yourselves.

      Collapse
      1. RunTrail

        Ya, I mean, they're not really all that different from, say, Parrotheads. The problem is that this is politics, not hula skirts and margartas, and the object of their passion isn't Jimmy Buffett, it's the President of the United States. But there's something eerily similar -- JB is a multi-millionaire who sells a lifestyle based on being a beach bum down to his last nickel, and Trump is (maybe) a multi-millionaire selling a lifestyle based on sticking it to people in his own tax bracket. Let's just hope he doesn't get any ideas about building retirement villages based on Trumpism...yikes!

        Collapse
        1. linda

          It is never a good idea to be anything but skeptical of politicians of any party. It pains me to say this but that also includes the sainted Ronald Reagan.

          Collapse
    2. Avatar photo
      Aylene Wright

      But while there were some negative comments quoted here, such as about Birx and Fauci, I didn't get the feeling these fans were frothing at the mouth with rage, or seeing the rallies as a Ten Minute Hate. More that they have formed a community with each other, idolize Trump and perceive him to need their support ... and people want, perhaps NEED, to feel needed. That is universal, I think. Except perhaps for a few sociopaths.

      That being said, it's not like Andrew interviewed them *at* an actual rally. If Trump were to utter something hateful against a person, such as Romney, or a group, such as Antifa or "Fake News", would they suddenly become hateful too?

      Now that would be an interesting follow up article, by the way!

      Collapse
  8. Avatar photo
    Michael Darwin

    Everyone prepare to reverse your position on the safety of crowds in a pandemic.

    Again.

    Collapse
  9. James Bennett

    "We are smart enough to know that God has created our immune system to get viruses, and you’re stronger on the other side of it."

    Uhh, God killed off 1/3 of the population of Europe with a virus once. You're not always stronger.

    Collapse
  10. linda

    Reminds me of the Dead Heads.

    Collapse
Load More