Jared Yates Sexton is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Georgia Southern University as well as a political correspondent and author. (visit his website here). Sexton attended the Trump rally in North Carolina on June 14th and live tweeted his experience.
If you ever wondered how the German people could have allowed Hitler to come to power and permitted his atrocities, read Sexton’s tweets below.
They’re frightening.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana
Will be live tweeting from Trump’s rally in Greensboro tonight. I’m sure it’ll be measured and thoughtful.
Trump event like a security state. Just watched a girl get denied for being “too alternative.”
There’s an ungodly amount of extremely drunk people here.
Tailgating in parking lots. Vendors selling Hillary Sucks But Not Like Monica shirts. General awfulness.
Big seller is a shirt that says Trump That Bitch. Everyone wearing one is being asked to pose for pictures. Big thumbs up. Big grins.
Guy wearing Socialism Sucks shirt and lip syncing to Tiny Dancer. Nothing makes sense anymore.
Air-guitarist to Keep On Rocking In The Free World. Make America Great Again shirt and hat.
Just got told I don’t “look right.”
Everyone discussing Orlando and debating which people in the crowd are protestors.
Crowd chanting BUILD THAT WALL BUILD THAT WALL over operatic music.
Good god that was chilling
First protestor taken out for chanting We Bleed Red
There’s a protestor next to me and he’s scared to death
Lots of people yelling bitch at Clinton’s mention
Crowd won’t clap for call for unity with LGBTQ
Crowd member just shouted “gays had it coming”
Calls for Hillary to return money to countries that discriminate
Saying Orlando shooter shouldn’t of been here as child of immigrants
Increase military. Jobs. Refutation of immigrants and minorities.
Anger in here is palpable
Just alluded to possibility 11% of Muslims are radical
Trump can’t say “straight” enough tonight about security. Dog whistles galore
Says Obama lousy president, can’t repeat what I’m hearing in the crowd
I feel so terrible for the children here.
Fight fights, shoving matches every few minutes
Trump says “take care of our protestor, don’t huuuurt him, take him home to mommy”
Trump says not to hurt protestor, several chant HURT HIM HURT HIM
Recites poem about snake, emphasizes line “Silly Woman,” crowd goes nuts
Protestor being manhandled out the door, supporters following, saying they’re going to kick his ass
Trump’s speech has gone completely off the rails. Bragging about debate wins. Defeating Bush.
“Be gentle with these protestors. We don’t want to be criticized. Let him go outside and burn the flag.”
Calls Hillary “screaming maniac”
Says Clinton presidency would take crowd’s guns, lusty boos, mysogynistic screams
Crowd calls for Berghdal to be shot, hung
Calls Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas, says he was asked to apologized, will only apologize to Pocahontas. Guy next to me does a war dance
Two days after Orlando Massacre Trump says number one priority is protecting the Second Amendment
Rally ends. Crowd on way mumbling about immigrants. Vendors yelling HILLARY SUCKS BUT NOT LIKE MONICA. America. 2016.
Just overheard: “you can’t trust Latinos. Some maybe but not most”
Confederate flags everywhere
Overheard: immigrants aren’t people, honey
Father explaining Clinton let her husband have “all kinds of oral sex” to his ten year old
Overheard: you know them crazy black girls how they are
Overheard: Muslim ban “good for Muslims” let’s them “sit and think about what they’ve done”
This is just soul crushingly awful
Hard to maintain empathy against so much awfulness
So much casual racism, misogyny, homophobia, and just plain ugliness.
People breaking beer bottles in parking lot, throwing them on ground and at passing cars
Guy waving confederate flag, honking horn, yelling Trump Train
Child in Cub Scout uniform told his dad he wanted a banana split, got spanked angrily. What is going on
Just sitting in parking lot. Everyone passing with these evil little grins. There’s so much ugliness. I keep saying it but it’s true.
Telling myself they’re angry about the economy. About changing technology and industry. But there’s so much base-level ugliness.
Suv blaring I Am A Real American, waving Trump hats and flipping off homeless and car with Mexican flag. What reality is this
Cops finally cleared this horror show. Trump has to be defeated but I don’t know how you stamp out all this hate and cruelty.