I really can’t believe The Washington Post published this piece, “Authoritarian Hold Music: How Trump’s Banal Playlist Cultivates Danger At His Rallies.”
What is Trump playing at these rallies?
Curated by Trump himself, the mix included three cuts from Elton John, five from the Rolling Stones, some Johnny Cash, some Creedence Clearwater Revival and Pavarotti belting Puccini.
But by playing music loudly (and urging his supporters not to hurt protesters but to surround them and chant Trump until security arrives to remove them), Trump is creating an authoritarian atmosphere that incites violence:
This is exactly how music is used most insidiously at Trump’s rallies.
These songs don’t pump people up. They make everyone feel comfortable — in their indignation, in their suspicion, in their hostility. The songs that Trump has chosen couldn’t be more banal, yet it’s precisely their banality that makes them so incredibly effective. They infuse the hateful atmosphere he cultivates with an air of utter normalcy.
The Left believes it can just make up any old stuff and have it stick. We’ve seen this before when the mainstream media tried to portray the Tea Party rallies as incipiently scary.
Yes, Trump should be more careful with his words, but his rallies are not violent, although the protesters in Chicago were attacking police.
Oh, and a memo to WaPo editors — if you are going to create a highly edited video of alleged Trump violence, don’t include Secret Service restraining a photographer who got too close as an example of violence. It’s a dead giveaway.
Maggie Gallagher is a senior fellow at the American Principles Project and can be followed on Twitter @MaggieGallaghe.
