Donald
Trump was a little over 10 minutes into his speech here Sunday night when the
first scream rang out. A young man had risen to his feet in the middle of the
audience and was thrusting his right arm in the air as he yelled at the
Republican presidential hopeful.
“Trump!”
the man yelled. “The people of West Allis reject you!”
Trump
supporters quickly erupted into loud boos as the man was rushed out by
security. It was a scene that has played out many times over the last several
months — except for one thing: Onstage, Trump, known for his boisterous
confrontations with “disrupters,” as he calls them — including one instance
when he proclaimed his desire to “punch” a protester in the face — stood mostly
silent, waiting for the commotion to end. And when the man was gone, the GOP
candidate simply went on with his speech, as if nothing had happened.
It
was a telling detail about Trump’s evolving performance on the stump. After
weeks of criticism from members of his own party about the violence that has
occasionally erupted at his rallies and Trump’s role in encouraging it, the
candidate and his campaign seem to be striving for a calmer atmosphere.
Massive
rallies across the country have been replaced here in Wisconsin with what the
campaign calls “town halls” in smaller venues. While Trump regularly held
rallies that averaged around 10,000 people or more in places like Ohio and
Florida, attendance at events here has averaged around 2,000 people or less — a
distinct comedown for a candidate who often obsesses and brags about the size
of his “big crowds.”
At
the same time, the Trump campaign appears to be more closely screening audience
members. Attendees used to register for Trump events through the site
Eventbrite, which is also used by other campaigns. But heading into Wisconsin,
that process switched to an internal sign-up on the Trump campaign website.
In
an interview with the Washington Post published Saturday, Trump acknowledged
the change and said it was part of a strategy to have more control over his
events.
“We’ve
purposefully kept the crowds down this past week. You know, we’ve gone into
small venues, and we’re turning away thousands and thousands of people, which I
hate, but we didn’t want to have the protest,” Trump said. “When you have a
room of 2,000 people, you can pretty much keep it without the protesters. When
you have 21 [thousand] or 25,000 people coming in, people can start standing up
and screaming.”
But
Trump’s new, calmer approach could be put to the test on Monday night. In
downtown Milwaukee, the GOP frontrunner is set to hold a campaign event
directly across the street from a rally featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
While there may not be drama inside Trump’s event, local officials are bracing
for massive protests and potential conflict among supporters of the two
campaigns in the streets outside the dueling events.View hotos
Dialing
back on confrontations appears to be part of Trump’s strategy to position
himself as the inevitable Republican nominee. On the stump, the real estate
mogul and former reality television star has often mentioned the tension
between appearing “more presidential” and keeping up his reputation as a brash,
unconventional and outspoken candidate.
“My
daughter said, ‘Daddy, just be low-key,’” Trump told voters in Florida last
month. “My wife said to be presidential. … (But) I sort of like the other way
better, to be honest with you.”
On
Sunday, Trump promised that he would be “more presidential when he knocks the
last two out of the race,” referring to rivals Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio
Gov. John Kasich.
But
even as he said that, Trump at times seems almost visibly to be trying to rein
himself in. Disruptions have been rare here in Wisconsin, in part because of
the campaign’s increased efforts to stop them. And Trump’s reactions to them
have been notably muted — often saying little or nothing at all, in contrast to
past events when he seemed, at times, to alternate between baiting protesters
and encouraging the crowd to silence them.
On
Sunday night, Trump slipped up but quickly caught himself as his rally was
interrupted for what would be the second and final time. Several college-age
protesters stood calling out Trump’s position on immigration and other issues.
“Get ’em out of here!” Trump quickly declared, repeating a familiar refrain as
his audience roared in approval.
But
as the chaotic feeling at the rally began to ratchet up — with Trump supporters
screaming and getting into the protesters’ faces as they were walked out by
security — the candidate seemed to will himself to stay controlled. “Kids like
that are just lost,” Trump finally said, as he watched them go. “Lost souls.”
And then, he quickly moved on.
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