DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on October 4, 2024
It’s been such a frequent topic in the current presidential race that Kamala Harris brought it up in her debate with Donald Trump: Some attendees at Trump’s rallies have been leaving early, with Trump still speaking on stage. It was not known to happen during Trump’s earlier campaigns.
“I’m going to actually do something really unusual and I’m going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies because it’s a really interesting thing to watch,” Harris said in the debate. “And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your desires.”
It was clear to most who watched the debate that this statement got under Trump’s ski, and he went on to allege, falsely, that nobody goes to Harris’ rallies.
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This week, the Washington Post looked into this phenonemon, of more people than usual leaving Trump’s rallies early- by attending one such rally and asking attendees.
“Trump often runs late and goes long, prompting many to bow out because of other responsibilities, priorities or, sometimes, waning patience and interest,” the Post said, based on interviews with rally attendees.
“Some said they wanted to beat traffic or had work the next day. Others complained about sound quality. One man wanted to go home to his French bulldog. Another needed to get home to his daughter. A third had a Yorkie with him that started acting out. A fourth man said his phone died.” One woman said she was leaving early to pick up a disabled relative.
Hundreds of attendees leave Trump’s rallies early. My colleagues — led by the great @marianne_levine — asked them why.
A must-read: https://t.co/y9g7xkobay
— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) October 4, 2024
Trump, for his part, both at rallies and in the debate with Harris, has denied that this is happening. That attitude was even mocked on the first episode this season of Saturday Night Live.
“The fake news media never wants to report the truth about President Trump’s rallies: they are the biggest political events in history,” Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, told the Post.
The Post story also said that while Trump’s advisers have asked him to not speak for as long at his rallies, Trump has replied that “they want a show. They want two hours.”
Photo courtesy of Political Tribune photo library.
