Donald Trump on Tuesday night spoke at a campaign-style rally in Phoenix, Arizona. After spending 45 minutes maligning the "fake news" and re-litigating his reaction to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia (while leaving out his “both sides” remark), Trump hinted he will pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, argued anti-Confederate protestors are trying to take away "our history" and complained—live on TV—that the mainstream media is too scared to show him live on TV.
The entire event was vintage Trump and ought to dispel and notion of a “pivot,” which was an idea floated Monday night after the president stayed on-script during a speech on Afghanistan.
It was a free-wheeling, decidedly “off-the-rails” speech that no-doubt satisfied Trump’s cracking base.
Here are some stellar reactions to the president’s doozy of a campaign rally (who's he running against, exactly?), if you lack the time or will to react yourself:
Trump is celebrating Festivus early this year.— Jordan Fabian (@Jordan Fabian) 1503455604.0
for the past 25 minutes, trump has said he is the victim of press coverage of trump’s comments about an event where someone actually died.— kelly cohen (@kelly cohen) 1503455543.0
This isn’t about cleaning up his comments for the general public. Backed into corner, Trump is trying to use Cville backlash to rally base— Zeke Miller (@Zeke Miller) 1503455637.0
Willfully misquoting himself. While complaining about the media willfully misquoting him. https://t.co/KO6N74d7ca— Clara Long (@Clara Long) 1503455312.0
Did Kelly not check Trump's pockets before he went on stage?— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@Caitlin Huey-Burns) 1503455585.0
Trump lamenting CNN firing Jeffrey Lord [for “Sieg Heil!” tweet,] “They fired poor Jeffrey”— Zeke Miller (@Zeke Miller) 1503455553.0
The night after his speech on Afghanistan, the President has spent more time talking about an ex-CNN contributor than foreign policy— Ben Jacobs (@Ben Jacobs) 1503455553.0
This speech. It's a shitshow of the highest order. He's off the rails defensive.— Rick Wilson (@Rick Wilson) 1503455526.0
Nothing good happens for this White House when he pulls papers out of his pocket.— Nicolle Wallace (@Nicolle Wallace) 1503455440.0
So much id here.— Michael Barbaro (@Michael Barbaro) 1503455863.0
I mean, what did you all honestly expect?— Brent D. Griffiths (@Brent D. Griffiths) 1503455589.0
The glib tone, from a president ostensibly trying to bring about racial healing, is the biggest tell. https://t.co/0JEl4yoZaZ— Eli Stokols (@Eli Stokols) 1503455728.0
Folks, this is not how a president behaves. This is not a president. We don't have one. We're leaderless. So frightening. #phoenix— Charles M. Blow (@Charles M. Blow) 1503456112.0
TRUMP, still dog whistling over the monuments to the Confederacy: "They are trying to take away our history and our heritage."— Eli Stokols (@Eli Stokols) 1503455985.0
This is not a unity speech or a Trump agenda speech (as Pence promised). It's a rabidly anti-media speech.— Julie Bykowicz (@Julie Bykowicz) 1503456055.0
He's completely ineffective at everything but demagoguery.— Marin Cogan (@Marin Cogan) 1503456316.0
Trump: "How good is Hannity?" and "Fox and Friends is the best show and the absolute most honest show." This. Is. Insane.— Josh Jordan (@Josh Jordan) 1503456423.0
Absurd personal attack. https://t.co/1oz2tgq3S1— Jason Kint (@Jason Kint) 1503456385.0
Trumps off the rails.Ranting lies at a speech that he's made all about him.Lying about his comments,the timeline,& out of context @Lawrence— Lea Black (@Lea Black) 1503456444.0
Trump says he'll pardon Arpaio but not tonight because he doesn't want to cause controversy...— Jeremy Diamond (@Jeremy Diamond) 1503456475.0
Incredible, unbelievable, unreal and unimaginable speech so far.— Stuart Rothenberg (@Stuart Rothenberg) 1503457717.0
Incredible, unbelievable, unreal and unimaginable speech so far.— Stuart Rothenberg (@Stuart Rothenberg) 1503457717.0
Looking at live tweets of a Trump speech instead of watching the speech itself is my soul's eclipse glasses.— Mat Johnson (@Mat Johnson) 1503455492.0
is it too late to stare directly at the eclipse— Dave Itzkoff (@Dave Itzkoff) 1503457919.0
President Trump is delusional.— Jonathan Capehart (@Jonathan Capehart) 1503457969.0
So Trump has better things to say about Kim Jong Un than John McCain or Jeff Flake.— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin) 1503458130.0
Just remember, this is therapy for Trump.— Ethan Klapper (@Ethan Klapper) 1503458348.0
Trump's gonna terminate NAFTA because George Washington's statue turned off the camera on his clean coal— john r stanton (@john r stanton) 1503458349.0
Word salad. Brain salad. Policy salad. Id salad. Ego salad. Bull salad. https://t.co/9BTmdZegGL— Matt Wuerker (@Matt Wuerker) 1503458419.0