No. of Recommendations: 11
"Volunteers with the River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida approached people asking if they knew that “Jesus loves you and has a plan for you.” Literature was distributed proclaiming that Mr. Trump was leading the “Great American Comeback.” Exhibitors included Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian institution, and the Museum of the Bible. On the edge of the grounds, performers sang hymns in a worship tent.
...Under a sweltering sun, attendance was sparse, and power failures did not help — by Thursday night, the Ferris wheel had been out of commission for hours.
Across from that ride, visitors could look at a smaller-scale model of Mr. Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch. Its vinyl covering — stapled over a wood frame and emblazoned with the words “One Nation Under God” — had already started buckling.
On one of the musical stages, attendees heard a band play covers of Billy Joel and the Eagles, instead of seeing live performances from artists like Martina McBride, the Commodores and Bret Michaels. They and others dropped out of the event last month, shortly after their appearances were announced, with several saying they had been misled to expect a nonpartisan event. A man from Marlton, N.J., who gave his name only as Earl, said he found many booths devoid of substance and said that if organizers had charged money, he would have wanted a refund.
...Mr. Trump gave a short campaign-style welcome speech on Wednesday before a thin crowd, asserting that in his second term he had brought back a country that was “dead” under his predecessor.
Before he spoke, the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, praised the military band and singers who were performing, saying they were “way better” than the artists who canceled, describing them with a denigrating term for liberals." —New York Times
Sorry, but almost all Americans are giving this non-partisan extravaganza a hard pass. Better luck next Reich!
