OPINION:
President Donald Trump’s rally in Evansville, Indiana, opened with a resounding, triumphant, glorious rendition of the national anthem.
And that’s all it took — the crowd was in love.
He had them at “Oh say can you see.”
Here’s something the left will never, ever get, no matter how hard it squints: Americans love America for what makes America great.
The left, the Democrats and progressives and antifa-types and socialist-minded, on the other hand, only love America for what they can exploit.
Trump understands the difference, the very crucial difference. And so do patriotic Americans with a true heart for America, the very type of whom poured into Indiana’s arenas to hear their president speak.
Following chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A.,” Trump told the crowd: “Evansville, you are very, very special people and thank you, Indiana. Thank you.”
And this: “I know you well. You love our country, you’re proud of our history, and you always respect our great American flag.”
More chants of “U.S.A.”
And then this: “We have the best economy in the history of our country. Factories are reopening, jobs are pouring back into the United States, we are putting your great Indiana coal miners and steel workers back to work.”
Let the Friday fact-checkers have at it.
The thing is, though, Trump, like former President Ronald Reagan, has a knack for raising the spirits of those who support him. The left goes angry; Trump goes positive.
The left vows impeachment; Trump goes a’campaignin’.
The left digs in on Russia and stories of fake collusion; Trump punches back and then makes his crowds cheer and remember why being an American is such a privileged, precious thing.
Come election time, the left, with the help of the media, can scream all it wants about Trump this, Trump that, Russia this, impeach that. But thing is: Americans who are in the throes of loving their Americanism aren’t exactly cowed in a corner by the hit and hatchet jobs against this White House.
They’re energized. They’re soaring on positive notes. They’re singing loudly and proudly the national anthem. And they’re not — as the cheering throng of MAGA supporters in Indiana would indicate — going to just stay home and listen in fright to the anti-Trump messages of the media and clever pollsters.
They’re not taking knees and apologizing for the country.
Trump hasn’t just tapped into election fever. He’s started a pro-America movement that’s shifted the mindset and hearts of scores of citizens. For the left, that’s going to be tough to beat at the ballot boxes.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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