Friday, June 26, 2026

Trump’s pathetic rally shows just how washed he is

Trump’s pathetic rally shows just how washed he is

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/25/800060795/whitehouse/trumps-freedom-250-rally/ 

Trump’s pathetic rally shows just how washed he is

by Lisa Needham
Staff
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President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the opening of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the opening of the Great American State Fair on June 24.AP

Were you thrumming with anticipation for last night’s big Freedom 250 rally, checking your local TV listings to make sure you wouldn’t miss a moment of FBI Director Kash Patel’s pretend country star girlfriend bellowing out the national anthem?

Of course not, because no one watched this thing. Hell, no one even attended this thing. Even The Washington Post, which keeps kissing President Donald Trump’s ass, couldn’t spin this. 

Alexis Wilkins sings the National Anthem before President Donald Trump speaks at the opening of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alexis Wilkins sings the national anthem before President Donald Trump speaks at the opening of the Great American State Fair on June 24.AP

“The crowd thinly covered an area about the length of the National Museum of American History, smaller than some summer outdoor movie screenings,” it reported.

Ouch …

If we still had a functioning government, we’d find out how much this poorly attended event—which only happened to make Trump feel like a Big Special Boy—cost taxpayers. But we’ll probably never know. 

Trump seemed to realize that this was an abject failure, whining that more people have to come see him next week.

“Please show up. Because if we have two empty seats, you know what’s going to happen: the fake news is going to say he didn’t fill out the arena,” he begged.

That’s quite the comedown from his previous boast that he was “the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime.”

Even Trump’s speech was tired, trotting out the same boring—yet continually disgusting—attacks on trans people. He also went on about his ballroom and bragged about renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

When you don’t have any actual achievements, you’ve got to play the hits.

Related | How Taylor Swift made Trump the smallest man who ever lived

Well, to be fair, he also trotted out some xenophobic talking points, saying that the United States was “superior to any nation that’s ever been built, no matter how many years it took” and that “we are the ones who are carrying forward the light of western civilization.” 

Yeah, buddy. Western civilization has definitely reached its peak with a big, wet, crumbling toddler destroying the capital, the country, and democracy.

And, of course, he also complained about the “vandals” who supposedly wrecked his big, beautiful Reflecting Pool. He’s laser-focused on what matters, as per usual.

Trump really can’t draw in crowds, can he? Perhaps he’ll resort to some photographic trickery again to try to make it look like there were more people there.

A cartoon by Nick Anderson depicting President Donald Trump confused about everyone dropping out of America 250
Nick Anderson

One viral video showed his biggest fans leaving midway through his harangue. 

“The crowd has really thinned out since Trump began speaking around 8:50 PM,” someone on the ground said.

It was Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy who really hammered home that this was always a partisan event to please Dear Leader rather than an actual celebration of America’s 250th. 

Duffy—who, it must be noted, is literally the parent of a child with Down syndrome and regards himself as an icon of religious kindness and devotion—bragged that the sad little crop of performers was “way better than those libtards that canceled on us.”

Man, fuck you.

And what about Kash’s girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins? Surely she delivered, right?

Uh, not so much. If you’re of a certain age, listening to Wilkins will inevitably make you think of this:

Never has a singer needed AutoTune more. 

But the best part? We get to do this all over again on July 4, when Trump will yet again make America’s birthday all about himself and his grievances. Can’t wait!

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All Comments

  1. Comment by theabbot.

    This is obviously anecdotal, but I was driving all over rural Texas for work for the last 2 days, including some extremely isolated areas. And I didn't see a single Trump sign. That's absolutely different from previous experiences.

  2. Comment by azureblue.

    Trump has lost touch with reality. Lock him up

    • Reply by BADGERALUM.

      When was he in touch?

  3. Comment by Sarkazein.

    I wish there was anyone else but this asshole in the white house for 250th anniversary. This moron is lost and gone, even before all the dementia and shit kicked in. He's like a weird placeholder, but he's been a shitburger for his entire existence. He has no qualities. He has no humanity. He has no skill beyond showman. And at this point, the TV remote and keys need to absolutely be taken away. He's a worthless racist with no one there to guide anything.

    • Reply by Alex.

      He can keep the remote - it will distract him. Somebody take his phone

    • Reply by SherwoodB.

      I remember thinking when Nixon resigned that one of the many good things to come out of it was that Mr. "I am not a crook" would NOT be President during the Bicentennial. Gerald Ford, though a Republican was one of the decent ones and filled the role with dignity and class. When Trump was re-elected, I remember thinking (somewhat far down the list of horrors) "Oh shit!" so much for the 250th celebration. It will be a tacky shitshow for sure.

  4. Comment by Zeeksmom.

    I believe there are a whole bunch of counter-marches planned for July 4, so let's do that instead of listening to this windbag trot out his endless grievances.

  5. Comment by jfriesne.

    Truly we are in a Golden Age of cringe. You kids are going to look back on this some day and regret that you didn't properly appreciate the cringeworthiness of it all when you had the chance. :)

    • Reply by Ar Feeto.

      Oh, there will be lots of regret, profound regret, regret that makes one crazy with teeth-gnashing anger and frustration. And our decade-long sense of embarrassment, awkwardness, and derangement will extend to all who are currently apathetic and clueless, not just the youth.

  6. Comment by OvertheRainbow.

    So trump had a rally. Huh. Who knew?

    The most important two questions about it: a. did they play YMCA and b. did don dance?

  7. Comment by for sure.

    It's just pathetic at this point. The old geezer needs to go.

  8. Comment by Jeremy1967.

    Great line: "When you don’t have any actual achievements, you’ve got to play the hits."

    Trump can't govern, just campaign. Trump can't solve problems, just criticize others' solutions. Trump can't build, just destroy.

    History will surely ask: What trees did he plant?

  9. Comment by Perlinator.

    Trump would appreciate if we don't talk about the EPSTEIN FILES.

    Trump tells Bugs Bunny not to talk about Jeff Epstein.

    • Reply by libera nos.

      And now he reportedly said he doesn't give a shit about housing.

    • Reply by bumpa.

      If he doesn’t give a shit, can we bulldoze Mar-a-Lago?

  11. Comment by diamondmask.

    He put out a post saying 45,000 people were there.

    • Reply by Perlinator.

      He embellished the actual number by adding three zeroes to it.

    • Reply by bumpa.

      Proof he can’t count.

  12. Comment by R Nathan.

    Your headline should have said "washed up" rather than simply "washed." I can believed that Trump is washed up. I find it difficult to believe that he is washed.

  13. Comment by rhlang.

    Over the years since the Don came down those golden escalators, Id estimated he's made over 18,000 assorted funny faces. It's so peculiar to see an elderly man make so many strange faces. Most of the pictures of Big Don he is making some sort of face. It's just something I've noticed.

    • Reply by inkstainedwretch.

      My nephew used to make dozens of weird, angry faces. Then my sis yelled at her husband to change his diaper.

      45 years later, he's a hella lot more grownup than Caligulard. (My 30 years dead puppy is a hella lot more grownup than Donnie.)

  14. Comment by danny5000.

    I can't wait for July 4 to be over. Hard to celebrate when my country has been taken over by racists, bigots, misogynists, criminal, traitors and child sex offenders, and 40 of Americans worship them. We are no longer America.

    • Reply by Perlinator.

      READ THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE! The numerous parallels between King George and Darnold Trump are amazing.

    • Reply by teacher Elspeth.

      Earlier today, I watched a video on You Tube about the experience of Italian POWs in Napa Valley, California. They expected to be punished. Instead, they were put to work at the pay rate determined by the Geneva Convention, welcomed by local immigrants from Italy, and learned skills. Giuseppi, the man who was the major focus of the video, was assigned to work in a vineyard. As the vineyard workers learned the job, they could not be paid more, but they could be given other benefits Eventually, Giuseppi became a partner in the vineyard, buying a share with the money he had saved. When his partner retired, Giuseppi became the sole owner, brought his sister to California, and was considered an important part of the community. A similar situation developed for a man who was sent to work at a restaurant. Former enemies, welcomed for who they were not what they had been. That's what America used to be. That's what we can be again without the hate filled bullies.

    • Reply by MikefromOrland.

      Too true, my friend.

    • Reply by MikefromOrland.

      I suspect Justice Alito would prefer recalling the interment of Japanese Americans. He might even smile at the thought. I appreciate your hopefulness that America should "walk the talk" if democracy, as they say.

    • Reply by avoicefromeurope.

      Or Wernher von Braun, who changed from a high ranking SS officer to the backbone of the US space program.

  15. Comment by The Lone Apple.

    Donald Trump is edging closer to being the Mayor of Corpseville.

    • Reply by BeadLady.

      Soon I hope. He's supposedly on retatutide to help him lose weight (was wondering how long it was going to be before he went that direction).

    • Reply by libera nos.

      Boris Badenov: "Oh, you met the day mayor. I am the night-mayor!"

    • Reply by first last.

      I don’t know if that would help him lose the fluid that makes up that weight gain. The kidneys and diuretics aren’t getting it done anymore. All it takes is one organ to fail first, heart or kidneys, and the cascade effect takes him out.

    • Reply by first last.

      I was trying to get my belief of heart failure in there. Of course if the heart fails…doh.

    • Reply by OldWrangler.

      One has to change their diet for it to work.

  16. Comment by Adammc2112.

    Wondering what he’s going to do to f up the 4th. You know he’ll do something embarrassing.

    • Reply by OvertheRainbow.

      He's gonna wake up and get dressed.

    • Reply by LieutenantObvious.

      Are you excited for the country's 250th anniversary, given what our chief executive has wrought up to this point in both of his terms? The media can't do a story without it focusing on him. Anniversary? What anniversary?

    • Reply by bumpa.

      I think I’ll celebrate by fertilizing my lawn, and maybe going to the grocery store… yawn!

  17. Comment by rickap.

    When all you've got left are the golden mouldies, and greatest shits, and you've got to hide behind bullet-proof glass in case one of your own rabid followers takes a pot shot at you, then Donny.....

    What exactly makes you different from the tired old exhibits at the zoo? Cause the only people who stayed, are the ones who are there to see you embarass yourself, or that you do something stupid.

  18. Comment by Hassler.

    A crowd of tens listened to the tired meanderings of Dementia Don, then decided to meander themselves out.

  19. Comment by bullfox.

    More people are showing up for the Big Boy locomotive than for big boy Trump.

    • Reply by RiveroftheWest.

      Oh, I'd show up for the Big Boy loco any day -- it's gorgeous, and it WORKS!

  20. Comment by CyberMindGrrl.

    Meanwhile, out on Earth 2:

    Trump delusions

    • Reply by PissedGrunty.

      Earth 2 is highly offended by your accusation.

      Now divide that by 23, the Standard Trump Exaggeration Factor. And if the second telling, divide it again.

    • Reply by Hodges.

      Anyone who thinks Felon47 isn't aware of his own lies, must think again. The mendacious mass of puke knows what he's doing. He's telling his dying breed that everything is great, so they blame "fake news" when November turns out not so great for the Rs. He's lying with intent, not delusion. The job of POTUS is hastening mental & physical demise, but the Evil Steves' (Miller and Bannon) are still putting words in his mouth. The kryptonite is transparency. We just have to use it.

    • Reply by stevemb.

      Earth 2? More like...

      Bizarro World

    • Reply by CyberMindGrrl.

      And then he forces the National Parks department to lie for him.

    • Reply by DrDiva.

      Gee, I can't wait to skip Taco Don's next appearance.

    • Reply by Mercy Ormont.

      I don't think so. It seems to me that he is now living in his own fantasy world which is congruent with reality only occasionally. He NEEDS to believe that everyone worships him, therefore he does believe it.

    • Reply by inkstainedwretch.

      Don't forget communications director Steven Cheung, who looks and acts like the love child of a rabid warthog and Oddjob. (from the 007 movie "Goldfinger")

    • Reply by OvertheRainbow.

      He is so desperate.

    • Reply by first last.

      Idk. He’s got his id protecting him from reality. He’s that disordered.

    • Reply by justavoter.

      Me love Pmurt.

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