“Spin is Bulls—“: Nicolle Wallace Calls Out Trump Campaign’s ‘Love Fest’ Narrative
(MSNBC)
MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace took aim on Tuesday at the “bull—-” spin coming from MAGA supporters who tried to rationalize former President Donald Trump’s recent town hall event, where he spent over 40 minutes swaying to music after answering a few questions. Trump’s allies claimed the event was filled with “love,” but Wallace wasn’t buying it.
Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung attempted to frame the event positively, writing on X, “Total lovefest at the PA town hall! Everyone was so excited they were fainting so @realDonaldTrump turned to music. Nobody wanted to leave and wanted to hear more songs from the famous DJT Spotify playlist!”
Wallace, however, wasn’t convinced. “A ‘lovefest’ is also how Trump described his crowd on Jan. 6 before they sieged the U.S. Capitol and tried to hang Vice President Mike Pence,” she pointed out during a segment with former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
The MSNBC host played footage of Trump swaying to the music, with a timer running at the bottom of the screen to emphasize just how long the unusual moment lasted. Wallace noted that Vice President Kamala Harris has recently adopted a tactic in which she plays videos of Trump’s rallies, including his threats, on large screens at her own events to expose his rhetoric.
“She meant what she said in the debate when she invited that massive television audience to watch his rallies,” Wallace said, referring to a previous debate moment when Harris encouraged viewers to see Trump’s behavior firsthand.
Wallace also mentioned that not all news outlets were broadcasting Trump’s rallies anymore, citing instances where Fox News pulled away when the events became too awkward or potentially litigious. “We’re playing the whole thing because I’m not sure where else it’s available in its entirety,” Wallace said, sarcastically offering to keep airing Trump’s rallies for those who missed them on Fox News.
The MSNBC host challenged the campaign’s narrative that the town hall was a “love fest,” suggesting that if it were truly successful, they would schedule more sing-alongs. “If they don’t, then spin is bulls—,” Wallace said emphatically. “If you’re a reporter who covers Trump, you’ll know you have been lied to, and hopefully, you won’t do it again. This was not a love fest.”
Wallace went on to explain that the fainting at Trump rallies, which the campaign tried to frame as enthusiasm, is actually common at large events due to the long waiting times and dehydration, not unique to Trump or any specific party.
Her commentary concluded by dismantling the campaign’s attempts to portray the event as a spontaneous show of love, exposing it instead as carefully spun political theater.
