On the afternoon of July 3, the day before President Donald Trump’s rained-on Independence Day celebration (or “show of a lifetime,” depending on whose Twitter feed you look at), a small but committed group left a wharf in Washington, D.C., for a cruise on the Potomac.
In 2016, we learned that the Trump coalition was broader than many had assumed: the hold-your-nose-vote-your pocketbook one-percenters; the suburban soccer moms who, when it came down to it, were a little skittish about immigration. But the 200-some-odd passengers aboard the Spirit of Washington were emphatically not those people— this was a Trump-campaign- rally crowd in full flower. Women carried evening clutches with MAGA spelled in rhinestones; one guest was literally wrapped in the flag, the stars portion knotted at her neck, the rest wafting in the waterfront breeze like Superman’s cape. There were “Bikers for Trump,” “Cowboys for Trump,” a woman peddling 24-karat-gold-plated Trump-hologram novelty bills for $30 (proceeds, she explained, would go to defeating Representative Ilhan Omar).
This story is from the October 2019 edition of The Atlantic.
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This story is from the October 2019 edition of The Atlantic.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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