Donald Trump on Tuesday bragged that one key to his success is his ability to keep crowds enthralled for long periods of time.
But not everyone is buying it.
Podcaster Lex Fridman asked the former president about the difference between success in business and success in politics.
“I have a lot of people that are in business that are successful and they’d like to go over to politics,” Trump said. “And then you realize, they can’t speak. They choke.”
He said it’s difficult to speak to the kinds of audiences he does.
“Let’s say you’re talking about a big audience, but I get very big audiences and y’know, for many people, it’s virtually impossible to get up and speak for an hour and a half and have nobody leave,” he said. “You know, it’s not an easy thing to do and it’s an ability.”
Trump implies nobody walks out while he delivers his speeches: “…for many people it’s virtually impossible to get up and speak for an hour and a half and have nobody leave. You know, it’s not an easy thing to do and it’s an ability.” pic.twitter.com/3V87RmRgVW
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) September 3, 2024
Trump does speak for 90 minutes or more, as he said.
However, observers at Trump’s rallies have noted both empty seats and people departing early, while he’s still delivering his lengthy asides about sharks, Hannibal Lecter and windmills.
Trump’s critics were ready with the receipts:
There are receipts…Donald. Streams of people walk out on you after about 30-60 minutes of your same old boring stuff.
— Marka R Ormsby (@OrmsbyMarka) September 3, 2024