At a weekend rally in Tennessee, President Trump he addressed his relationship with supporters head-on. "I could say the dumbest things, and you would clap," Trump told the crowd gathered in Clarksville. The audience responded with laughter and applause, and the president added: "It's true."
But Trump did not leave the remark to stand on its own. He quickly moved to explain what he meant, saying that the messages he delivers are not foolish but reflect what he calls common sense.
"But we don't say the dumbest things. We say common-sense things. We say logical things, and they're probably mostly conservative. But it's not really about conservatism, these are common-sense things," he clarified.
To illustrate his point, Trump laid out his positions on security and taxation. "We want to have a border, we want low taxes, we want a strong military," he said, presenting what he described as a list of basic principles he is working to advance.
The line about Republicans that raised eyebrows
Trump came to Tennessee to rally support for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections, but during his remarks he made a statement that appeared to contradict the purpose of the event.
"If the Republicans come to power, you're going to end up in an economic depression. These people are not qualified," the president said, according to the report. The words were spoken even as he was working to boost support for his own party heading into the election.
The rally also saw a disruption from a protester, whom Trump called "crazy." The incident follows disturbances at a rally he held two days earlier in Texas, where his remarks were interrupted multiple times, and in one case a physical confrontation broke out between a protester and Trump supporters. According to the report, no arrests were made at that event, and local police removed the protesters from the venue.
"What am I doing in Tennessee?"
The Clarksville rally was intended to help Republican candidates Marsha Blackburn, running for another term in the Senate, and Bill Hagerty, running for governor of Tennessee.
Trump joked during the event about the very fact of his visit to the state, claiming that both candidates are already doing well in the race. "What am I doing in Tennessee?" he asked with a grin.
He went on to explain that for him, the visit is also an opportunity to thank his supporters. "Sometimes it's nice to go to a place where you don't have to be, but you're there to say thank you to the wonderful people who voted for you three times," he said.
In his remarks, Trump repeated his claim that he won the 2020 presidential election.
The president closed his speech with a reference to the bond between himself and the audience. "There's so much love in these halls," he said, describing the atmosphere at the rally and the support he receives from his backers.
Trump's words, however, drew considerable criticism and were interpreted by some as contempt for his own voters. "He even holds his own supporters in contempt," users wrote on social media.
