Inviting his cheering audience to relive the night

Unconscious humor in Times report on Trump’s rally in Missouri last night purportedly to boost the Republican candidate for senator:

Thousands of supporters waved cardboard signs and wore hats bearing Mr. Trump’s election slogans — “Make America Great Again,” “Keep America Great” and “Drain the Swamp” — while two large placards bracketing a giant American flag declared “Promises Made” and “Promises Kept,” the argument the president has been making about his first two years in office.

Signs in support of Mr. Hawley were few and far between, and the digital banner around the arena directed people to send a text to Mr. Trump’s campaign, not Mr. Hawley’s, to sign up as supporters.

The president spoke at length about how his candidacy and electoral victory in 2016 had defied predictions, inviting his cheering audience to relive the night of the election with him. He imitated news anchors calling states in his favor, and described his election as “one of the greatest nights in the history of our country, but far less importantly, one of the greatest nights in the history of television.”

The dynamic reflected the strategy Mr. Trump has embraced as he campaigns for Republicans this year, hoping to transfer his own popularity among core party supporters to candidates who need a highly motivated base of voters to succeed.

Yes, sure, that’s definitely what he was doing, and not at all simply enjoying the chance to brag about himself to a cheering crowd for the umptyumpth time.

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