The Atlantic·4 min read
Trump’s Weird Loyalty Pledge
T
Tom Nichols
In a night of wild emotions and odd ideas, one moment stood out.
Joseph Rushmore for The Atlantic September 11, 2026, 12:08 AM ET Share Save Donald Trump loves rallies. Everyone can see how they energize him, how the crowd’s applause encourages him to ditch the hackneyed prose of his speechwriters and go on wild riffs, how the music and cheering are like water to a parched man. Tonight, at the end of a two-day rally billed as a Republican “midterm convention,” Trump was visibly exhilarated.
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