Trump enthusiasm is still percolating

NEWS AND OPINION:

Grassroots enthusiasm is still percolating out there for former President Donald Trump, who is hosting a “Save America Rally” in Florence, South Carolina, on Saturday. The event follows Mr. Trump’s traditional style, which he perfected by hosting over 350 rallies during his first presidential campaign.

Doors open early, there’s room for good-humored socializing for attendees and special guests abound. They include Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, GOP congressional hopefuls Katie Arrington and Russell Fry, South Carolina Republican Party Chair Drew McKissick, and Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council.

Positive local sentiment is robust, judging by Lynn Newsome, owner of Trumpville in the Carolinas, a Trump merchandise store in Darlington.

“I’m 75 years old. I remember the presidents back to Eisenhower,” Mr. Newsome told WBTW, a local CBS affiliate.

“I was never a political person until Trump came along. And what I like about him is that he does what he says he’s going to do,” Mr. Newsome said, noting that he plans to open a second location of his shop within the next two months as the midterm elections near.

Johnny Tiller, a local resident who plans to attend the Trump rally with his son, also revealed his expectations for the big event.

“I’m looking to see the excitement of the people just like me. We believe in something — and we want to stand up for what’s right. And we know Trump will do the right thing. I’m there to see Trump and his message,” Mr. Tiller said.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

“Just heard: my book ‘Red Handed’ will remain at #1 on the New York Times [nonfiction] list for a FIFTH week. No words …” tweeted author Peter Schweizer on Thursday.

He is referring, of course, to his best-seller “Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win,” published Jan. 25 by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

‘CACKLE DIPLOMACY’

This is a handy new term coined by Roger Kimball, columnist for the Spectator World, the U.S. edition of the nimble and influential British magazine The Spectator. Mr. Kimball has an observation about Vice President Kamala Harris and a certain Russian president.

“You can tell that the Biden administration is getting serious. They have unleashed their ultimate weapon, cackle diplomacy. The warhead is nicknamed Harris, and it is now in Poland cackling away, endeavoring to assemble the high-level pierogies before Russia flattens Kyiv or Vladimir Putin decides to go nuclear — and by ‘go nuclear,’ alas, I mean ‘go nuclear,’” Mr. Kimball writes, in an essay titled “Kamala invades Poland.”

Ms. Harris departed for Poland on Wednesday.

“Some observers say that sending Kamala Harris on this mission will give her a chance to ‘burnish’ her foreign policy credentials. Cynical folks — and I would include myself in that group — think it is just another emission of fog by America’s first certifiably senile administration,” Mr. Kimball observes.

Mr. Kimball is, by the way, editor and publisher of the New Criterion, publisher of Encounter Books, and a contributing editor to The Spectator. And for the recipe-challenged, pierogies are boiled dumplings, most often filled with potatoes and cheese.

TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN

Some Americans approve of a ban on Russian oil imports even if it means an increase in gasoline prices. So says a Wall Street Journal poll, which found that 79% of U.S. voters said they favored the ban, which President Biden ordered this week, while 13% disapproved.

“The ban had support from 77% of Republicans and 72% of voters who said they would support former President Trump if he ran again in 2024. Among Democrats, 88% said they favored the moratorium on Russian oil imports, including 94% of Democratic men,” Journal analyst Michael C. Bender wrote.

The poll of 529 registered U.S. voters was conducted March 4-7.

“Other results from the broader poll, conducted by the firms of Democrat John Anzalone, the lead pollster for Mr. Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, and Republican Tony Fabrizio, the lead pollster for Mr. Trump’s two campaigns, will be released in the coming days,” Mr. Bender advised.

PIERS MORGAN UNCANCELED

Fans of British broadcaster Piers Morgan take note: He will soon return to airwaves a year after storming off the set of ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” following a major disagreement with a fellow host over Meghan Markle’s public commentary.

Mr. Morgan has a new gig.

“Piers Morgan Uncensored” will stream daily starting later this spring on Talk TV in the United Kingdom, on Fox Nation in the U.S., and on Sky News in Australia. It’s described in advanced production notes as a “fearless forum for lively, intelligent debate and agenda-setting interviews; celebrating free speech and the right for people to share their views.”

“I’m delighted to now be returning to live television with a new daily show whose main purpose is to cancel the Cancel Culture which has infected societies around the world,” Mr. Morgan said in a statement shared with “Inside the Beltway” — noting that he intends to “annoy all the right people.”

In semirelated news, Fox News continues to dominate coverage of the Ukraine crisis since it began Feb. 24, drawing an average of 3.4 million primetime viewers per night since the date, compared to 1.7 million who chose CNN and 1.5 million who went with MSNBC.

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POLL DU JOUR

• 50% of U.S. adults are “uneasy” about President Biden’s ability to “deal wisely” with an international crisis; 84% of Republicans, 59% of independents and 19% of Democrats agree.

• 33% overall are “confident” in his ability to deal with an international crisis; 8% of Republicans, 25% of independents and 64% of Democrats agree.

• 16% overall are not sure about the issue; 8% of Republicans, 16% of independents and 18% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted March 5-8.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.