While Thursday night’s GOP debate was still on-going, NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd appeared on MSNBC’s The Last Word and hyped that Donald Trump events like the one he held instead of attending the debate have a “sort of like this rock concert feel” while the latest Republican presidential debate felt like it was “low energy” instead.
After joking that Rick Santorum was desperately trying to not stand directly behind the Trump campaign podium at the so-called event for veterans, Todd mentioned that he was there for awhile before coming back to the debate site and noticed that “[i]t had a rock concert atmosphere.”
“I've been to a lot of Trump events now and there's always this same feeling, but particularly when it's on a college campus, so you have people that just want to see the show,” Todd explained.
Todd added that while some Trump event attendees aren’t there to support him, “it is sort of like this rock concert feel that has a dedicated group that I think Fish concert or Deadhead or things like that but you have Trumpheads, but what was amazing was just how much energy and excitement was at Drake.”
As for the mood at the seven debate among the 2016 GOP field, Todd described it as “just so proper” and while he was unsure “how else to put it,” he closed his thought was this Trump catchprase: “I mean, it was fine, but to borrow a phrase it was low energy.”
The relevant portion of the transcript from MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell on January 28 can be found below.
MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
January 28, 2016
10:07 p.m. EasternLAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Chuck Todd, have you been watching the debate or Trump event or both and you can review either one for us.
MEET THE PRESS MODERATOR CHUCK TODD: Well, I'm two thirds, one third split screen. I have it on the computer, I’ve been watching that.
O’DONNELL: I knew you could do it, Chuck. I knew you could do it.
TODD: My favorite — my favorite part was Rick Santorum trying not to look like he was behind the podium directly. Like, no, I don't want the Trump name in front of me. It was sort of like but I'll get up on stage. I also went there before and it is interesting. It had a rock concert atmosphere, alright? There are — there is this — I've been to a lot of Trump events now and there's always this same feeling, but particularly when it's on a college campus, so you have people that just want to see the show. Some don’t like Trump. Some love Trump, but it is sort of like this rock concert feel that has a dedicated group that I think Fish concert or Deadhead or things like that but you have Trumpheads, but what was amazing was just how much energy and excitement was at Drake, right? On the outside, everybody's freezing and then you came here to the debate and it was just so proper. I don't know how else to put it. I mean, it was fine, but to borrow a phrase it was low energy.
