During a hot and sunny rally in Las Vegas on Sunday morning, former President Donald Trump made his usual rounds of jokes, this time poking fun at both the press and the extreme heat. As temperatures soared, Trump joked about the importance of voters’ health, quipping about the potential for heatstroke among his supporters and how the press might react.
“By the way, isn’t the breeze nice. Do you feel the breeze? I don’t want anybody going on me. We need every voter. I don’t care about you. I just want your vote. I don’t care,” Trump joked, prompting laughter from his audience. Predicting the media’s response, he added, “See now, the press will take that, and they’ll say, ‘He said a horrible thing.'”
Donald Trump to Las Vegas rally attendees: “I don’t care about you” https://t.co/4WTGg774nJ pic.twitter.com/ju8vKZMMMu
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 9, 2024
As expected, news outlets quickly picked up on Trump’s comments. Newsweek, followed by MSN.com, ran with the headline, “Donald Trump Jokes to Las Vegas Rally Attendees: ‘I Don’t Care About You.'” This headline sparked controversy and debate, though it was an improvement from their original headline, which omitted the word “jokes.”
Newsweek’s article, written by reporter Natalie Venegas, described the rally’s high temperatures and included a video tweet from Acyn Torabi of the Trump-critical Meidas Touch group. The article also featured reactions from various social media users who criticized Trump’s remarks.
Trump: Do you feel the breeze? I don’t want anybody going on me. We need every voter. I don’t care about you. I just want your vote. I don’t care. pic.twitter.com/IirvQs123c
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 9, 2024
One prominent critic was Democrat and social media user Harry Sisson, who wrote, “WOW! Trump just went MASK OFF and said ‘We need every voter. I don’t care about you. I just want your vote. I don’t care.’ You hear that, America? Trump doesn’t care about you at all. He just wants you to vote for him. Disgraceful.” Democratic Pennsylvania state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta echoed this sentiment, saying, “He’s finally telling the truth.” Progressive political commentator Luke Beasley reiterated Kenyatta’s remarks, posting, “He finally said the truth.”
Despite the criticism, Newsweek did mention towards the end of the article that the Trump campaign had taken precautions for the rally attendees, providing bottled water, misting fans, and tents, including at least one with air conditioning.
