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Journalists Wait for Donald Trump, but Meet Only His Papier-Mâché Model Journalists Wait for Donald Trump, but Meet Only His Papier-Mâché Model
(about 1 hour later)
WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump came to Washington on Thursday to unify the Republican Party behind him.WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump came to Washington on Thursday to unify the Republican Party behind him.
That may not have quite happened. That did not quite happen.
But here is what did: The political denizens showed once again that Mr. Trump, the reality TV star turned presumptive Republican presidential nominee, can animate the staid capital as much as any other city in America.But here is what did: The political denizens showed once again that Mr. Trump, the reality TV star turned presumptive Republican presidential nominee, can animate the staid capital as much as any other city in America.
It helped that Mr. Trump’s visit happened to coincide with the National Cannabis Industry Association’s annual lobbying trip to the Capitol, and onlookers would have been forgiven for thinking that Washington had accidentally eaten the entire pan of brownies.It helped that Mr. Trump’s visit happened to coincide with the National Cannabis Industry Association’s annual lobbying trip to the Capitol, and onlookers would have been forgiven for thinking that Washington had accidentally eaten the entire pan of brownies.
The least exciting part of the whole Trumpapalooza was the meetings themselves — those closed-door huddles between Mr. Trump and Republican leaders, which produced bland statements of “party unity” on both sides but little actual news.The least exciting part of the whole Trumpapalooza was the meetings themselves — those closed-door huddles between Mr. Trump and Republican leaders, which produced bland statements of “party unity” on both sides but little actual news.
Yet the politely subdued signals from both factions belied the frenzy just outside the Republican National Committee’s cream-colored building, where the first two of Mr. Trump’s meetings occurred. There, more than three dozen protesters and more than five dozen members of the news media arrived early as a morning rush-hour crowd looked on quizzically.Yet the politely subdued signals from both factions belied the frenzy just outside the Republican National Committee’s cream-colored building, where the first two of Mr. Trump’s meetings occurred. There, more than three dozen protesters and more than five dozen members of the news media arrived early as a morning rush-hour crowd looked on quizzically.
“It’s like our Super Bowl,” one reporter said to a group of tourists who had stopped to gawk.“It’s like our Super Bowl,” one reporter said to a group of tourists who had stopped to gawk.
“This is what we train for, people!” a cameraman said to no one in particular.“This is what we train for, people!” a cameraman said to no one in particular.
As the crowd waited for Mr. Trump, the diverse group of demonstrators — a gaggle of undocumented immigrants, a small cabal of women from the protest group Codepink, and a lone man holding a “Rabbis Against Trump” sign — all vied for attention.As the crowd waited for Mr. Trump, the diverse group of demonstrators — a gaggle of undocumented immigrants, a small cabal of women from the protest group Codepink, and a lone man holding a “Rabbis Against Trump” sign — all vied for attention.
At one point, a man wearing a giant papier-mâché Trump head and clutching oversize Scrooge McDuck bags of money bobbled about behind a Trump supporter, who alternated between blasting Christian music from a megaphone and puffing into a large shofar.At one point, a man wearing a giant papier-mâché Trump head and clutching oversize Scrooge McDuck bags of money bobbled about behind a Trump supporter, who alternated between blasting Christian music from a megaphone and puffing into a large shofar.
When Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, showed up — having skirted a kilted man wailing on his bagpipes and having jumped over a gate to avoid the crowded sidewalk — a guard greeted him, asking how he was.When Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, showed up — having skirted a kilted man wailing on his bagpipes and having jumped over a gate to avoid the crowded sidewalk — a guard greeted him, asking how he was.
“Well, I’d be better if you had a back door,” Mr. Issa said.“Well, I’d be better if you had a back door,” Mr. Issa said.
Yet there were at least small signs that Mr. Trump’s visit was different from the standard-model Trump on display all through the primary season: The man himself was nowhere to be seen, at least to the public.Yet there were at least small signs that Mr. Trump’s visit was different from the standard-model Trump on display all through the primary season: The man himself was nowhere to be seen, at least to the public.
With the exception of a small wave he offered from the back of his dark sport utility vehicle between stops, hardly anyone not invited to the meetings glimpsed him anywhere — at least no one among the masses of journalists, protesters and onlookers who descended Thursday morning on the various venues, entrances, exits and back doors of Capitol Hill.With the exception of a small wave he offered from the back of his dark sport utility vehicle between stops, hardly anyone not invited to the meetings glimpsed him anywhere — at least no one among the masses of journalists, protesters and onlookers who descended Thursday morning on the various venues, entrances, exits and back doors of Capitol Hill.
Instead, Mr. Trump inadvertently ceded his image to his oversize papier-mâché doppelgänger, who delivered assorted Trumpisms with varying degrees of accuracy. “You know what torture is?” the fake Trump crowed. “Torture is getting a really bad chili dog down at Coney Island.”Instead, Mr. Trump inadvertently ceded his image to his oversize papier-mâché doppelgänger, who delivered assorted Trumpisms with varying degrees of accuracy. “You know what torture is?” the fake Trump crowed. “Torture is getting a really bad chili dog down at Coney Island.”
The P. T. Barnum scene seemed oddly fitting for a campaign that, at times, has felt like a passing parade, the surreal blending viscerally with the passions Mr. Trump elicits. And even while unseen, Mr. Trump demonstrated that he is still fully capable of setting off a Category 5 fuss just by being in the vicinity.The P. T. Barnum scene seemed oddly fitting for a campaign that, at times, has felt like a passing parade, the surreal blending viscerally with the passions Mr. Trump elicits. And even while unseen, Mr. Trump demonstrated that he is still fully capable of setting off a Category 5 fuss just by being in the vicinity.
At one point, in what passed for excitement Thursday morning, a gray Ford Fusion rear-ended a blue Chevrolet Cobalt on the narrow slice of street where members of the news media and of the Secret Service had lined up on opposite sides.At one point, in what passed for excitement Thursday morning, a gray Ford Fusion rear-ended a blue Chevrolet Cobalt on the narrow slice of street where members of the news media and of the Secret Service had lined up on opposite sides.
Though the cars were quickly moved around the corner to clear a path for Mr. Trump’s arrival, a Capitol Police officer saw an opportunity and approached the tightly packed news media to ask for footage of the fender-bender.Though the cars were quickly moved around the corner to clear a path for Mr. Trump’s arrival, a Capitol Police officer saw an opportunity and approached the tightly packed news media to ask for footage of the fender-bender.
“Who wants to send me a video?” he asked. “No one saw it? No cameras or nothing?”“Who wants to send me a video?” he asked. “No one saw it? No cameras or nothing?”
In one of the odder moments, and in the absence of any actual politicians, the demonstrators began protesting the papier-mâché Trump — who was, in fact, protesting the real Trump. In one of the odder moments, and in the absence of actual politicians, the demonstrators began protesting the papier-mâché Trump — who was, in fact, protesting the real Trump.
“We are the 99 percent!” they shouted.“We are the 99 percent!” they shouted.
“I own the 99 percent,” the fake Trump countered.“I own the 99 percent,” the fake Trump countered.
Meanwhile, young Republican National Committee staff members pressed themselves against the windows, peering out and taking photographs of the scene.Meanwhile, young Republican National Committee staff members pressed themselves against the windows, peering out and taking photographs of the scene.
And on the top floor of the building, one employee shoved open his window and leaned out, white shirt sleeves rolled up, craning to see the spectacle.And on the top floor of the building, one employee shoved open his window and leaned out, white shirt sleeves rolled up, craning to see the spectacle.
“We are all that man,” one Trump reporter said, with a resigned sigh.“We are all that man,” one Trump reporter said, with a resigned sigh.