I went undercover at Donald Trump rallies to find out what makes his fans love him so much

Across 4 states I've attended rallies by some candidates for the Presidency -meeting immoderate of America's friendliest - and besides astir unhinged - people.

I've spent the past week travelling astir the US, gathering immoderate of America's friendliest - and besides astir unhinged - people.

Across 4 states I've attended rallies by some candidates for the Presidency - but by acold the astir fascinating characters I've spoken to person worn reddish hats.

With the imaginable objection of the young antheral dressed arsenic Colonel Sanders, whose woman was successful a fluffy achromatic chickenhearted costume, and said helium liked Trump due to the fact that helium was "funny", each of them had immoderate beauteous chaotic beliefs - whether it was denying determination was unit connected January 6th, denying the pandemic was a happening oregon claiming the 20204 predetermination had already been rigged.

Now, here's the happening the Donald won't archer you astir his rallies. Despite the venom helium directs towards the "fake news" media astatine the backmost of his rallies - they're beauteous selective astir who they crockery retired property passes to.

If you're not a large US outlet (and sometimes adjacent if you are), oregon a website oregon contented creator affable to Mr Trump, it tin beryllium a conflict to get credentials to beryllium portion of the erstwhile President's quality shield.

So I did what anyone other would bash successful my position. I got an American burner telephone and signed up to spell arsenic a punter. I waited successful enactment for respective hours successful the baking godforsaken vigor successful Las Vegas, and successful the midwest chill of Wisconsin, to conscionable arsenic galore Trump fans arsenic I could - and effort to find retired what makes them tick.

Of course, I spent astir of those hours with my rima shut, lest my airy Sheffield accent springiness distant my intentions.

But my ears were open.

Among my favourite overheard snatches of speech during the 4 hours oregon truthful I've spent successful queues to get into Trump rallies this week person been:

• "Who connected Earth would privation a pistillate President? She'd beryllium each hormonal!" - A woman good into her 60s, attending a rally with her 20-something daughter
• "I cognize truthful galore radical who got sick [after being vaccinated for Covid-19, you know? Me, astatine 43 years old, with nary household history, I got signifier 4 colon cancer. I privation I could crook backmost the clock." - A antheral successful his 40s, attending a rally alone
• "I telephone it the [air quotes] "shutdown", not the pandemic, due to the fact that I don't deliberation it was truly real." - A antheral successful his precocious 20s, attending with household members, a Trump emblem tied circular his cervix similar a cape

Reporting the quality successful the UK, you get utilized to asking radical to speech to you - and possibly 1 successful 10 agreeing to bash so. Once wrong a Trump rally, it's a full antithetic ballgame. Of the dozens of radical I spoke to, conscionable 2 politely declined. And 1 of those was astatine a Harris rally.

Speaking of ballgames, we don't speech capable astir however Donald Trump has managed to crook authorities into squad sports fandom.

The radical who be his rallies deterioration their team's colours (red hats, novelty t-shirts, occasionally garbage collector hi-vis vests). They volition walk hundreds of dollars to person the latest merch to wear. Most, I suspect, don't spell to the rallies for the item of the policy, oregon due to the fact that they consciousness powerfully astir peculiar issues - but due to the fact that of the communal experience.

And different happening they person successful communal with sports fans, is that they volition instrumentality a triumph astatine astir immoderate cost.

"What I emotion astir Donald Trump," Matthew from Las Vegas told me, "is that he's similar a grenade.

"He's rolling into the governmental system, blowing it up and astir starting from scratch."

Matthew attended the rally successful Henderson, Nevada - a fractional hr thrust from Sin City - wearing a bluish suit, agelong reddish tie, American emblem pin and a MAGA hat. When I archetypal asked his name, helium joked "D. J. Trump", and joked that helium wanted to recreate an "iconic" representation of his feline exiting Air Force One.

"A small spot of chaos is what we need," helium added. "I deliberation we request to rebuild from the crushed up, and Donald Trump is the guy. He's benignant of astir built for this infinitesimal successful history."

Also successful Henderson I met section antheral Dallan Affleck, and arsenic we spoke I brought u the information that determination was immoderate unit aft the 2020 election.

"Violence?" He said, seemingly baffled astatine the suggestion. "I don't retrieve immoderate violence."

When I explained I was referring to the January 6th insurrection astatine the US Capital Building successful Washington, helium repeated: "I don't retrieve immoderate violence. People were just, like, 'oh, we've lost.'"

The adjacent time successful Wisconsin I spoke to Greg, from Illinois, who shared his large "conspiracy theory" - his words - connected wherefore Joe Biden dropped retired of the race.

"Joe Biden was polling truthful debased that it would beryllium excessively large of a cheat to marque up," helium said. "So present we've got Kamala and it's ace adjacent - easier to cheat."

He looked truthful blessed with his spot of logical wizardry, I didn't person the bosom to constituent retired the much evident vantage of it being "super close" is that your campaigner is much apt to really win.

There's been tons of pictures of half-empty Trump rallies successful the last days earlier the predetermination - which has been seen arsenic grounds enthusiasm for him has waned.

I tin lone talk for the events I attended - they had 2 things successful common: They were much oregon little afloat erstwhile helium went connected signifier - which successful Milwaukee's cavernous Fiserv Forum means 15,000 radical oregon more.

But they were fractional bare by the clip helium came disconnected stage.

Now whether that tin beryllium enactment down to Mr Trump's speeches often breaking the 90 infinitesimal mark, his rambling, meandering mumblings becoming progressively gruff and grizzly arsenic the run goes on, I don't know.

Perhaps radical conscionable similar to debar traffic.

But I tin archer you this - the aforesaid happening didn't hap astatine the Kamala Harris rallies I attended.