Donald Trump's tactics with "Front Row Joes" and the aftermath of the convention

In the world of hard rock, there is such a thing as being a front row banger. You stand at the front, headbang properly and ask the neighbor if he/she/he really saw the band Motorhead on that '99 tour.

Donald Trump has his own front row bangers. They are called the Front Row Joes and follow him around the country. Several have peculiar costumes. "Mr. Wall" has a costume that mimics a wall. Trump's wall against Mexico. You get it.

I'm knee-deep in the sea of ​​balloons that means the Republican convention is over. Between the entourage and the president. Over the speakers, the president declares that it's crowded (it's not), but that the mainstream media will lie and claim the opposite.

A Joe makes mildly displeased signs at me.

Thumbs down, before someone writes and asks.

Trump trolls

To speak internet language, Trump is trolling the media, i.e. provoking to have fun with the outraged backlash. Fact-checking and outraged reactions are not bad, on the contrary, they are the desired result and amuse their own fans.

For them, it is a kind of joke that they share with their president. They can see for themselves that the arena is not full, but they also do not take the statement as literal. However, they clearly read the message about conflict with the media, political opponents, institutions.

Since I'm in the White House press room fairly often, I also get questions about reporters who really dare to ask tough questions of the administration.

The answer is yes, and that the administration probably welcomes quite a few. They are made into clips and memes on the internet. Trump's supporters can both gnash their teeth at the journalists' questions and rejoice at the killer answers from the now-former spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

The home crowd is not enough

With less than two months until the midterm elections, it's clear that Republicans want to inject as much Trump as they can into an election where he's not running himself. Party officials I speak to worry about a lack of enthusiasm in their own ranks.

That Trump's speaking time was extended to both days of the convention is a clear sign of how no one in the Republicans can match Trump's ability to mobilize supporters. But is there a limit to how long the trolling tactics amuse the home crowd?

To flip the polls and win both houses of Congress, Front Row Joes won't be enough.

The question is whether Trump can convince enough "bangers" in the back rows.