Trump turns down the heat at rallies

Donald Trump speaks at a town hall on Monday in La Crosse, Wisc. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Donald Trump was a little over 10 minutes into his speech here Sunday night when the first scream rang out. A young man had risen to his feet in the middle of the audience and was thrusting his right arm in the air as he yelled at the Republican presidential hopeful.

“Trump!” the man yelled. “The people of West Allis reject you!”

Trump supporters quickly erupted into loud boos as the man was rushed out by security. It was a scene that has played out many times over the last several months — except for one thing: Onstage, Trump, known for his boisterous confrontations with “disrupters,” as he calls them — including one instance when he proclaimed his desire to “punch” a protester in the face — stood mostly silent, waiting for the commotion to end. And when the man was gone, the GOP candidate simply went on with his speech, as if nothing had happened.

It was a telling detail about Trump’s evolving performance on the stump. After weeks of criticism from members of his own party about the violence that has occasionally erupted at his rallies and Trump’s role in encouraging it, the candidate and his campaign seem to be striving for a calmer atmosphere.

Massive rallies across the country have been replaced here in Wisconsin with what the campaign calls “town halls” in smaller venues. While Trump regularly held rallies that averaged around 10,000 people or more in places like Ohio and Florida, attendance at events here has averaged around 2,000 people or less — a distinct comedown for a candidate who often obsesses and brags about the size of his “big crowds.”

At the same time, the Trump campaign appears to be more closely screening audience members. Attendees used to register for Trump events through the site Eventbrite, which is also used by other campaigns. But heading into Wisconsin, that process switched to an internal sign-up on the Trump campaign website.

In an interview with the Washington Post published Saturday, Trump acknowledged the change and said it was part of a strategy to have more control over his events.

“We’ve purposefully kept the crowds down this past week. You know, we’ve gone into small venues, and we’re turning away thousands and thousands of people, which I hate, but we didn’t want to have the protest,” Trump said. “When you have a room of 2,000 people, you can pretty much keep it without the protesters. When you have 21 [thousand] or 25,000 people coming in, people can start standing up and screaming.”

But Trump’s new, calmer approach could be put to the test on Monday night. In downtown Milwaukee, the GOP frontrunner is set to hold a campaign event directly across the street from a rally featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. While there may not be drama inside Trump’s event, local officials are bracing for massive protests and potential conflict among supporters of the two campaigns in the streets outside the dueling events.

Protesters are escorted out of a Donald Trump rally on Sunday in West Allis, Wisc. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters)

Dialing back on confrontations appears to be part of Trump’s strategy to position himself as the inevitable Republican nominee. On the stump, the real estate mogul and former reality television star has often mentioned the tension between appearing “more presidential” and keeping up his reputation as a brash, unconventional and outspoken candidate.

“My daughter said, ‘Daddy, just be low-key,’” Trump told voters in Florida last month. “My wife said to be presidential. … (But) I sort of like the other way better, to be honest with you.”

On Sunday, Trump promised that he would be “more presidential when he knocks the last two out of the race,” referring to rivals Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

But even as he said that, Trump at times seems almost visibly to be trying to rein himself in. Disruptions have been rare here in Wisconsin, in part because of the campaign’s increased efforts to stop them. And Trump’s reactions to them have been notably muted — often saying little or nothing at all, in contrast to past events when he seemed, at times, to alternate between baiting protesters and encouraging the crowd to silence them.

On Sunday night, Trump slipped up but quickly caught himself as his rally was interrupted for what would be the second and final time. Several college-age protesters stood calling out Trump’s position on immigration and other issues. “Get ’em out of here!” Trump quickly declared, repeating a familiar refrain as his audience roared in approval.

But as the chaotic feeling at the rally began to ratchet up — with Trump supporters screaming and getting into the protesters’ faces as they were walked out by security — the candidate seemed to will himself to stay controlled. “Kids like that are just lost,” Trump finally said, as he watched them go. “Lost souls.” And then, he quickly moved on.

(Cover tile photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters)