Deconstructing the spectacle and stagecraft of a Donald Trump rally

As Trump’s Boeing 757 private jet came in to land for a rally at the Dayton International Airport in Ohio on March 16, a voice announced: “Trump Force One, you are cleared for landing.”

The theme music from the “Top Gun” movies struck up. The crowd went wild.

While the stagecraft is designed to entertain the crowd, it also reinforces Trump’s message that the country has gone to “hell” and that he along with his supporters must fix it.