It was after church, and we were at our local Mexican restaurant sipping Victorias, indulging in some carne asada, and waiting for the NFL game to come back on the big screen when our attention became riveted by a commercial of a kind we'd never seen before.
I love a good commercial. That's why I usually watch the "big game" in February. It is far more difficult to fit a clever and compelling message into a compacted moment than to make a documentary. Any writer can tell you that writing shorter pieces is more difficult than longer ones. Every time.
But the message of this two-minute-long commercial, "Never Quit," was that Donald Trump will never quit trying to make America great again. This commercial demands the viewer give it attention, realize what he's watching, and understand the message.
The well-compacted message comprised unforgettable images, large movie blockbuster-like font, and a calm-sounding Donald Trump telling the story of his political life starting at the White House in 2017. It was breathtaking and stirring, even if you don't like the guy.
The commercial reads like a sports spectacular, and the feature photo for the commercial is the image of Dana White, the CEO of the UFC, but highlights women with vignettes by Tulsi Gabbard, Lara Trump, and Amber Rose.
The spot is in three parts, one of which features a voiceover with Trump calmly ticking off his triumphs in office starting in 2017.
When I first came into office, I cut taxes more than any other president. We have created 7 million new jobs and it led to a growth like we've never seen before. We developed the greatest economy in history by far.
The next segment features Trump discussing what happened after he left office, with only two photos of Kamala Harris.
When I left office, it changed. Inflation destroyed the lives of so many people. Interest rates went from 2% to 10%. Millions of illegal immigrants, traffickers, and drugs coming into our country...
Our country has gone to hell.
So I made a decision to run.
Cue Kid Rock's Trump "Never Quit."
The largest part of the commercial starts with a Trump voiceover featuring his walk-on at a recent UFC fight accompanied by Dana White, Kid Rock, Trump, and Tucker Carlson.
We're going to make America great again— greater than ever before.
I will fight for you with every breath.
And I will never let you down.
This part of the commercial shows the near-assassination of the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania, with Dana White's voiceover at the National Republican Convention relating how Donald Trump "is willing to risk it all because he loves his country!" Lara Trump talks of her father-in-law's strength; Tulsi Gabbard speaks about putting country over politics while showing a photo of Harris and her vice-presidential running mate Tim Walz. Oof.
The commercial reprises Amber Rose's comments at the RNC about how the left told her to hate Trump but that she saw though that the ruse because "America's families were better off" and "safer, wealthier, and stronger" under his presidency.
Donald Trump, Jr.'s voice is featured prominently asking viewers to vote for Trump.
I don't know how much a two-minute commercial costs to put on an NFL game, but according to one account, it can be upwards of $900,000 per minute, give or take, for the political season, which garners a higher price. This one is worth every penny.
All I know is it made us sit up and take notice.
So, let's go over Trump's closing argument to America:
- A three-hour-long free-wheeling, unscripted interview with Joe Rogan.
- Dropping this commercial on NFL fans shows the former president is as tough as any of these players on the gridiron.
- Filling Madison Square Garden in Blue New York City.
- "I never quit"
Watch it yourself.
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