In the closing days of the midterm push, Donald Trump has presented himself as unfazed by the relentless rally grind. He has traveled from state to state, campaigning for Republicans and promising cheering audiences a decisive victory on Election Day.
Yet, during one of his final rally stops before voters cast their ballots, the former president invited a guest he clearly expected would shower him with praise. The moment the guest stepped to the microphone, Trump found himself confronted with more than he had bargained for.
Trump wore a broad grin as he introduced his guest to the stage.
By the time the guest stepped away, critics were zooming in on the expression on the president’s face.
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Ahead of Election Day, Trump spoke for most of the Nov. 1 rally in Dubuque, Iowa, backing Republican Senate hopeful Ashley Hinson.
As the event wore on toward the two-hour mark, he transitioned into a long roll call of shout-outs, praising senators and state lawmakers, a Border Patrol union leader, and a former state senator he nicknamed “the Marlboro Man.”
Then, with the gathering nearing its two-hour length, Trump shifted to wrestling.
He told the crowd he’d tried the sport in high school before inviting Dan Gable, the Iowa coaching legend he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in December 2020.
“I’m such a fan of Dan Gable. Could you come up?” Trump said, joking that he “was a little bit larger” than Gable but “would’ve been in trouble” on the mat.
In Iowa, Gable sits near the top tier of local legend. As The Comeback noted in a piece syndicated by Yahoo Sports, he captured Olympic gold in 1972 without surrendering a single point, then steered Iowa to 15 NCAA team titles, including nine straight from 1978 to 1986.
So when Gable made his way to the podium in a gray pullover and ball cap, Trump stepped aside, ready to receive the homage. What came out first sounded more like a coach calling timeout.
“I think we’ve had enough,” Gable said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I’m a pretty good coach and I read everything really well.”
He then tucked his endorsement of the president into a few short lines. “This guy’s doing the job that needs to be done. And that’s my coaching expertise. So, and I’m a pretty damn good coach, thank you.”
But the line landed like a jab, and Trump stood a few feet away with a tight smile before laughing it off and calling Gable “the best coach, the best ever.”
He didn’t exactly heed the hint. Trump pressed on for roughly six more minutes, even rolling a CNN segment about his popularity with MAGA voters before signing off. The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account shared Gable’s praise but left out the “had enough” line in its caption.
On social media, plenty of viewers weren’t convinced that it was merely a lighthearted coach’s quip.
“Even the wrestling legend is calling time on this boring stale rally. Trump’s reaction is PRICELESS,” one user wrote.
Some people zeroed in on Gable’s body language, asking, “Did you catch the puffed-cheek, exasperated sigh by Gable?”
“The look on Trump’s face when Dan Gable told him the crowd had enough… pure gold,” noticed one person.
Many praised Gable, saying he “said what we all thought.” The entire appearance lasted about half a minute. To be clear, Gable came to back Trump, not roast him.
Meanwhile, one Instagram user summed it up: “That face he made, lol. We’ve all had enough, coach.”
It’s not the first time Trump’s marathon rallies have provided critics with easy fodder.
Days earlier in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Trump pretended to wind down his rally, apparently hoping the crowd would beg him to stay. Instead, one viewer pointed out that the audience appeared fine with him wrapping up, and people could be seen exiting behind him.
That stands in stark contrast to early October, when Trump went out of his way to insist he never tires on the campaign trail.
As for Dubuque, Trump finally signed off with a line borrowed from his guest. “Let’s go out and do what we do best,” he said, “like Dan Gable. Win, win, win.”
Then he headed to Kansas for one more rally. He had also hinted he would deliver his closing pitch at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the same site critics have been scrutinizing for its costly makeover.
