The #Deploraball was the perfect end to an incredible year. The twitter crew which helped bring Donald Trump to the White House gathered at the venerable National Press Club in my hometown of Washington, DC to celebrate our success.
Finally, living in DC had an advantage as people came from all over the country to my backyard to party and celebrate. And party down is exactly what we did.
Deploraball Protests
On our way there, my girlfriend @the_red_hen and I had no sense of what we were getting into. I guess we kinda knew there would be some protestors, but as we walked up, the scene outside was fucking nuts. There were hundreds of people chanting and screaming, things burning, and even a naked guy doing who knows what.
Things got so bad outside the cops eventually used tear gas, flash bangs, and riot gear to get the blackshirts under control. I’ll admit, I was taken off guard by the ferocity of the protests and their dark energy. As we made our way through the crowd, a woman with no hair and one of those cow rings in her nose screamed “ugly nazi bitch” over and over to Red Hen. We ignored her and the irony of her statements and made our way to the police line guarding the door.
The polite officers pulled away their cop bike barricade and let us into the lobby of the building, whereupon we were greeted with smiles, positive energy, and a reunion vibe I didn’t expect either. 1,000 people packed the Press Club ready to celebrate and meet our twitterverse IRL.
#DeploraBall crowd pics pic.twitter.com/y9d2nLsIRS
— Mike Cernovich 🇺🇸 (@Cernovich) January 20, 2017
Deploraball Party People
It felt like a family affair. Everyone there either knew each other or knew of each other. We were all connected in some way. Thank god I didn’t go to one of the other inaugural parties this weekend where I would have paid $200 to eat and drink with a huge group of strangers, feeling that typical awkwardness of being surrounded by people you don’t really know and don’t really like.
Me and @Gavin_McInnes at #DeploraBall. Nice guy! pic.twitter.com/TWSlJNJHRG
— Jack Murphy (@jackmurphylive) January 20, 2017
Instead, twitter handles turned into real faces. I finally met and connected with the people I’ve engaged with over the last 12 months. Every time I turned around a new person came up to me to say hi, introduce themselves, and even thank for me for my writing.
That part really surprised me. I was honored, humbled, and even a little embarrassed at how many people took the time to mention the words I’ve sent out at Jack Murphy Live.
Thank you all so much for that, I really couldn’t do this without you.
Deploraball Politics
Must read. This speech was moving and perfect summary of my feelings: Jeff Giesea’s Remarks At The #Deploraball https://t.co/MaW55MdJuk
— Jack Murphy (@jackmurphylive) January 20, 2017
“This is what we are here to celebrate tonight — a new type of Republican and a new movement of Trumpism.” – Jeff Giesea
The speeches by hosts Mike Cernovich and Jeff Giesea rallied the squad and captured how I’ve felt about this election. Jeff’s words in particular were powerful as I related to his stories of being shunned by long-time friends and ostracized by his own people, simply for seeking a new way politically.
This notion of transformation was a theme of the election. Many of us experienced it as we sought truth and a new future rather than more of the same. Simultaneously we felt pushed away by our old associations and drawn towards new ones.
2017 brings new realities, new friends, and new hopes. The #Deploraball uplifted us all.
Deploraball Future
As we entered the Club and left behind the chaos of the protests the contrast was stark.
Outside was darkness, negativity, and fascism – while inside was light, positivity, and freedom.
It was precisely the opposite of what the media and the mainstream narrative would have you believe.
Together at the Deploraball we defeated that narrative. With the alt-right properly discarded and left out in the cold, the new kind of Republican Giesea described emerged. It is one with full hearts and constructive thinking that will hold the GOP accountable and seek a positive way forward for all Americans.
It was the most fun I’ve had out in years. I truly will never forget this night. Thank you to everyone who organized it, attended it, and made it the best event of this entire crazy weekend.
See you all next year for the reunion! #Deploraball2018
It was a great party. It’s crazy that people would get so worked up about a group coming together and just drinking and talking.
People feel a need to target their hate. And we were easy targets.
The biggest contrast I felt all night was how nasty everyone was outside while everyone inside was friendly and welcoming. The media would have you believe all the attendees were the vile folks and the protestors are in the right. Opposite was true.
It was great to see you there!