Trump Demanding Applause At Mar-A-Lago Is Reminding Everyone Of Jeb Bush’s Desperate Plea To ‘Please Clap’

Jeb Bush was, for a time, the GOP front-runner to become president in 2016, but his campaign was steamrolled by Donald Trump… and John Kasich… and even Ted Cruz. If you’re less popular than Ted Cruz, something has gone terribly wrong. Something went terribly wrong for JEB! on February 3, 2016, when George W. Bush’s younger brother implored an unenthused New Hampshire crowd to “please clap.” MSNBC called it a “heartbreaking phrase because it comes from a candidate who thinks he’s delivering powerful, inspirational rhetoric, but who’s also reminded from time to time that in order to get any kind of real validation, he literally has to ask for it.” Bush barely had a chance before “please clap,” but the viral plea sunk his presidential aspirations for good.

Unlike Jeb, Trump actually became president, but he had his own “please clap” moment. A video posted to the Parler Takes Twitter account over the weekend shows Trump “appearing in front of diners at his Mar-a-Lago resort and getting absolutely no reaction until he waggles his little hands at them,” according to the Daily Beast. “Trump then gets a few whoops and claps and, finally satisfied with the reaction he had demanded, gives his fans a double thumbs-up.” The clip has been viewed over 500,000 times, and many people are saying that it’s the largest view count they’ve ever seen before.

Please clap? No. Please read the reactions to Trump ordering applause.