I attended the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night and I can tell you that what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears has nothing to compare to what you see in the mainstream -Read the media. Not even close.

Contrary to reports that portrayed the event as a gathering of racism, anger and misogyny, I observed a crowd full of joy and camaraderie. With ears ringing from all the “USA! USA! USA!” shouts, I left the venue thinking about Trump’s latest slogan: “Make America Dream Again.” And I have to admit, for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe even better days were possible. However, others who were there that evening walked away with much darker and foreboding interpretations of the same event.

It’s as if there were two rallies for Trump on Sunday night: one for those who love him and one for those who hate him. Thanks to modern psychology, we now know that this is exactly what happened.

Celebrities, high-profile politicians and surprise visitors accompanied Trump at the historic MSG rally

The insightful concept here is confirmation bias, which basically says that you look for evidence to support what you already believe, rather than the other way around. So if you go to a Trump rally and look for hate, you will find hate. Conversely, if you look for hope, you will probably find hope.

Empathy requires us to step back and truly experience what others see, even if we disagree. This thought brings to mind a poignant verse from Hebrews 12:15, which warns us of the dangers of becoming bitter and unable to see: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God There is no root of bitterness that springs up and causes anger, and thereby many are defiled.”

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In politics, if you have bitterness towards someone, that person can’t seem to do anything right. When our political opponents truly succeed, our hostility blinds us to their successes. Instead, we focus on their flaws, confirming our biases and reinforcing our preconceived beliefs. This is a vicious cycle that plagues both sides of the political divide.

Were there any dark moments during Trump’s speech? Surely. I wasn’t there early enough to see the “comedian” make his misguided and terrible joke about Puerto Rico. In fact, I wasn’t there for many of the clips that were played on repeat because those comments weren’t from the headliners. Despite a few moments of outrage and anger (which Democrats constantly express without the entire media pearl clinging to them), the room was filled with countless uplifting moments of hope and patriotism. But remember, these moments are impossible to watch when you’re chasing hate.

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Trump is well received by tens of millions of Americans because he doesn’t look down on them. He doesn’t make fun of their lives or the people they are or the things they like. Instead of scolding them, he encourages his followers to dream big again. He acknowledges their feelings and gives them permission to fight back against the liberal elites. He challenges the status quo and emphasizes that those who have superior intelligence because they attended prestigious schools are often out of touch with reality. He advocates for everyday Americans, recognizing their struggles and insisting that they are not too naive to question the system.

While the media may label Donald Trump as narcissistic, his supporters see him as a champion of their values ​​and rights.

“Is everything really OK?” Trump asks, pointing to glaring problems like rising crime rates, prohibitive living costs and troubling education policies that encourage children to confide in teachers rather than their parents. He calls for straightforward solutions, whether they are popular or not, and reminds us that what we have been told is “normal” is actually anything but.

Instead of just criticizing the current administration, Trump resonates with his supporters by not only voicing their frustrations but also offering solutions and fighting for them every day. While the media may label him as narcissistic, his followers see him as a defender of their values ​​and rights.

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If you’re not careful, rejecting the other side – as so many have towards Trump – will result in his supporters and breeders being fired as well. This alienation will cause these voters to give in and make it clear that they do not believe the other side will ever be their champion. By foreclosing the opportunity to win their votes, the left is reinforcing the very divide it claims to be bridging.

In short: Don’t look for hate unless that’s all you want to find.

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