by
On a wet, cold Wednesday night, a slice of President Donald Trump's gripping White House Reality Show turned up at a strip joint on a worn and tattered stretch of 8 Mile Road on Detroit's east side.
After canceling twice, Stormy Daniels, aka Stephanie Clifford, appeared at Truth Detroit nightclub, getting on stage for her first of three shows shortly after 9 p.m., slightly more than an hour late. She slowly removed her cabaret-style, black and white outfit, bared her breasts and paraded up down the narrow stage, surrounded by a gaggle of ogling men, some who slipped dollar bills into her bikini bottom.
At one point, she edged up to an admiring, stocky Elvis impersonator, who buried his face between her breasts. He had an expression of Mission Accomplished.
The burly bodyguards stood vigilantly, periodically reminding customers not to take photos with their phones. At one point, a security guard tapped a dapperly dressed young man on the shoulder after he got too frisky while placing paper money in Stormy's bikini. The guest's smile quickly faded.
After 20 minutes or so, Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a fling with Trump in 2006, was done with Act 1, with two more to go.
In case customers forgot Stormy Daniels' connection to the man in the White House, the club hired a Donald Trump impersonator, Don Rosso, who looked very very much like the real guy. But unlike Trump, he doesn't live in the U.S. He's from London, Ontario.
The impersonator didn't perform, but rather walked around schmoozing with customers and posing for photos.
The whole night was:
A. An amusing, entertaining night out.
B. A sad commentary on America and the presidency.
C. Both.
For the first show, about 100 people were in attendance; mostly guys in blue jeans. Some wore khakis and donned baseball caps. Then there were these two aging hipsters, probably in their late 60s, wearing the uncool kind of white gym shoes, but looking as if they were having a blast.
The media waited outside before the show to snap a photo of Stormy Daniels arriving. She eventually showed up at the back of the club in a black, Chevy Suburban and was whisked inside by an entourage of burly security guys.
Interestingly, the patrons were a mixed bag: Trump supporters, Trump haters and those who simply wanted to see first hand a celebrity. One customer pulled up in a compact car with a Clinton-Kaine bumper sticker.
Hours before the performance, one customer stood outside in the chili weather, clad in a short sleeve shirt and baseball cap, smoking a cigarette, and explaining that "curiosity" brought him out.
I came "more for the entertainment aspect, for shits and giggles," said the man who preferred not to give his name.
Did he vote for Trump?
"Not at all," he said. "I was a Bernie supporter."
On the other hand, customer Robert Quaine, 52, of Utica, voted for Trump.
"I want to see Stormy Davis, or whatever her name is," he said, explaining that "it's only once in a great while" you get to see a great looking woman like her.
"She's a celebrity," he said, conceding that she's not good for Trump and his image.
"I'm a supporter of Trump," he said, adding that a lot of people, including reporters, are trying to prevent him from doing his job.
Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels, who came to Detroit for her "Make America Horny Again" tour is suing Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen for defamation of character.
Interesting.
The media waits for Stormy Daniels to arrive.
Security sneaks her through the back.
Trump impersonator schmoozed with the crowd all night.
No cameras were allowed so it was difficult getting a clear shot of Stormy on stage.
One customer who appeared not to be a Trump fan.
Wildest coat of the evening.
