October 15, 2024 10:25 AM UTC

New Questions about Trump Mental Fitness After Bizarre Monday Rally

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• by: Colorado Pols

Donald Trump might be running short on marbles.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been urging Americans to take a closer look at rallies held by the Republican Presidential nominee — including last Friday’s appearance at the Gaylord Resort in Aurora, Colo. — to view firsthand how the 78-year-old meanders from topic to topic in exceedingly long speeches that even MAGA diehards are leaving early.

As The Guardian explains:

At a rally of her own in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Harris took the unusual step of playing footage from Trump’s rallies of him excoriating opponents as “the enemy within”, saying it showed him to be “unstable and unhinged”.

“He considers anyone who doesn’t support him or who will not bend to his will an enemy of our country,” Harris said after playing a clip of the comment on a giant screen. “This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America, and dangerous.”

The Harris campaign couldn’t have known that Trump’s rally later on Monday evening in Oaks, Pennsylvania would turn into an entirely different brand of bizarre.

As The Washington Post reports:

“Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. Let’s make it into a music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” he said.

For 39 minutes, Trump swayed, bopped — sometimes stopping to speak — as he turned the event into almost a living-room listening session of his favorite songs from his self-curated rally playlist.

He played nine tracks. He danced. He shook hands with people onstage. He pointed to the crowd. Noem stood beside him, nodding with her hands clasped. Trump stayed in place onstage, slowly moving back and forth. He was done answering questions for the night. [Pols emphasis]

From The New York Times:

After offering what appeared to be a closing statement and having his campaign play a James Brown song, Mr. Trump suggested taking another question or two. As the crowd cheered in approval, he said, “let’s go,” but then said he’d play “Y.M.C.A.” and send the crowd home.

But after “Y.M.C.A.” ended, Mr. Trump seemed a little perplexed. “There’s nobody leaving,” he said. “What’s going on?” The audience cheered, and so the music kept going, as Ms. Noem stood awkwardly by, and many in the audience seemed unsure about whether the event was over.

Still, as one song became two, then three, many of those in the back of the house began to filter out. As the opening chords of the Guns N’ Roses power ballad “November Rain” played, one of Mr. Trump’s aides, Justin Caporale, came on the stage with a sheet of paper.

Mr. Trump briefly reviewed what had been handed to him, and the two chatted briefly. Then, seconds later, Mr. Trump decided he’d had his fill. He waved, pumped his fist, and finally made his way off the stage.

The Trump campaign argues that this wasn’t weird because it took place after two different audience members had medical issues that required assistance. However, medical emergencies among Trump rally attendees are certainly not a new phenomenon. Trump seemed genuinely lost on Monday (or perhaps he finally cracked after being in such close proximity to South Dakota Governor and admitted puppy killer Kristi Noem).

In a late-night social media rageathon, Trump tried to turn the question about mental and physical health toward Harris…by arguing that her seasonal allergies are “dangerous.”