Trump sways and bops to music for 39 minutes in bizarre town hall episode

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Tue Oct 15, 2024, 10:17 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: Washington Post

Trump sways and bops to music for 39 minutes in bizarre town hall episode
The scene comes as Vice President Kamala Harris has called Trump, 78, unstable and called into question his mental acuity.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DGZ2G0jGnhk

On Oct. 14, former president Donald Trump had to cut a town hall short in Oaks, Pa., but remained onstage for a half hour swaying to the background music. (Video: Alisa Shodiyev Kaff/The Washington Post, Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

By Marianne LeVine
Updated October 15, 2024 at 1:08 a.m. EDT Published October 14, 2024 at 11:26 p.m. EDT

OAKS, Pa. -- The town hall, moderated by South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R), began with questions from preselected attendees for the former president. Donald Trump offered meandering answers for how he would address housing affordability and help small businesses. But it took a sudden turn after two attendees required medical attention.

And so Trump, after jokingly asking the crowd whether "anybody else would like to faint," took a different approach. ... "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. ... 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.

"Total lovefest at the PA townhall! Everyone was so excited they were fainting so @realDonaldTrump turned to music," campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X. "Nobody wanted to leave and wanted to hear more songs from the famous DJT Spotify playlist!"

{snip}

As Trump stood onstage in his oversize suit and bright red tie, swaying back and forth, it was almost as if he were taking a trip back to the decades past. Trump's decision to cut short the question-and-answer portion of the town hall and instead have the crowd stay to listen to his favorite songs was a somewhat bizarre move, given that the election was only 22 days away. It also comes as Vice President Kamala Harris has called Trump, 78, unstable and called into question his mental acuity.

{snip}

By Marianne LeVine
Marianne LeVine is a national political reporter for The Washington Post.follow on X @marianne_levine

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/14/trump-music-sways-town-hall/

---

Sure, Steve.

Ordinarily I don't treat Trump rallies as newsworthy, but this is usually the point where family members start thinking maybe it's time for an intervention.

-- -- -- -- -- --

The headline still uses "bizarre" when I go to the article. This headline might be on the teaser (i.e., clickbait) page.

Update. Hat tip, Mz Pip

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143322622#post44

Wa Po changed its headline
Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)
Tue Oct 15, 2024, 11:03 AM
At first it said "bizarre" then they rewrote it to "unusual."

Nearly every comment to the article called them on it or at least saw through it and saw it for what it was - a sundowning old man who has no business being president.

[._.]

1. Weird..

My impression was that he was high a/f and in no mood to field questions.

[BlueWavePsych]

56. Train has left the station ...

[Dave Bowman]

76. Lol, appropriate cartoon.

[msfiddlestix]

70. Right, ,my take on it as well. I'd say that reminds me of myself when I'm ripped.

But I'm not running for President or any office for that matter.

[C Moon]

2. Pay wall. It's only available to Washington Post folks. No other sites have any video. :(

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Gift article:

https://wapo.st/4dK01kt



❤️

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Thanks. I can't link to that when I'm posting from a phone. NT

[littlemissmartypants]

18. YW, mahat. ❤️

[chia]

8. Thank you!

[littlemissmartypants]

19. YW, chia. ❤️

[SergeStorms]

15. Thanks, SmartyPants!

We all appreciate it.

[littlemissmartypants]

20. My pleasure, SergeStorms. ❤️

[littlemissmartypants]

4. Psychopath says:

Trump then resumed. Minutes later, another attendee needed medical attention. Trump stopped again: “Take your time, doctor.” “Ave Maria” began to play again. Trump then quipped to the crowd: “Would anybody else like to faint? Please raise your hand. Let’s do it now.”

[COL Mustard]

16. Are they just crisis actors? Designed to get him out of having to answer questions?

Hey, I'm just asking questions here.

[littlemissmartypants]

17. Not a term I'd think I'd use. ...

It is associated with a not so persuasive and pristine history. Better suited for a conspiracy theory discussion.

He has substandard preparation and provisions for his rallies. The people are the least of his concerns.

For the psychopath to love is to hurt. Therefore, he's incapable of compassion and motivated by inflicting pain on others.

They are victims, imo. Idiots but also there for him to abuse. Some people who would literally die for someone who doesn't care if they live or die.

The callousness of the comment is what struck me. The attendees are more things than human in his mind.

I really shouldn't have been surprised. But he just outdoes himself in his debasement.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_actor
Crisis actor
...Snip...
In the United States, the term has been used by conspiracy theorists who claim that some mass shootings and other terror events are staged for the advancement of various political objectives.[7] Conspiracy theorists' use of the term is thought to have originated in 2012, when a blog post by former professor and conspiracy theorist James Tracy suggested that the government could have hired an acting agency named Visionbox to help stage the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Snip...
[12]

❤️pants

[COL Mustard]

22. I was using it deliberately

To make fun of Tucker and the others.

❤️

[littlemissmartypants]

23. Oh. I rarely think of them. ❤️

[Upthevibe]

59. COL Mustard..........

In 2020 they advertised on Craigs list for "actors" and were paying. I saw it with my own eyes. I don't know about this time....

[niyad]

35. I just read that in the gift link. "Ave Maria" at a fucking rally? WTAF???

[littlemissmartypants]

39. Yeah. Totally bizarre. ❤️

[Wild blueberry]

49. Pavarotti died in 2007, so he can't sue Sludge Goblin for use of his singing?

[debm55]

57. Also Prince died. as did Cohen. I hope their estates sue.

[littlemissmartypants]

58. Notice he is...

Also using another dead musical artist's song on his play list, Sinéad O'Connor.

I wouldn't be surprised if his campaign team doesn't sit at the planning meetings trying to think up dead musicians who they think won't be able to sue. That's how twisted plus stupid they are.

[Bozvotros]

68. Sludge Goblin

What a perfect term for that shit weasel dickweed! I'm going to be using that. Thanks!

[ShazzieB]

83. That is indeed a beautiful coinage!

Sludge Goblin... Sludge Goblin... oh, yes, it fits him to a T!

[Thomas Hurt]

81. Crossed my mind he was pissed that their medical issue interrupted his "me" fest...

so he was going to make everyone suffer and deprive them of his greatness and godlike oratory.

[brush]

6. Paywall and the free gift article posted by a reader requires subscription info. I don't want to do that.

Is there any way to see the video without all the runaround?

From the description of him bopping for thirty minutes to the music, my God, the man is totally gone yet maga ts will still vote for the rapidly declining convict.

[chia]

7. Wapo didn't used to require that for gift articles. Here's a workaround if you have apple's latest update:

When you click on the new read icon in the address bar, you can select "hide distracting items" in the drop-down menu.

Click on the part of the page that tells you that you have to sign in to get the gift article, and it will disintegrate before your eyes, leaving you just the article. Click "done" at the top of the page.

I was able to access the article and video without having to sign in.

Also works on annoying ads that block content.

Great new feature of the latest update for MacBook and iPhone.

[UpInArms]

12. Link here

No paywall, no sign in

https://archive.ph/wtfRv

[AllyCat]

14. I have an email account through DuckDuckGo. It's a burner account

It doesn’t link to me using their privacy settings. If I ever get a real communication, DDG contacts my actual email for my review.

[True Dough]

27. The entire video can be found here, brush

Not that I'd encourage anyone to watch the full-length madness, but the choice is yours.

[llmart]

32. Thanks but...

I tried and could only make it through 2 minutes. I got to the point where they started playing Ave Maria and the crowd , or rather cult, chanted USA USA and my mind couldn't process the stupidity of it all.

[True Dough]

43. I understand completely

Lots of people leave those rallies early. Imagine sticking it out for a couple of hours of that crap? Too far gone!

[niyad]

36. I just used the free gift link, and was not asked for anything.

[littlemissmartypants]

41. Not the link I posted. ...

It's likely that you were targeted with an interstitial ad. You can click out of those.

Also, here are the links to the archive buttons:

https://archive.ph/
Archive.today is a time capsule for web pages!
It takes a 'snapshot' of a webpage that will always be online even if the original page disappears.
It saves a text and a graphical copy of the page for better accuracy and provides a short and reliable link to an unalterable record of any web page
including those from Web 2.0 sites

https://www.archivebuttons.com/
All of the paywall removers in one place
Simply enter the URL of the article and click the archive buttons to remove any paywall.

If you don't find it there, you can archive it for yourself. Pay walls are not much of a concern anymore because of all of the work arounds we can access that in addition to gift links eliminate barriers to accessing the information.

Put the archive link in your favorites. It's really handy. I've also mailed the information to you.

❤️

[regnaD kciN]

9. Was he doing his signature dance...

…the Double Handjob?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

11. No he just sways side to side

I don't think he has the stamina to go 39 minutes however.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

66. That's what STORMY said! n/t

Bless you, Stephanie Clifford.

[Botany]

37. Trump has 3 "dance moves"

The rock em sock em robots upper cut fist pump

The invisible accordion

The point at an audience member, shit eating grin, and then swaying back and forth

All of the above moves can be done with his feet stuck in cement act.

[Doodley]

10. Normally a man with this level of dementia would have his car keys take away,, but Trump could be getting the

keys to the Whitehouse and the nuclear codes.

[BattleRow]

77. Cue the tune.."If I ruled the world"..

Or,God forbid,

"WHEN I rule the world"..

[MistakenLamb]

13. If Biden did anything like this it would lead all over the news

[Walleye]

21. This morning's network news shows are totally sane washing the incident

One commentator said, Trump seem to enjoy the music and the crowd liked it. Swear to God like it was totally normal. Their big news is the polls, of course

[Ursus Arctos]

26. Yup

From a NYT article: "Mr. Trump’s crowd cheered in approval, an indication of how his supporters flock to his rallies to be in his presence as much as to hear him make political points with which they are intimately familiar.
The playlist session was a glimpse of the private version of Mr. Trump seen more often at Mar-a-Lago, his residence and club in Palm Beach, Fla., than at political events."

[llmart]

30. I noticed that also.

Turned it off immediately afterwards. Our media is nothing but a joke any more.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

67. The national evening news is sanewashing and drug ads

Why would I watch it?

[gademocrat7]

24. Absolutely bizarre

He is a shallow demented man in serious need of an intervention.

[Marthe48]

25. elon replaced traitor with an automaton

and clicked on dance mode

[tanyev]

28. The family won't do anything--the GOP's already providing adult day care for him.

[get the red out]

29. One positive for me personally

A song on his playlist was one I wanted to add to mine.

[Clouds Passing]

31. Just an act, at this point he's just trying to outdo his last outrage. He's an actor.

[johnnyfins]

45. A fucking cartoon

[Clouds Passing]

62. Indeed

[AdamGG]

74. I wonder if he's trying to show

that he's ahead and doesn't need to worry. I wonder if Mussolini, Gaddafi and other dictators had episodes like this. If he were to get re-elected, his first term would seem like a combination of Washington & Lincoln compared to the second - and the first term was fascist unhinged.

[Katinfl]

33. Click on the first link in the post.

YouTube.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. And the band played on.

Isn't this what his next administration is going to look like?

The U.S. is going to be going down like the Titanic, and Trump will be bopping to the music.

[niyad]

38. "his famous spotify playlist"??? First I have heard of it. Another of his weird

obsessions, apparently.

[70sEraVet]

40. I guess, when you have a "beautiful body" .......

they let you do it!

[niyad]

42. Gee, thanks. I didn't really need breakfast anyway!

[Mz Pip]

44. Wa Po changed its headline

At first it said “bizarre” then they rewrote it to “unusual.”

Nearly every comment to the article called them on it or at least saw through it and saw it for what it was - a sundowning old man who has no business being president.

[Ray Bruns]

46. Now is the time at the rally when we dance!

https://m.

[Hekate]

47. TYVM for this post Mahatma, and to LMSP for the gift link. Take grandpa's car keys away...

[kimbutgar]

48. I flipped over to CSPAN looking for VP Harris

And saw this weird rally. Kristi the puppy killer looked so uncomfortable and awkward. And playing Ave Maria was such an insult. I don’t think I can ever hear it again and not see the grotesque orange monster swaying like he could give a $hit in my mind. And insulting one of the attendees that fainted and mocked him weight.

One is a special kind of stupid to still support this man. But at the rate he’s going I see him imploding between Noem and Election Day on live tv!

[republianmushroom]

50. Check the stash jr..

[Beartracks]

51. The reeeeeally want to get Trump/Vance into office so they can 25 Trump and make Vance President, don't they?

[malthaussen]

65. Why waste time with the 25th Amendment? n/t

[JohnnyRingo]

52. Love to know what artists' honor he sullied for this one.

I'm sure YMCA because he knows all the moves, but what others does he think promotes his brand?
I know he's not a music lover, and only plays songs suggested by his handlers. Like "Eye Of The Tiger".

[Zambero]

53. A whole new twist on "Facing the Music"

From the prespective of the captive audience. It must be a daunting task for SNL's skit writers to pick and choose between the non-stop litany of verbal train wrecks and unforced displays of cognitive breakdown.

[BattleRow]

75. The Broadway musical "The Music Man",

later a Hollywood film,was about a flim flam con man.

Far more entertaining than THIS emBARE ass ing exhibition.

[Javaman]

54. people with dementia usually enjoy music, it connects them to memories and the moment. that's how it was with my mom.

the orange asshole is around the bend

[BlueWavePsych]

55. Super KRA KRA!

[Quanto Magnus]

60. I caught a bit on ABC news this morning

the talking heads were marveling at the variety of music in the list.... Totally ignoring the fact that it was a town hall and DonOLD was supposed to be answering questions.

[llmart]

79. They also said he did "something he rarely does at rallies"...

that he "went down into the crowd and shook hands with some of his supporters". From the Washington Post article and the video it shows he only shook hands with those that were on stage with him.

Sane washing by ABC. That term is so appropriate these days.

[Montauk6]

61. "The FAKE NEWS media said I'm outta shape..."

"I danced non-stop for a WHOLE HOUR, and it was tremendous, NO-ONE'S EVER danced that long, and I didn't even break a sweat. Ka-MA-la can't dance, I'm a great dancer. I'm the greatest dancer who's ever lived, it's true. MEE-YINS and MEE-YINS of people come to my rallies to hear the GREATEST speeches and the even GREATEST routines!"

[jmbar2]

63. They say I'm a great interpretive dancer.

Everyone knows it.

I know everything about interpretive dance.

I can interpretive dance like nothing anyone has ever seen before.

[malthaussen]

64. Did some cabal of billionaires kidnap Mr Trump and give him a lobotomy?

Seriously, the speed with which his derangement has worsened as the year has progressed is alarming. My former roommate had a rapid descent into la-la land himself back in '20, fine in May and incoherent in September. And dead by December. DJT seems to me (an uneducated layman, to be sure) to be in much the same case.

Of course his handlers and the voters don't care. So long as they can prop him up enough to get the votes, they'll ignore things like this. But I cannot believe they don't have some plan to retire him suddenly if he actually wins this thing.

-- Mal

[GopherGal]

72. How long will it be "Weekend at Bernie's" at the White House

until they get the Fanta Menace out of there and move Peter Thiel's protege into office?

[slightlv]

69. mahatma,

his kids and other family members obviously don't care enough about him to risk an intervention with him. He'd probably immediately call his lawyer and disinherit everyone involved, they reason. To that family, except maybe Mary Trump, money is more important than blood... unless the blood leads to money.

With hubs having such issues now, and my health going downhill, in some ways, I feel pity for him that there's no one who can take him in hand and do what's right for him... AND the country. His maga cult is just like his family. They're expecting things.. changes to their point of view... a dictatorship where they're on the upper end of the power scale (ha!). They're using him in his condition just as much as his kids are.

Shame on T for not having ever cultivated a sense of responsibility and reason that he could draw on in these last mental days, and absolute Shame on his family for parading him around on stage in his condition. He's a total embarrassment. I at least make sure my hubby is dressed correctly when we go out. And I monitor him and he accepts my help.

SHAME SHAME SHAME on that family.

[msfiddlestix]

71. Must have been some pretty good reefer. Or maybe it was ecstasy. ?

[red dog 1]

73. How can VonShitzInPantz be tied with Harris at 48%? (NBC poll)

Are there really that many MAGAts out there?

[Ocelot II]

78. I wonder whether Steven Cheung took his political mouthpiece lessons

from Muhammad Saeed Al-Sahhaf, a/k/a Baghdad Bob.

[Dave Bowman]

80. "Trump stood onstage in his oversize suit and bright red tie, swaying back and forth"

The image that came to mind while reading this was one of a beached whale, for some reason.

[Beartracks]

82. Getting stranded in the Coachella desert almost sounds preferable to this weird lock-in.

=====================

[FakeNoose]

84. Allow me to explain the utter stupidity of Chump

He plays a recording of "Ave Maria" sung by Pavarotti and pretends to sway, etc. There's only one problem with this ... "Ave Maria" especially when it's sung in Latin, is a Catholic prayer. Only Catholics say or sing this prayer ... also known as the "Hail Mary" in English. Most Evangelicals (as well as other Protestants) hate this prayer as much as they hate Catholics.

I'll bet a lot of the audience were probably offending and steaming that Chump played this music. I wonder how many got up and walked out?

[dlk]

85. One reporter called it: Trump is sundowning

On live tv, no less.

[twodogsbarking]

86. Every day he does something even more batshitcrazy.

[mahina]

87. Everyone was looking at him so all was well.

[Zorro]

88. He Bop!

[LPBBEAR]

89. After Lunch is served at

Blissful Valleys Senior Center please stick around for the afternoon music series with "Swing and Sway with DJ T".

[LaMouffette]

90. If I didn't know better (that he is suffering mental decline), then I would think the "stable genius" was setting up an

insanity defense for his multiple court cases.