Vice President Kamala Harris has responded to a particular moment from Donald Trump‘s recent rally in Pennsylvania, where the former president’s actions left some observers puzzled.
With just 22 days until the election, Trump took the stage in suburban Philadelphia alongside South Dakota Governor Kristi L. Noem on Monday night.
During the rally, Trump provided rambling responses to questions about housing affordability and small business support, but the event took an unexpected turn when two attendees required medical assistance. As doctors attended to the individuals, Trump paused his speech and turned the rally into an impromptu dance session. For 39 minutes, he swayed to nine different tracks, including James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”
“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 about the bizarre rally. “Nobody wanted to leave and wanted to hear more songs from the famous DJT Spotify playlist!”
He added that “something very special is happening in Pennsylvania” as the scene unfolded, writing that Trump “is unlike any politician in history, and it’s great.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris also issued a response, writing bluntly on X: “Hope he’s okay.” Her tweet was accompanied by a video of Trump swaying on stage posted by the Harris-Walz HQ account.
It comes after Harris called Trump, 78, “increasingly unstable and unhinged” at her rally in Erie, Pennsylvania on Monday, and called into question his mental acuity. She also called on Trump to release his medical records over the weekend after her campaign released her own records, which found that she “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
Others also responded to the video posted by the Harris-Walz HQ account, with one person writing on X: “His age is really getting the best of him.”
“Imagine Harris just standing on stage listening to music for 30 MINUTES!! Don’t give this guy a pass just because he’s weird. This is not normal,” another person wrote.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa.
Alex Brandon/AP
The Trump War Room account hit back, writing: “Meanwhile, back in the real world, what actually happened is President Trump listened to music with his supporters after multiple people needed medical attention.
“The more Kamala’s interns see her poll numbers, the more pathetic the lies become.”
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for comment via email.
At the rally, Trump requested “Ave Maria” during the first interruption, which was played in an instrumental version. When the second medical incident occurred, he clarified that he meant Luciano Pavarotti’s rendition, and it was quickly played. Trump then joked to the audience: “Would anybody else like to faint? Please raise your hand. Let’s do it now.”
Pavarotti’s “Ave Maria” was followed by Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye” and James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Trump, transitioning back to the event, declared, “This is the most important election in the history of our country,” while accusing Democrats of weaponizing elections.
Later, he suggested abandoning the question-and-answer session for more music. “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” he remarked. Trump also referred to the medical emergencies, saying, “Those two people that went down are patriots and we love them, and because of them we ended up with some good music, right?”
As “YMCA” by the Village People began playing, Trump encouraged the crowd, with Governor Noem joining in as attendees danced and cheered.
Before leaving the stage, Trump commented, “Nobody’s leaving, what’s going on?” while Rufus Wainwright’s version of “Hallelujah” played. The night continued with Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Elvis Presley’s “An American Trilogy,” Oliver Anthony‘s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and finally “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses. Trump exited the stage to the song “Memory” from the musical Cats.
Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, later posted a picture from the event on X, captioning it: “DJ TRUMP!”
