Donald Trump experienced a pause lasting more than 30 seconds during his speech at the National Rifle Association (NRA), sparking claims that something was seriously amiss with the former president.
Social media buzzed with conjecture following the presidential candidate‘s lengthy silence on Saturday at the NRA’s annual gathering in Texas. Trump encouraged gun owners to cast their votes in November, stating that the Second Amendment was at stake after the NRA officially endorsed him.
However, an hour into his address, Trump fell silent for a noticeable duration, leading some observers to suggest it was an indication he is “in decline” and not fit for the role as he vies once again for the White House. Trump stated: “The Texas spirit of proud independence was forged by cowboys and cattle hands, ranchers and rangers, oil workers, soldiers and brave, brave, brave, pioneers.”
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“Many came here with nothing but the boots or their feet, the clothes on their back, and the gun in their saddle. Together they helped make America into the single greatest nation in the history of the world.” It was at this juncture that Trump ceased speaking and did not resume for more than 30 seconds, seemingly without reason.
Music played in the background while at one point he shook his head. He then restarted his speech, saying: “But now we are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation. We are a nation that has the highest inflation in 58 years, where banks are collapsing, and interest rates are skyrocketing.”
An account under the name @BidensWins shared the moment on X, formerly Twitter, prompting others to speculate about what had caused Trump to stop speaking. The Biden’s Wins account said Trump “glitched out and froze,” adding: “He is clearly unfit for office. Retweet so every American knows Trump is senile.”
One X user, Ric Caric, said the video was a sign of Trump’s decline, posting to X saying: “That’s a long glitch, almost a full 40 seconds. It looks like Trump got lost in the music before snapping out of it a little. I can’t decide whether that’s churchy music, soap opera music, or some kind of mix. But Trump is in decline while America has to bear the burden of MAGA.”
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Harry Sisson, a Democrat content creator, said Trump: “Just FROZE for a solid 30 seconds. This guy is clearly unfit to serve. He has mentally declined rapidly, and it’s very clear. He needs to drop out of the race ASAP!”
“Trump sundowning again. This time with a 30-second brain glitch,” another user posted on X. Another individual attributed it to a technical issue, stating Trump was “shaking his head in disgust as his teleprompter went down.”
One person drew parallels with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s moments of freezing due to a faulty teleprompter, saying: “I don’t know if Trump’s teleprompter went out or if he just had a Glitch McConnell episode, but pausing for a full 33 seconds mid-speech for no reason is really weird.”
However, staunch Trump supporters argued this was all part of their former president’s strategy, asserting: “He is pausing for effect. He is also wrestling with some sadness, due to the disastrous state of his beloved country. Another said: “Anyone who’s watched a Trump rally knows he was pausing for the music.”