Outrage over Donald Trump’s provocative rhetoric swiftly shifted to bewilderment when the Republican nominee spent 40 minutes swaying to his favorite songs during a rally near Philadelphia.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to express concern for Trump’s mental state, posting a video of the event on social media with the caption, “Hope he’s okay,” which many found strange, even by Trump’s standards.
The unexpected musical break happened after two attendees fainted from the heat at the indoor rally in Oaks, Pennsylvania. After Trump requested air-conditioning, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who was moderating the event, joked about inflation, saying, “They probably can’t afford it, sir, in this economy.” Trump then decided to skip the Q&A session, declaring, “Let’s just listen to music.”
The rally soon became an impromptu concert, with Trump swaying on stage to nine songs, including James Brown’s It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World, the Village People’s YMCA, and Luciano Pavarotti’s Ave Maria. Noem joined in, mimicking his dance moves.
Trump later praised the fainting attendees, calling them “patriots,” and added, “Because of them, we ended up with some great music.”
Ironically, Trump’s embrace of music comes as he faces ongoing legal battles with artists like Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, who have objected to his use of their songs at his rallies.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris warned voters about the darker themes in Trump’s events, playing clips of him calling his opponents “the enemy within” at her rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. She argued the footage showed Trump as “unstable and unhinged,” cautioning that a second Trump term would be “dangerous” for America.
Trump’s musical moment evoked memories of his days at Studio 54 in the 1970s, although the club’s founder has said he never saw Trump dance. His campaign team described the rally as a “lovefest,” with spokesperson Steven Cheung joking on social media that “people were so excited they were fainting.” Another staffer referred to the event as “DJ Trump.” Social media reactions, however, were mixed, with some calling Trump’s behavior “absolutely insane.”
