Donald Trump’s speech went completely off the rails during a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia, Tuesday.
Trump lurched over the podium as he sped through several different topics, dispensing falsehoods at an event that was intended to be about the economy. To be sure, Trump did talk about his tariffs, saying, “The word tariff properly used is a beautiful word. One of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard. It’s music to my ears.”
As Trump continued, he appeared to be out of it, misspeaking several times.
“We did so much! We gave you—before—the greatest, the biggest tax hikes in the history of our country,” Trump boasted. In reality, the former president installed a series of tax cuts that mostly benefited the country’s top one percent of earners.
Later, Trump referred to Charlottesville, Virginia, as “Charlottestown.”
Trump spoke so rapidly that, at one point, the Republican nominee appeared to wipe drool from his lip. He went on to claim that California was plagued by “blackouts and brownouts” and experienced one “every 10 seconds,” which was preventing people from using air conditioning during the summer.
Trump seemed particularly animated as he rattled between different outlandish claims.
“I HAVE A CHART, that’s my all time favorite. I love that. Is it around? Is it a—?” Trump wandered away from the podium. Finding no chart, he pretended one was floating behind him and acted out hugging and kissing it, while the audience applauded. “I LOVE that chart. I sleep with that chart, every night I kiss it. I love it.”
Trump: “I HAVE A CHART THAT’S MY ALL TIME FAVORITE. I love tha….. is it around? …. is it around … *wanders off and hugs the air* … I sleep with that chart every night. I kiss it. I love it.” pic.twitter.com/3wT15UHHFJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 24, 2024
He continued to spread disputed claims that a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado. “They’re going to take over a lot more than Aurora, they’re going to go through Colorado, take over the whole damn state, unless … I become president,” Trump said, smiling.
Trump also joked that in Springfield, Ohio, Mayor Rob Rue was “looking for interpreters.” When his line fell flat, he repeated it again: “He’s looking all over the, f—interpreters. Because they can’t understand, the language is totally different. What the hell?”
Trump then repeated his baseless claim that Kamala Harris never actually worked at McDonald’s, again offering to try a shift there.
“She lied about McDonald’s. She said, ‘I was a worker in McDonald’s. And I stood over the french fries—.’ I’m going to a McDonald’s over the next two weeks. And I’M GOING TO STAND OVER THE FRENCH FRIES! Because I want to see what her job really wasn’t like,” Trump ranted.
While speaking about Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine, the former president said he doubted anyone could beat Russia. “That’s what they do is, they fight wars. As somebody told me the other day, they beat Hitler, they beat Napoleon. That’s what they do, they fight,” Trump said.
As far as using incendiary rhetoric about his opponent goes, Trump began his speech promising that if elected, Harris would “destroy” the country, and ended it after warning that a Harris victory might mean “this could be your last election.”
Source Agencies