Trump’s erratic behavior takes another bizarre turn with a town hall turned dance party | The Homestretch

In June, Donald Trump jumped the shark during a rambling riff about electric boats and great whites. He then bounced from lie to lie, “they’re eating the dogs” and “they stole the FEMA money.”

But on Monday, Trump’s campaign moved to the “Fat Elvis” stage.

During a town hall in Oaks, Pa., Trump gave meandering and misleading answers to prepared questions. When a Lansdale man asked about plans to help small businesses, Trump responded: “The fact is, they want to get away from gas.”

Trump then spewed some nonsense about gas vs. electric power. He encouraged supporters to vote on “January 5th,” apparently conflating Election Day (Nov. 5) with the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.

The town hall was interrupted twice after attendees apparently passed out. That prompted Trump to joke: “Would anyone else like to faint? Please raise your hand.”

After just five questions, the town hall took a more bizarre turn.

“Let’s not do any more questions,” Trump said. “Let’s just listen to music.”

For the next 39 minutes, Trump swayed to some of his favorite oldies. The playlist included “Y.M.C.A.,” the disco hit by the Village People, Rufus Wainwright’s cover of “Hallelujah,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Memory” from the musical Cats, and “Ave Maria.”

Such Mad King behavior reignited questions about Trump’s mental state. The New York Times headline said: “Trump Bobs His Head to Music for 30 Minutes in Odd Town Hall Detour.”

The Washington Post did a deeper dive that explored Trump’s deranged behavior in recent weeks. The opening paragraph alone likely would have ended most presidencies.

The headline read: “Trump’s erratic endgame: Dark threats, personal insults and some dancing” and quoted Sen. Brian Schatz (D., Hawaii) saying, “There are people that like for their candidate to look strong and to look like they are in command. This guy looks like he’s the last guy to leave the karaoke bar.”

A Fox News correspondent couldn’t put lipstick on the pig. “Well, this is a very strange Trump town hall in Pennsylvania,” Bryan Llenas wrote on X.

» READ MORE: As commander in chief, Trump was a failure. As a confidence man, he excels. | The Homestretch

The event even prompted coverage on Russian state television where one correspondent chuckled while reporting the details as the host said Trump was “suspected of being unfit because of his advanced age.”

This is not the first time other countries and world leaders have laughed at Trump or voiced concern about his bonkers behavior.

Trump’s campaign events have become so absurd that Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris is showing highlights at her rallies.

Gov. Tim Walz encouraged voters to watch Trump’s rallies. “If this was your grandfather, you’d take the keys away,” he joked before adding, “It would be funny if this guy were not running for president of the United States.”

That is the danger.

Trump’s angry ramblings, memory lapses and word slurring may explain why he dodged a second debate with Harris and backed out of a “60 Minutes” interview. After Harris humiliated Trump in the first debate, he can not risk pitting his lies and outbursts on display against her normal and measured temperament.

Trump, 78, also won’t release his medical records or his tax returns, which no one is even asking about anymore. Trump’s wealthy running mate, JD Vance, also has not released his tax returns.

Meanwhile, Harris released her medical records and 20 years of tax returns. She is also making the media rounds, showing she is tough, empathetic, and relatable.

Harris was grilled by “60 Minutes,” where she discussed border security, standing up to Putin, and other issues. She flashed her fortitude as a Fox News interviewer constantly interrupted her responses.

Harris appeared on The View, where she talked about taking care of her mother when she was dying from cancer, and proposed Medicare pay for in-home healthcare.

She discussed abortion rights with Alex Cooper, who hosts the popular podcast Call Her Daddy, and scoffed at Trump’s claim that he would protect women after he led the effort to get Roe v. Wade overturned.

Harris courted Black voters during a wide-ranging interview with Charlamagne tha God, in which she also called Trump “weak.”

She shared a beer with Late Show host Stephen Colbert and expressed outrage at the recent report that Trump sent COVID-19 tests to Vladimir Putin during the height of the pandemic.

Trump “thinks, well, that’s his friend,” Harris said. “What about the American people? They should be your first friend.”

When Colbert asked if Trump lost the 2020 election, she said: “You know, when you lost millions of jobs, you lost manufacturing, you lost automotive plants, you lost the election. What does that make you? A loser.”

Harris laughed and Colbert responded: “It’s accurate. It’s accurate.”

Then she added: “This is what happens when I drink beer!”

After getting thrust into a short campaign, Harris moved quickly to detail her policies and show her personal side for those who want to get to know her. The contrast in style and substance between Harris and Trump is stark.

One is presidential and Trump is not.

Iconic reporter Bob Woodward spent more than 50 years covering U.S. presidents, starting with Watergate coverage, alongside journalist Carl Bernstein, that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation.

Woodward’s latest book, titled War, includes a telling epilogue. Woodward writes that he half-jokingly begins each day asking, “What are the bastards hiding?”

But in examining President Joe Biden’s handling of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and efforts to contain the war in Gaza, based on the available evidence, Woodward concluded: “President Biden and his team will be largely studied in history as an example of steady and purposeful leadership.”

The Homestretch is an occasional column by members of The Inquirer Editorial Board exploring the stakes in the 2024 presidential race.