Donald Trump is pushing back against claims that he "froze" during a rally speech, calling the accusations a deliberate misrepresentation.
The incident occurred at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Dallas on Saturday, where Trump momentarily paused, leading some critics to suggest he experienced a lapse.
Trump's Explanation
On Monday, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to address the claims.
He explained that the brief silence was intentional and part of his speech routine, timed to coincide with music playing in the background.
Trump described this as a "standard" aspect of his rallies.
TikTok user HarryJsisson has shared a video of the incident here.
During his speech, Trump praised Texas's spirit of independence, mentioning the contributions of cowboys, ranchers, oil workers, and pioneers.
As he finished this segment, he paused, allowing music to play before continuing with his remarks about America's current challenges.
"The Texas spirit of proud independence was forged by cowboys and cattle hands, ranchers and rangers, oil workers, soldiers, and brave, brave, brave, pioneers," Trump stated.
"Many came here with nothing but the boots on 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." After this, Trump paused as music played, then resumed, criticizing the state of the nation under current leadership.
Opponents of Trump quickly took to social media, seizing the opportunity to question his fitness to serve as president.
One person wrote:
"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's Response
Trump countered these narratives by accusing the Biden campaign of spreading "disinformation."
He asserted that his pause was a deliberate part of his speech, designed to allow the music to play, a technique he claims to have used consistently.
Trump further criticized Biden, stating,
"The reason they came up with this Disinformation is that Biden freezes all the time, can't put two sentences together, and can rarely find his way off the stage without help. Donald Trump doesn't freeze! It is a MADE UP Biden Campaign story, put out in a dying Newspaper that I never heard of, and every Reporter knows it, including the large group that was there...."
