If you had “Donald Trump dancing instead of answering questions” on your 2024 bingo card, get your stamper ready. During a town hall this week, the Republican candidate for President opted to listen to his campaign playlist instead of continuing to answer questions at the Philadelphia event.
Trump was only half an hour into the town hall before the event was first interrupted by a medical emergency. Though Trump tried to continue the event after it settled down, he was interrupted again by another medical emergency when yet another audience member passed out. That’s when the former President decided to take matters into his own hands.
Rather than continuing to answer questions, Trump played his campaign playlist for roughly 30 minutes. During that time, he bobbed along to the music.
So what was on Trump’s playlist? Attendees were treated to a mix that included the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.,” Rufus Wainwright’s version of “Hallelujah,” Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the live version of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s World” and “Memory” from the Broadway play “Cats.”
The event took place at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., where Trump was aided by South Dakota governor Kristi Noem. Thanks to a round of friendly audience questions, Trump touched on familiar topics like the economy, immigration and Vice President Kamala Harris before the event was interrupted.
After two disruptions and playing “Ave Maria” multiple times, Trump changed course. “Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music,” Trump said. “Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?”
This switch was met with a round of cheers from the Trump supporters who were in the audience. However, others online have been less kind. Democratic political strategist Simon Rosenberg pointed to the incident as proof that Trump is “unfit, unhinged & unwell.”
Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas called the town hall “very strange” “Trump urges people to vote and then plays the YMCA,” he wrote on X. Political journalist Aaron Rupar characterized the whole event as “deeply bizarre scenes.”