A Donald Trump town hall full of strange moments was marked by a joke the former president made about how a couple whose son died in the war in Afghanistan was shot.
The conversation with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in Oaks, Pennsylvania, turned into an impromptu concert after the former president was interrupted twice by medical emergencies in the room.
But at one point, Noem introduced Mary and Charles Strange, a Gold Star family whose son Michael was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2011.
Trump and Noem encouraged the Strange family to come on stage, but Trump later joked about getting up to greet them.
‘It’s a little harder to get up since I was shot. It made it more difficult. “Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be,” he said.
A Donald Trump town hall full of strange moments was marked by a joke the former president made about being shot by a couple whose son died in the war in Afghanistan.
At one point, Noem introduced Mary and Charles Strange, a Gold Star family whose son Michael (pictured) was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2011.
Noem forced a laugh before reintroducing the Strange family: ‘They lost their son, Michael. Come up here.
Both Trump and the family got over it, and Charles Strange asked the president to launch a congressional investigation into his son’s death.
‘My son was murdered on August 6, 2011 along with 29 other men. “It was the largest loss of life in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Strange said.
Twenty-two of them were Navy Special Warfare men. To this day, we still have not gotten any response. I was wondering, I beg you, we would like a congressional hearing.
Trump responded: “So this is what we’re going to do.”
‘In the first week, not the first day because I made a lot of promises on the first day, we will do a baby drill, we will close the border, we will do a lot of things on the first day. . The first week we will create a commission.’
He completed his plan by inviting Charles and Mary Strange to visit him after his election.
‘We are going to find out because there are many people in the same situation as you. They want to know what happened, why it happened to their son or daughter, and we will do that during the first week. So get ready to come to the White House, okay?
Michael Strange (pictured) was killed in 2011 while serving in the war in Afghanistan.
Charles Strange (pictured right) called on the president to launch a congressional investigation into his son’s death.
Monday night’s event was billed as a “town hall” and a chance for Trump to answer economic questions from voters that could decide the outcome of the entire election.
But after just 32 minutes of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem bravely presiding over the question-and-answer session, she was alerted to a commotion in the crowd.
“A doctor, please,” Trump said.
The crowd fell silent as a doctor did his work.
“This is a little difficult,” Trump said, looking worried from the stage.
Minutes later, after an audience member named Heather managed to ask a question about the border, a second person became ill. The people around him waved their campaign signs like they were fans.
With another pause in the proceedings, the people at the back of the crowded, overheated room saw their opportunity and began running towards the exit.
‘While we wait… We had a beautiful evening, and I don’t know if they were able to sing this song quickly, but they were able to work very quickly backstage while we waited… Hail Mary,’ Trump said, explaining that it was a magical moment in his rally in Butler a week ago.
Donald Trump left his town hall with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to play music after two people fell ill at the event in suburban Philadelphia.
“If you can get it, Justin, let’s go.”
He ordered his staff to post his ‘favorite graphic’ (showing blue and yellow spikes of illegal immigration, which he credits with saving him from an assassin’s bullets) and that’s how Trump hatched an impromptu music festival.
There was a Hail Mary, first a wordless version to Trump’s chagrin, and then one starring Pavarotti.
At one point, an assistant appeared next to him with a piece of paper, allowing Trump to play DJ by choosing a playlist, analog style: Guns N Rose’s ‘November Rain’ and ‘Memory’ could be played. from the Cats program.
And then came one of Trump’s favorite songs of all time: ‘It’s a Man’s World,’ featuring Pavarotti and James Brown.
Trump swayed slightly, staring into the middle distance as Noem clutched her hands at her sides. If you were wondering what was going on, the audience didn’t care: they were all smiles and applause, waving red MAGA hats in the air.
Trump, always a showman, now had to find a way to get off stage.
“We could ask one or two more questions, if you want… you probably want to ask one,” he said hesitantly.
An assistant appeared with a list of songs, including ‘November Rain’, ‘Memory’ from the show Cats, and ‘Point of no Return’.
But it ends very well. How about this? We’re playing at the YMCA… but listen, whatever you can, get out there. We have to win. This is important.’
This wasn’t how the night was supposed to go. And Trump at least remembered to rally the troops.
“If we win Pennsylvania, we win everything,” he said.
With the familiar disco chords of the Village People playing, Trump and Noem became goofy teenagers, throwing shapes as the remnants of the crowd joined in or drifted away.
Pennsylvania has more electoral votes, 19, than any of the other six contested states. Their voters have enjoyed enormous attention with 46 arrests by the two candidates, according to a count by the Associated Press.
President Joe Biden will be at a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Harris returns to the state on Wednesday and Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, has two events in Pennsylvania during the week.
