Questions about former President Donald Trump’s “mental abilities” have once again surfaced, this time following a peculiar town hall in Pennsylvania where he chose to stop taking questions and instead dance on stage for nearly 40 minutes.
After two attendees fainted and needed medical assistance, Trump announced, “Let’s just listen to music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” He then proceeded to entertain the crowd with some awkward dance moves.
On the Russian state television channel Russia-1, host Olga Skabeyeva, known for her pro-Putin stance, discussed this unusual situation during a broadcast, raising eyebrows about Trump’s mental fitness. Julia Davis, founder of the Russia Media Monitor, highlighted that even Russian media found it necessary to question Trump’s mental state during the segment titled “Dancing Donald.”
Davis noted that Skabeyeva mentioned concerns over Trump’s age while suggesting “Democratic propaganda” highlighted his choice to dance instead of answer questions. U.S. correspondent Igor Naimushin chimed in, agreeing that Trump’s repetitive speech patterns could cast doubt on his cognitive fitness, especially considering his age is similar to that of President Biden.
Concerns about Trump’s mental acuity weren’t confined to Russian broadcasts; on The View, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump aide, remarked that Trump appears to be experiencing “a very real decline,” stating he is “not even the man I worked for.”
Despite the criticisms, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung took a more optimistic view of the town hall. He referred to the audience’s excitement as a “total lovefest” and insisted everyone was so thrilled they wanted more music instead of questions.
At 78 years old, Trump is the oldest major party presidential nominee in history and has faced growing scrutiny over his cognitive abilities, a topic similarly directed at Vice President Kamala Harris, who is 81. A recent Marquette Law School poll indicated that 61% of registered voters believe Trump is “too old to be president,” compared to only 13% for Harris.