Trump Bobs His Head to Music for 30 Minutes in Odd Town Hall Detour

Donald J. Trump was some 30 minutes into a town hall Monday night in suburban Philadephia when a medical emergency in the audience interrupted the Q and A session. A few minutes later, he attempted to pick up from there, then the second medical emergency appeared to have effectively put paid to it.

And so Mr. Trump, a political candidate known for improvisational departures, made a detour. Instead of attempting to revive the political program he appeared to think, in actuality at the time, that everyone in the room would be happier — and he included himself — if they simply listened to music.

Mr. Trump had his staff play all campaign songs, he danced on the stage for almost half an hour, while his crowd thinned down.

Swaying silently with his head prior to the stage, he performed the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A” which he alwaysended with. He danced studiedly to Rufus Wainwright’s version of ‘Hallelujah,’ watched a Sinead O’Connor video, sang to Elvis, observed the audience during ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ and then moved out shaking hands with the people during the last song.

The speakers concluding a political rally with an improvised dance party was an eerie ending to events that were predictable. Helped by Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Mr. Trump answered questions to hundreds of people at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., which is about 18 miles away from Philadelphia.

Questions from some of the friendly faces in the audience led Mr. Trump to launch into a string on prepared statements about the economy, immigration, and criticisms of Vice President Kamala Harris. However, the atmosphere of the event suddenly changed about 30 minutes later when two people in the crowd fainted, or appeared to have done so at least.

When medical personnel reacted to the first episode and with the room growing rather more tense, Mr. Trump requested the entourage from his campaign to perform a “Ave Maria”. A few minutes later after the man had been wheeled out on a stretcher, Ms. Noem attempted to go back to the Q & A session. But that effort was cut short suddenly because the second subject, a woman, also required medical assistance.

After the woman stood up and went to the edge of the event, Mr. Trump felt the heat and requested for some air conditioning in the hall. Ms. That didn’t work, and Noem, attempting to regain focus, made a joke about inflation: “They probably can’t afford it, sir.”

Then, Mr. Trump proposed to return to the familiar territory. He pulled up an immigration chart that he has on the screen at nearly every rally in the last few weeks and requested another round of “Ave Maria”. And then when it played it one more time, Mr. Trump finally decided to conclude his question and answer session after only five questions had been asked.

“Okay, let’s not do any more questions.” I suggested, “Let’s just listen to music,” he said. “Let’s make it into a music ——. Who the hell wants to hear questions right.”

Mr. Trump’s crowd clapped in confirmation for in his rallies his supporters come as much for entertainment or to be in his company as for political rhetoric: they know he knows they know.

The playlist session was rather a look at the still more personal Mr. Trump, who is relatively most frequently observed at Mar-a-Lago – his country club and home in Palm Beach, Florida. There, one can have a former president join and take out an iPad that has been connected on a speaker system to play D.J for the guests.

While Trump listened to the first few songs, and waving to the masses, the majority of the people crammed inside the expo center mostly remained stationary, recording him on their smartphones, and occasionally even mouthing the lyrics.

Some of Mr. Trump supporters will stand and watch for many hours to see him rally while within the hall there maybe long ques for food, water, and toilets. During multiple campings this summer some participants had to be taken to the emergency because of the heat complaints.

Still, Mr. Trump usually reverts back to the original speech in the course of the disease at other related events. On Monday he appeared less confident about what steps he should take next. In what looked like the closing argument, having his campaign play a James Brown song, Trump professed his readiness to take other two questions. When the audience clapped, he replied, “let’s go” and then when he told the band that he would play ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and send everyone home they cheered again.

However, once having performed “Y.M.C.A.”, Mr. Trump looked like he was a little unsure of what to do next. “No one is going,” he said. “What’s going on?” The audience clapped, and so the band continued to dance, while Ms. Noem stood off to the side, and the audience appeared confused as to whether the show was over yet.

Nevertheless, as one song stretched into a second, and then into a third, a number of audience members in the back of the house started to leave. As soon as the first few notes of the Guns N’ Roses power ballad “November Rain” rang out, one of Mr. Trump’s aides, Justin Caporale, emerged with a sheet of paper.

The document was brief and Mr. Trump merely flipped through it before the two men exchanged a few words. Next, after that, after only a few minutes Mr. Trump seems to have had enough. After that he waved, flexed his bicep and left the stage.