DETROIT (AP) — Donald Trump walked in silence around his rally stage in Detroit for nearly 20 minutes Friday evening after his microphone went dead.
The Republican candidate and former president was about to discuss one of his favorite topics, tariffs, and worked to name it by first teasing “the most beautiful word in the dictionary.” Very soon after that the sound went away.
The crowd sang “USA” and “We love Trump” in support. But without a microphone, Trump simply wandered around the stage. He looked frustrated and at times had his back turned to most of his audience.
It was the second time in a week that one of his events was interrupted — although the last time, on Monday, Trump canceled a town hall and instead played music after several people in the audience needed medical attention. This time, Trump appeared to have little control over the matter, standing silently as the screens in the room showed the messages “Technical Difficulties” and “Complicated Matters.”
Trump is known for his image and the mechanics of his rallies, often commenting on microphones and teleprompters. Earlier Friday, the hosts of “Fox & Friends” joked that Trump likes to adjust the lighting when he sits for interviews.
Assistants are known to travel with multiple backup microphones — though it was unclear why they couldn't immediately find one Friday — and carefully prepare the flags that adorn his stages.
Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign used a video of that moment to send the message that the 78-year-old Trump may not have the energy to run for president again. X read: “An exhausted Trump awkwardly walks in circles on stage after his microphone stops working.”
As the delay continued, the crowd continued to cheer and sing. At one point the crowd waved.
Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, an aide brought Trump a replacement microphone that worked.
“I'm not going to foot the bill for this stupid company,” he said. “I'm not going to pay the bill, and then we get a story that Trump didn't pay the bill to a contractor.”
