Staff Reports
Former President Trump Responds to Claims of Freezing at NRA Speech
Former President Donald Trump responded Sunday to claims that he “froze” for about 30 seconds during his speech at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Texas. Trump dismissed the allegations as a “MADE UP Biden Campaign story” and defended his performance at the event.
Trump addressed the NRA in Dallas on Saturday and accepted the organization’s endorsement. A segment of his speech went viral on social media, with some claiming he froze while speaking. However, Trump attributed the pause to music being played, which he stated is a common occurrence during his speeches to large crowds.
Trump Fires Back Against 'Fake Story' About His Speech That Was 'Made Up' by the Biden Campaignhttps://t.co/EVCS7go7Nm https://t.co/y9VZ1x92eO
— LadyGolferCathy (@47_cathy24) May 20, 2024
The official account of President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign shared a clip of the moment and suggested that Trump had “glitched out” and froze at his rally. Other pro-Biden accounts on social media also seized on the clip to question Trump’s fitness for office.
In response, Trump took to his Truth Social account to defend himself, stating that the 30 to 60 second period of silence during his speech was standard and criticizing the Biden Campaign for spreading disinformation. He also criticized Biden’s own mental fitness and physical abilities.
As anti-Trump accounts spread the clip from the NRA speech, a video of numerous moments of Biden freezing up while speaking also went viral again. Trump’s appearance at the NRA event was one of the few times he had traveled for a campaign event in recent weeks.
The former president is currently a criminal defendant in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “hush money” trial in New York and has criticized the prosecution as election interference. Trump’s response comes amidst ongoing political tensions between supporters of Trump and Biden.
The claims and counter-claims on social media highlight the divisive political atmosphere as the 2024 election approaches.
