Trump sways to music after medical emergencies shorten Pennsylvania rally

This story originally appeared in Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

Former President Donald Trump held a town hall in the Philadelphia suburbs as part of his 2024 campaign. However, after two medical emergencies cut the Q&A segment short, Trump spent over half an hour on stage swaying to his favorite songs.

“It’s a nice crowd,” Trump remarked as he took the stage shortly before 7 p.m., nearly an hour late.

A few thousand supporters gathered at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds for the event, which was moderated by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. Trump managed to answer only five questions before the medical incidents occurred.

While medical personnel attended to the first individual, some audience members sang "God Bless America." After a brief pause, Trump requested that "Ave Maria" be played, recalling that it was featured at a recent rally in Butler.

The questions largely came from former Democrats, touching on familiar Trump themes such as border security and inflation. One audience member, Heather, who identified as a lifelong Democrat, asked how Trump would approach deportations of undocumented migrants, a key issue in his campaign.

As he answered, another audience member required medical attention, prompting Trump to suggest resuming the music. “Would anyone else like to faint?” he joked after a few moments, nearly 45 minutes into the event.

About an hour in, Trump proposed ending the questions and turning the rest of the night into a "music fest." He emphasized Pennsylvania’s importance in the upcoming election, stating that whoever wins the state typically wins the presidency.

Trump took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, asserting that she is “more dangerous” than President Joe Biden and criticizing her intelligence.

By 8 p.m., music—including “YMCA,” “November Rain,” and “Rich Men North of Richmond”—was playing loudly as Trump and Noem remained on stage. While some supporters left, many stayed put, leading Trump to remark, “Nobody’s leaving, what’s going on?” as “Hallelujah” played.

Trump and Noem stayed on stage until 8:31 p.m., and after stepping off, Trump continued to engage with supporters.

Montgomery County, once a reliably blue area, has leaned more left during Trump’s presidency. Trump lost the county to Hillary Clinton by 21 points in 2016 and by 26 points to Joe Biden in 2020. Democrats are counting on strong turnout in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties to win the state.

Former Democratic Congressman Peter Deutsch of Florida endorsed Trump on October 7, claiming he would be better equipped to “maintain world peace” than his Democratic rival.

Meanwhile, Gwen Walz, wife of Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, campaigned in Pennsylvania, criticizing Trump’s record on abortion rights. She stated, “For nine long years, Trump has been trying to divide us,” emphasizing his overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Interestingly, abortion was not mentioned during Trump’s town hall. Polling shows Harris and Trump in a tight race in Pennsylvania, with the state’s 19 electoral votes being considered a “toss-up.” 

Trump’s unusual event included a mix of Q&A and musical performance, while Harris held a separate rally in Erie County that same day.