'Bored' Trump struggles to read his speech without going off script: analysis

Standing in front of 30 U.S. flags at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, former President Donald Trump announced he would seek the White House for a third consecutive time in the 2024 election.

Stephanie Grisham, who served as press secretary in the Trump White House, offered her analysis to the speech Trump was reading off of teleprompters.

Grisham wrote, "Trump is staying on script here….but I can tell it’s a struggle and he’s dying to 'be Trump.'"

"I think even Trump is bored with this speech," Grisham added. "Painful to watch."

Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy White House press secretary in the Trump administration, had a similar take.

"This is one of the most low-energy, uninspiring speeches I’ve ever heard from Trump. Even the crowd seems bored," Matthews wrote. "Not exactly what you want when announcing a presidential run."

John Hendrickson of The Atlantic also said, "Trump seems bored." Molly Jong-Fast of Vanity Fair said, "even Trump seems bored by this."

ABC News correspondent Will Steakin described it as "a so far rather subdued speech."

Longtime campaign reporter Stuart Rothenberg wrote, "This is the 'serious' Donald Trump. Reading his speech."

When Trump pushed Herschel Walker, biographer Tim O'Brien wrote, "here we go: Trump just inserted himself into the Georgia run-off by cheering on Walker. So now we’ll get another litmus test of MAGA endorsements in a Senate race. GOP elders rolling their eyes."

Alyssa Farah Griffin, Trump's White House director of strategic communications, said Republicans did not want Trump to make this announcement.

"The announcement no credible Republicans asked for or wanted," she said. "Trump is back - and he could very well be President again."

"Donald Trump is wholly unfit for office and a clear and present danger to democracy," Griffin added. "Republicans, please take him on."

The speech was broadcast live by CNN and Fox News, but not MSNBC. CNN cut out after 20 minutes and Fox cut out after 35 minutes.