Trump ridiculed for having 'complete meltdown' over malfunctioning rally teleprompter

Former President Donald Trump held multiple rallies on Wednesday, as he struggled to make use of the time he had as his criminal trial in Manhattan rages on. But it seemed he couldn't quite catch a break, because at his rally in Freeland, Michigan, his teleprompter was blown towards the crowd by the wind, rendering the former president unable to see it — and causing him to go off the rails and become unintelligible at times.

Trump's inability to hold himself together prompted intense mockery on social media, with many people sharing clips and some observers noting Trump was trying to make a big deal out of President Joe Biden's own use of a teleprompter, including at his previous rally in Wisconsin on the same day.

"Trump’s speech completely derails as his teleprompter malfunctions, causing him to go on an unintelligible rant about the word 'folks,'" said the Biden campaign account Biden-Harris HQ.

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"Trump had two rallies today," wrote self-identified "political junkie" Peter Heinlein, a conservative veteran. "Rally 1- 'Isn't it nice to have a president who doesn't need a teleprompter?' Rally 2- Stops speech to adjust teleprompter, says his had gone 'gonzo'.... proving he needs a teleprompter. These clips were within hours of each other. He is a joke."

"Trump likes to pretend that he doesn't need a teleprompter," wrote the liberal Meidas Touch. "But when he struggled with his teleprompter today, he had a complete meltdown on stage."

The incident is not a one-off. The former president has had a number of speaking difficulties at his rallies in recent months, in addition to strange flubs like his apparent belief at times that he is running against former President Barack Obama rather than Biden, and confusing former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Trump has insisted these missteps were on purpose.

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