Trump's final conversation with voters begins with profane attacks and a salacious story about a Hall of Fame golfer

CNN
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Donald Trump has moved on to deliver his closing argument to voters before the final leg of his race for the White House.

At least that's what his campaign said on Saturday when the former president took the stage in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

But shortly after leaving the room to the sound of a pro wrestler's entrance music, he quickly launched into a rambling anecdote about the late Arnold Palmer, the golf legend for whom the local airport was named. The story, which seemed to make little sense other than invoking a regional icon and lasted nearly 15 minutes, included references to Palmer's immense wealth and several offhand comments about the Hall of Famer's naked body.

“Arnold Palmer was a pure man, and I say, with all due respect to women, I love women… This man was strong and tough, and I refused to say it, but when he was showering with the other pros, there they came out They said, ‘Oh my God.’ That’s unbelievable,” Trump said.

The anecdote prompted one rally attendee to remark, “I didn’t expect that tonight.”

From there, Trump invited Antonio Brown, a former Pittsburgh Steelers star with a troubling legal background, to the stage, called his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris a “shitty vice president” and attacked mail-in voting while screens urged his supporters to vote Carry out postal voting early.

Between the vulgar and bizarre moments, there were glimpses of a final pitch. Reading from a teleprompter, Trump told the crowd: “With your support, we will bring back the strength, dominance, prosperity and pride of our nation.”…This will be America's new golden age; 100 years from now, the 2024 presidential election will be viewed as America’s greatest victory.”

He also included a video in which Harris expressed his support for a ban on fracking, an issue important to many voters in the Keystone State.

At other times, however, Trump paused in his written remarks just as he appeared to be about to deliver the core of his campaign's message, the kind that could be edited out for local Pittsburgh television stations to broadcast on the air.

“This election is a choice between whether we're going to have another incredible four years of failure – such a terrible four years. “Everything they touch turns into…” Trump said, pausing.

The crowd shouted the appropriate profanity back.

The rally was the start of two days of appearances by Trump in Pennsylvania, a battleground that both campaigns have prioritized both on the radio and in their schedules. Trump will hold a town hall outside Philadelphia on Saturday. He also plans to attend the Pittsburgh Steelers game and stop by McDonald's to work as a french fry cook – a visit intended to highlight Harris' work experience with the Golden Arches.

Ahead of the Latrobe event, Trump's campaign indicated that the former president would begin tailoring his message to reflect the urgency of the moment and the contrast between the two candidates.

“Today’s remarks are important, I think, because they are the beginning of that formulation,” said Jason Miller, a top Trump adviser. His pitch will be delivered in full at a planned rally at Madison Square Garden in a week, Miller added.

However, Trump's remarks hardly differed from the dozens of speeches he gave during the campaign. He railed against migrants and the intellectual competence of his opponents. He complained about the legal proceedings against him as ex-president and the investigation into Russian election interference that plagued the first years of his presidency.

Saturday's irregular performance, which took place in front of a smaller-than-usual crowd that lacked energy during the opening act, follows a series of recent performances that deviated from expectations.

Trump's rally in Detroit notably failed to fill the venue booked for his campaign, and as he took the stage, Trump was interrupted by technical issues with his microphone. The former president stood awkwardly at the lectern waiting for it to be repaired, then vowed to refuse work to the contractor who supplied the sound system.

Earlier this week, Trump decided to stop taking questions at the town hall after one of his audience members suffered a medical incident. Instead, he called up songs to play over the sound system while swaying on stage and waving his arms, then left the stage after 40 minutes without answering any further questions.

The incidents played a role in recent attacks by Harris and her allies, who argued that Trump had become unhinged and more unstable in the final days of the race. They have also seized on Trump's decision to cancel high-profile interviews with “60 Minutes” and CNBC as evidence that the former president's travel schedule has caught up with the 78-year-old former president.

Speaking in Detroit on Friday, Trump dismissed claims that he had lost a step.

“I've gone 48 days straight now and I've got this loser who doesn't have the energy of a rabbit,” he said.

The next day he spoke in Latrobe for about an hour and 40 minutes – a public demonstration of his ability to carry on.

Still, Trump looked forward to the moment when he could put his third bid for the White House in the rearview mirror.

“We have been through so much together,” Trump said, “the finish line is finally in sight.”