Former President Donald Trump’s town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, was interrupted twice Monday afternoon by medical emergencies at the unseasonably warm Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds before the program was cut short.
There was a medical emergency, and one attendee had to be stretchered off about 30 minutes into the event. As the crowd began chanting “God Bless America,” Trump called for “Ave Maria” to be played over the loudspeakers as doctors treated the man.
Moments later, there was a second medical emergency.
“The safety and well-being of President Trump’s supporters is always his top priority,” Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News after the event. “The two people who collapsed were given immediate medical attention. As President Trump said tonight, they are great patriots,” Leavitt added.
Former Republican President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall on Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa., as moderator South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem listens.
Alex Brandon/AP
After the medical emergency, Trump asked to open the doors, but was told this was impossible for security reasons. Moderator Trump and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem commented on the heat in the room.
“Open the doors. I wish we could open those doors outward,” Trump said. “For security reasons, they can’t. But you know what I’m suggesting? Open it. Anyone who walks through those doors, you know what’s going to happen to them.”
“Personally, I like this. We lose weight, you know. No, you lose weight. We could do this: lose four or five pounds,” Trump said.
“Anyone else want to faint?” Trump said as the second person exited the Expo Center.
Trump then asked for “Ave Maria” to be played again and stayed on stage as more music played.
He continued: “Let’s not ask any more questions. Let’s listen to music. Let’s make it a music festival. Who the hell wants to hear questions right? Isn’t that cool?”.
The former president, adamant about playing his own music, was on stage for nearly 45 minutes rocking out to various songs from his playlist while the crowd sang and danced.
The crowd slowly dispersed, but many remained throughout the campaign event.
“To lighten the mood, President Trump turned the town hall into an impromptu concert and the crowd loved it,” Leavitt told ABC News, adding, “The room was full of joy.”
Notably, with 22 days to go until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris was also in Pennsylvania on Monday evening to impress voters in a critical battleground state, with Trump largely avoiding taking questions during the town hall portion of his event.
After the concert, Trump made his way to the front row, signing red MAGA hats and 47 signs.
Trump’s move was notable because he had not interacted with a large crowd to this extent since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
