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With their obsession over people’s body parts, Republicans are upping their level of cringe this election.
Former President Donald Trump left observers questioning his mental fitness on Saturday when he went on several vulgar and bizarre rants during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump spent the opening of his speech reminiscing about the late golf legend Arnold Palmer, at one point praising Palmer’s “unbelievable” genitalia.
Trump’s rally took place in Latrobe, the hometown of Palmer, who died in 2016 at the age of 87. What began as a tribute to a local hero quickly took a strange turn as Trump embarked on a rambling, 12-minute monologue detailing Palmer’s physical attributes.
“Arnold Palmer was all man, and I say that with all due respect to women,” Trump told the audience. He then went further, recounting locker room anecdotes about Palmer. “When he took showers with other pros, they came out of there, and they said, ‘Oh my God. That’s unbelievable,’” Trump said, adding, “I had to say it. We have women that are highly sophisticated here, but they used to look at Arnold as a man.”
Sportswriter Pablo Torre captured the reaction on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “A nonzero number of Americans are voting for Trump so they can call stuff ‘gay’ again, and meanwhile, their guy’s out here lost in a reverie about the late Arnold Palmer’s literal penis.”
In addition to his remarks about Palmer, Trump rattled off a list of false grievances, saying, “You can’t get elected with open borders, with transgender operations all over the place, with men playing in women’s sports, with high taxes and bad schools—no school choice. You can’t get elected with all that—I could go on for 10 minutes.”
The border is not open. Gender-affirming procedures aren't "all over the place." Men aren't playing in women's sports.
Trump’s campaign has increasingly focused on culture war issues, including attacks on transgender rights. Over the past several weeks, his team has flooded the airwaves in key battleground states with ads targeting gender-affirming care, transgender athletes, and public accommodations for transgender people, positioning these topics at the center of his electoral strategy. The ads often feature inflammatory rhetoric, seeking to frame Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden-Harris administration as extreme.
“We will get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of our schools, and we will immediately keep men out of women’s sports,” Trump declared, sparking loud cheers from the crowd.
At one point during the rally, Trump boasted about the enhanced security measures surrounding him, referencing two assassination attempts. “By the way, how nice is this place? Isn’t it beautiful? Look, people, as far as you can see, they give you a little extra security nowadays. Do you notice? I got more machine guns than I’ve ever seen in my life. Look at these guys,” Trump said, gesturing toward his security detail. “They look like Arnold Palmer. Can’t look better than Arnold,” he added.
Trump also engaged in profanities and vulgar language when talking about Harris.
“You have to tell Kamala Harris that you’ve had enough, that you just can’t take it anymore,” Trump said, adding, “We can’t stand you anymore, you’re a shit vice president—the worst. Kamala, you’re fired. Get the hell out of here!”
Trump’s recent public appearances have sparked growing concerns his health. In a week marked by multiple bizarre outbursts, including referring to the January 6 insurrection as a “day of love,” Trump has appeared increasingly incoherent and erratic.
However, right-wing media outlets continue to protect the former president from himself. CNN’s chief media analyst Brian Stelter weighed in on X, pointing out that many Trump supporters were likely unaware of the bizarre monologue. “On Fox [News], this story doesn’t exist,” Stelter explained. “The network cut to commercial midway through Trump’s ramble about Arnold Palmer; didn’t air the vulgar part live; and hasn’t covered it at all since.”
Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright chimed in with sarcasm, suggesting that Trump should consider an alternative career if he loses in November. “Trump should just book a permanent residency in Vegas,” Wright tweeted. “He could goof dance to YMCA, joke lovingly about Arnold Palmer’s joint, do his whole anti-elite schtick, while his supporters enjoy the show, the all-you-can-eat buffets and the endless slots.”
Even former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who now hosts a show on MSNBC, joined the chorus, tweeting, “Well now we can’t even enjoy Arnold Palmers (as in iced tea and lemonade) anymore…”
Watch Trump’s bizarre Pennsylvania campaign rally below.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
