An irate Donald Trump railed against his sound crew at his rally in Detroit on Friday evening after a technical glitch rocked the event.
The former president, 78, saw the audio cut out for more than 17 minutes as he spoke to rallygoers in Michigan, leaving him to wander aimlessly around the stage as he became visibly angry.
When the sound finally came back on, Trump raged at the event’s staff, drawing cheers from his audience.
“I’m not going to foot the bill for this stupid company,” Trump said of his rally sound crew. “If it goes out again, I’ll sue that company.”
An angry Donald Trump railed against his sound crew at his rally in Detroit on Friday evening after a technical glitch rocked the event
Trump was angry with the staff at the event, saying, “I’m not going to pay the bill to this stupid company. If it goes out again, I’ll sue that company.”
The awkward moment on Friday evening came as Trump rallied supporters in Michigan, one of the few key swing states that will decide the November election.
The audio glitch caused something of a cliffhanger for those in attendance as Trump built up his opinion on “the most beautiful word.”
“For me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is not ‘love’, it is not ‘respect,’” he said before his microphone cut out.
NBC reporter Garrett Haake, who was at the event, said Trump was “hanging around on stage waiting for tech people to figure this out.”
After 16 minutes, he added: ‘The music is on, but no microphone. Trump still just stands on stage and waves to the people. The visitors are starting to leave.’
Some online criticized Trump’s comments that he wouldn’t pay the sound crew or “sue that company,” with one joking that he’s “full of class.”
“Remember when this kind of language was considered inappropriate for a former president?” said another.
Trump wandered around the stage for more than seventeen minutes when the sound went out during his rally in Detroit on Friday evening
Trump warned of a Kamala Harris presidency when he told his audience Friday evening: “I will put Detroit first. I’ll put Michigan first. I will put America first.”
Before the technical glitch, Trump had tried to woo Detroit voters and walk back his insult to the city during an event at the Detroit Economic Club a week ago.
At that event, he warned that “the whole country will end up looking like Detroit” if Kamala Harris beats him in November. “You’re going to get a mess on your hands.”
After backlash from Michigan residents about the comments, Trump changed his tune on Friday.
“Your beautiful place, your beautiful city,” Trump said. ‘Was decimated as if by a foreign army.
“I will put Detroit first. I’ll put Michigan first. I will put America first.”
Friday night wasn’t the first time Trump has raised eyebrows in recent weeks as he wandered around the stage at an event. A series of medical emergencies on Monday in Pennsylvania led him to abandon his remarks and simply play music for his audience.
As doctors stepped in to help those in attendance, Trump said from the stage, “Let’s stop asking questions… let’s just listen to music.”
First came Ave Marie, Schubert’s masterpiece that is a favorite at weddings and funerals, while Trump took center stage and looked forward to the middle distance.
Then came Pavarotti and James Brown. And finally, inevitably, the villagers sing ‘YMCA’