Did Kamala Harris share fake news about Donald Trump's 'senior moment'?

Kamala Harris’s campaign has claimed that Donald Trump appeared “lost, confused, and frozen” on stage during a recent rally. Initially, Trump answered questions about the economy, but the tone of the event shifted when two audience members suffered medical emergencies. In response, Trump chose to fill the time by playing music rather than continuing with the Q&A session. "Hope he’s okay," Harris commented on social media, sharing a video showing Trump swaying and nodding to the music.

You are SICK! People in his audience (who weren’t bused in) had medical emergencies and he paused to show respect and be sure they were okay. You are despicable.

— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) October 15, 2024

Your desperation is showing

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 15, 2024

It’s quite obvious to anyone who takes a second to research that he was waiting for first responders to help two people who were having medical emergencies.

This is so low.

— Simon VanDyk (@VandykSimon) October 15, 2024

However, ABC News has dismissed the Harris campaign's suggestion that Trump experienced a "senior moment" on stage, instead highlighting how well he managed the situation. The broadcaster reported that Trump had decided to change the course of the rally after two of his supporters encountered medical issues during the event in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Around 30 minutes into the rally, these incidents altered the atmosphere. As a result, Trump opted to play some of his favourite songs and shortened the question session. While some social media users found this strange, those attending the rally appeared to enjoy themselves, and the atmosphere was described as almost intimate. Trump then did something rarely seen—he stepped off the stage to engage with his supporters, signing autographs and shaking hands.

Following the unexpected turn of events, Harris criticised Trump’s mental fitness for office, particularly in light of the 78-year-old’s impromptu music session. Just three weeks before the US presidential election, the Harris campaign ramped up its focus on Trump’s health and mental acuity, commenting that the former president had appeared “lost, confused, and frozen” during the event.

At the start of the rally in Oaks, near Philadelphia, Trump had been answering questions from his supporters about the economy. However, the event took a peculiar turn after the two medical emergencies, with Trump shifting away from the election discussion to play nine songs, ranging from opera to Guns N' Roses. He danced awkwardly and, at times, stood still, staring into the crowd. "Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?" he remarked, abruptly ending the Q&A session and instructing his team to turn up the volume.

Harris quickly took to social media to suggest that the episode raised concerns about Trump’s well-being. Despite the criticism, Trump continued his campaign the following day with a rally in Atlanta, where he again danced to the Village People's "YMCA." He seemed unaffected by the previous evening’s event or Harris’s remarks, delivering his usual speech on immigration and repeating unsubstantiated claims about migrant crime in Colorado and Ohio. Although Trump tried to move past the oddities of the previous night, the incident remained in the public's mind.

During the rally, Trump, who once claimed to have coined the word "caravan" and referred to the world wars as "beautiful," made several unusual remarks. At one point, he veered off-topic, speaking about his wealthy friends and comparing their appearance in swimsuits to that of President Biden.

Polls suggest that Harris and Trump are running neck and neck, with the outcome likely to hinge on a few swing states where the margins could be very tight. Trump remains the oldest nominee for a presidential election bid, following Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race after concerns about his debate performance.

Trump has not recently released a comprehensive health report, which has fuelled criticism from Harris, who, at 59, has increasingly focused on Trump’s age and his physical and mental condition. In a recent interview with Charlamagne tha God, Harris addressed African American men, a group where Trump has gained some support. After outlining her policies aimed at improving their lives, she turned her attention to Trump’s rallies, repeating a previous claim that had irked him—that people were leaving his rallies early. She concluded by saying, “This man is weak and unfit.”

Earlier that day, Trump had adopted a more serious tone during an address to the Economic Club of Chicago, where he advocated for imposing tariffs on trade partners to encourage businesses to relocate their factories to the US. He declared, “To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff.”


Kamala HQ sharing fake news

Below are eight examples of misleading posts from @KamalaHQ since mid-August:

Trump’s Location Confusion: A post from 17 August implied that Trump was confused about his location during a rally in Pennsylvania, claiming he mistakenly addressed North Carolina. However, the full footage revealed that Trump was actually acknowledging a group of North Carolina supporters in the crowd, not misidentifying his location.

Immigration Comments Misrepresented: On 5 September, a post shared a clipped portion of Trump’s comments on immigration, removing important context. The omitted part clarified that Trump was referring specifically to an increase in Haitian migration in Pennsylvania, rather than making broader comments on immigration.

Charlottesville Remarks: A post on 6 September falsely suggested that Trump defended the 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville. In reality, the full clip showed Trump was defending his controversial "very fine people" comment, though he was not endorsing violence or supporting the rally itself.

JD Vance’s Veterans Healthcare: A post inaccurately quoted JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, as supporting the privatisation of veterans’ healthcare. The full quote showed that Vance was advocating for giving veterans more options to choose private healthcare, rather than eliminating the VA’s services altogether.

Monument Laws Misrepresented: Another post misleadingly attributed Trump’s discussion on monument protection laws to future political plans. In fact, Trump was recalling past actions regarding existing laws, not proposing new ones.

Tax Cut Comments Edited: A 5 September post deceptively edited Trump’s remarks on tax cuts to suggest that he was only proposing cuts for the wealthy. However, the full speech included proposals to eliminate taxes on tips and Social Security benefits, which would benefit a wider population.

Union Stance Misrepresented: JD Vance’s comments on unions were also selectively edited to omit his full position, which is pro-union. The misleading post suggested that Vance admitted Republicans were anti-union, but the complete statement showed Vance distancing himself and Trump from that characterisation.

Trump Ally’s Power Comments: A post falsely linked a Trump ally’s remarks on power to Project 2025, a right-wing policy initiative. The individual in question, Jack Posobiec, did not mention the project in his interview, and the Harris campaign mischaracterised the context of his comments.