Trump, Biden spar over whether Trump's 30-second pause was intentional or a 'glitch'

Former President Donald Trump suddenly stopped talking for more than 30 seconds during a speech at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Dallas, Texas over the weekend, leading the Biden campaign to capitalize on the speculation about whether his Republican opponent is fit for office.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed gun owners after receiving the association’s endorsement, stoking fears of the Biden administration “coming for your guns.” Trump’s critics were quick to attack him, saying he froze during his speech and is unfit for office. His supporters said he paused for dramatic effect.

The campaigns’ sparring was the latest in a back-and-forth about both candidates’ ages and mental competency. Biden is 81 and Trump is 77.

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Biden supporters say Trump “glitched”

The Biden-Harris HQ account on X, formerly Twitter, posted a 44-second clip showcasing Trump’s more than 30-second pause, criticizing his speech as “bizarre” and “slur-filled.”

An account called “Biden’s Wins,” with more than 362,000 followers, reposted the video saying, “Donald Trump just glitched out and froze at his rally tonight. He is clearly unfit for office. Retweet so every American knows Trump is senile.”

The Biden-Harris HQ account attacked Trump’s entire address, alleging the dramatic music playing in the background during Trump’s pause is a song favored by QAnon.

The Biden-Harris campaign’s post-Saturday was the second time it appeared to attack Trump’s competency over the weekend. On Friday, the account called Trump “feeble” after his podium shifted when he leaned on it at an event in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Trump says glitch story is “made up”

Social media users speculated Trump’s pause was due to a problem with his teleprompter, but Trump said that was not the case.

Trump said that the 30-second “period of silence” is a standard part of his speeches and that the Biden-Harris campaign was to blame for the “fake story” that he froze in a post on Truth Social.

“The reason they came up with this Disinformation is that Biden freezes all the time, can’t put two sentences together, and can rarely find his way off the stage without help,” Trump wrote. “Donald Trump doesn’t freeze!”

During his address Saturday, Trump promised to undo gun regulations passed during the Biden administration.

“In my second term, we will roll back every Biden attack on the Second Amendment,” Trump said. “Starting the minute that crooked Joe shuffles his way out of the White House.”

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump glitch? Biden and Trump spar over Trump pause during NRA speech