Former US President and Republican nominee Donald Trump faced technical issues during a rally in Detroit on Friday night when his microphone cut out, leaving him to pace the stage in silence for almost 20 minutes.
He was prepared to discuss tariffs in his poll rally, the sound unexpectedly failed, halting his speech.
Visibly frustrated, Trump wandered the stage while the crowd chanted “USA” and “We love Trump” in support.The event’s screens displayed messages of “Technical Difficulties” and “Complicated Business” as Trump waited for a solution.
An aide eventually provided a new microphone, allowing him to resume his speech, during which he jokingly said, “Now what happens is I won’t pay the bill for this stupid company that rented us this crap. I won’t pay the bill”
The malfunction marks the second time in a week that one of Trump’s events was interrupted. Earlier in the week, he ended a town hall early due to medical emergencies in the crowd.
Prior to the microphone mishap, Trump attacked his Democratic opponent as “grossly incompetent” and vowed to “save” Detroit, as Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Oakland County. The latest polls show Trump and his opponent tied in the key swing state of Michigan.
Meanwhile, Trump continued his attacks on legal challenges against him, calling Judge Tanya Chutkan “the most evil person” and special counsel Jack Smith a “sick puppy,” in response to the latest developments in the January 6 case.
The Harris campaign seized on the moment, posting on X that Trump appeared “exhausted” as he paced the stage, using the incident to question his fitness for office.
