The power and the perils of Trump's 'flow state'

The former president's latest town hall was a spectacle even by the standards of modern American politics.

- Jemima Kelly

For 30 minutes straight, Donald Trump stood on stage as a typically incongruent selection of his favourite songs - from his beloved YMCA by the Village People, to Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor, to Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah - blared out from the speakers. Sometimes he stood gazing at the crowd; sometimes he waved and pointed; sometimes he broke into his signature "swinging hips and clenched fists" dance.

Adore him or abhor him - and it does tend to be one or the other - there could be no doubt that the second half of Trump's town hall in Pennsylvania last week was a surreal and quite unprecedented spectacle, even by the outlandish standards of 21st-century American politics. For Democratic nominee Kamala Harris' campaign, it was also a chance to add fuel to the fire of growing speculation that her Republican rival is losing his marbles. "Trump appears lost, confused, and frozen on stage as multiple songs play for 30+ minutes and the crowd pours out of the venue early," her campaign's account posted on X. "Hope he's okay," Vice-President Harris posted from her own account, quoting the "Kamala HQ" post.