Former President Donald Trump had to unexpectedly deploy the campaign music list after two people collapsed at a packed rally in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.
Thousands had gathered on 14 October in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, filling the event hall to overflowing, to hear the former president field questions from voters during a town hall meeting, <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-cuts-pennsylvania-town-hall-short-after-2-people-collapse-5741644?ea_src=frontpage&ea_cnt=a&ea_med=top-news-2-2024-election-3"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> the <em>Epoch Times</em>. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was also on stage with Donald Trump, acting as an invigilator for the question-and-answer session.
After about 30 minutes, though, one attendee in the rising bank of seating to one side of the stage collapsed due to the heat in the packed hall, at which point Trump called a pause to the rally to ensure that the attendee could receive medical attention.
As medical personnel responded "and the room grew tense", the former president turned remote DJ and asked his campaign staff to play a rendition of “Ave Maria”, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/us/politics/trump-town-hall-dj-music.html"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">reports</mark></a> the <em>New York Times</em>.
Minutes later, after the person was removed on a stretcher, Governor Noem tried to return to the Q&A session – but it again had to stop abruptly, with Trump mid-way through a sentence saying "The number one issue this country has...", when people in the crowd suddenly start to point and wave to the other side of the stage from before, because a second person has a problem and needs medical attention.
At that point, Trump called an end to the Q&A segment of the event and “had his staff fire up his campaign playlist, standing on the stage for about half an hour and swaying to songs”, reports the <em>New York Times</em>.
The playlist saw the religiosity of Luciano Pavarotti's "Ave Maria” matched by “Rufus Wainwright’s version of “Hallelujah", while accompanied by more secular fare such as “YMCA” by the Village People, “Nothing Compares 2U” by Sinead O'Connor and Guns N’ Roses power ballad “November Rain”.
As the <em>New York Times</em> notes, the list of songs appeared to go down well – almost too well.
“As Mr. Trump stood through the first few songs, basking in the admiration of his supporters, the crowd packed into the expo center largely stayed put, filming him on their phones and at points singing along.”
After those first few songs, though, Trump "seemed more uncertain how to proceed”; unlike at other rallies where, according to the <em>NYT</em>, he “generally returns to his planned remarks after medical issues at other events”.
Trump rallies are often jammed, and attendees often wait for hours to get in, "with lengthy lines for food, water and bathrooms [toilets] once they are inside", the <em>NYT</em> notes. At several outdoor events this summer, attendees have needed medical attention because of heat-related incidents.
It adds that Trump suggested playing “YMCA” to send the crowd home. But after “YMCA” ended, Trump "seemed a little perplexed" as people were still staying put.
"There’s nobody leaving," Trump said. "What’s going on?"<br><br>That wasn't enough still, as the <em>NYT</em> notes: "The audience cheered, and so the music kept going, as the Ms Noem stood awkwardly by, and many in the audience seemed unsure about whether the event was over."
Eventually, one of Trump’s aides came on the stage with a sheet of paper; Trump quickly reviewed what had been handed to him, then the two chatted briefly.
"Seconds later, Mr. Trump decided he’d had his fill. He waved, pumped his fist, and finally made his way off the stage," reports the <em>NYT</em>.
The former president's initial go-to song of "Ave Maria"<strong> </strong>to deal with the first crisis during the rally is a striking choice, and one that won’t be begrudged by Catholics. A beautiful and iconic hymn, it is often considered one of the, if not <em>the</em>, most popular Catholic songs.
While there was no indication that Trump was pandering to the Catholic vote through his musical selction – though some say Pennsylvania, of which around 20 per cent of the population identify as Catholic, could be the most crucial of the seven swing states – Trump previously has openly courted the Catholic bloc.
Based on a 2023 Gallup poll, a relatively whopping 22 per cent of the US population identify as Catholic. A September survey by the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/09/white-protestants-and-catholics-support-trump-but-voters-in-other-us-religious-groups-prefer-harris/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">Pew Research Center</mark></a> showed Trump's opponent in the presidential race, Kamala Harris, garnering support among 47 per cent of Catholic voters across the country, versus 52 per cent for Trump.
It might not seem a big difference, and with only one voter bloc among numerous ones, but it could still be enough to swing such an apparently tight presidential election.
<a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/trump-warns-of-anti-religious-democrat-policies-theyre-really-after-the-catholics/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color"><strong><em>RELATED: Trump warns of anti-religious Democrat policies: ‘They’re really after the Catholics’</em></strong></mark></a>
<em>Photo: Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA, 9 October 2024. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images.)</em>
