Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a recently surfaced video capturing a speech by former President Donald Trump has rapidly gained traction, sparking astonishment among MSNBC’s panel during a discussion.
As reported by Raw Story on January 18, 2024, the footage showcased Trump delivering a meandering address on Wednesday night, prompting MSNBC co-hosts Willie Geist and Jonathan Lemire to express their astonishment and voice concerns about the ex-president’s mental state.
Geist, visibly taken aback, exclaimed a simple yet impactful “wow” after viewing clips of Trump’s disjointed address.
Delving into the content of the speech, Geist and Lemire highlighted Trump’s apparent cognitive lapses as he navigated between various topics.
Trump’s ramblings included references to “liquid gold,” peculiar remarks about former GOP speaker Paul Ryan supposedly “driving grannies” off cliffs, and a mention of his late mother-in-law.
Drawing parallels between Trump’s speech and the narrative circulated by some Republicans about President Joe Biden’s alleged cognitive decline, Geist emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “Truly, the reason you play [the clip] that is not truly for entertainment’s sake, it is the side-by-side of them talking about Joe Biden being too old and senile.”
Expressing concern, Geist suggested that if Trump were a member of someone’s family, discussions about seeking medical attention or evaluating his mental state would likely ensue.
He also highlighted a particularly perplexing moment in Trump’s speech where he made comments about “de-banking.”
Geist commented, “Wow. That is some segue. Quote, ‘They want to de-bank you,’ and ‘we’re going to de-bank’ — that’s from Donald Trump.”
The co-hosts underscored the impact of Trump’s behavior, linking it to the GOP’s attempts to portray Biden as unfit for office due to his age.
Lemire added a touch of humor while conveying the gravity of the situation, stating, “You’d ask for his driver’s license certainly, not safe behind the wheel anymore.”
Expressing sympathy for the first lady’s family, the co-hosts acknowledged the abrupt transition in Trump’s speech from discussing grannies to referencing his deceased mother-in-law. Lemire emphasized the extraordinary nature of Trump’s behavior during the speech, characterizing it as erratic.
“The segue — and condolences to the first lady’s family — the segue from grannies off the cliffs to Donald Trump’s dead mother-in-law and just the extraordinarily erratic behavior,” Lemire added.
The MSNBC panel raised concerns about the potential repercussions for Republicans as Trump gears up for future campaign rallies.
Lemire predicted that as Americans tune in and hear Trump’s lengthy speeches during the heart of a general election, it could undermine the GOP’s argument that Biden is too old for the job.
He noted, “Americans haven’t listened to Donald Trump for a while. Once they start tuning in and hearing big moments when he starts having campaign rallies in the heart of a general election and they hear all of that, that’s going to defang what Republicans think is one of their best arguments: that Joe Biden is too old for the job.”
