Donald Trump rallied supporters in the battleground state of Nevada on the eve of the state’s caucuses, looking to exploit Democratic divisions as he focuses on his reelection fight.
However, at one point, Trump actually forgot that he was even in Las Vegas.
Sign of dementia maybe?
Speaking to thousands of rabid supporters on Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Trump also rejected a fresh intelligence community assessment that Russia was seeking to interfere in the 2020 race just as it did in 2016 on Trump’s behalf.
“Here we go again,” Trump said, as the crowd booed. “Aren’t people bored?”
Trump speculated that Russian President Vladimir Putin would prefer Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as president. “Wouldn’t he rather have say, Bernie, who honeymooned in Moscow?” Trump said.
Ahead of the Nevada voting, Trump taunted the Democrats for their management of the voting process, pointing to Iowa, where a tally of the caucus votes ended in chaos earlier this month.
“I hear their computers are all messed up just like in Iowa,” Trump said of Nevada’s Democrats. “They can’t count votes.”
Nevada scrapped its Republican caucuses last year, as is common when an incumbent is in the White House. It allows Trump to consolidate his support as the Democratic field remains bitterly divided. The state GOP will formally bind its delegates to Trump on Saturday.
Trump was closing out a four-day, four-state political tour through the West that saw him hold three campaign rallies, a pair of high-dollar fundraisers and promote policies that benefited many of his supporters.
Feeling his reelection odds rising after his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial and his campaign’s record fundraising, Trump seized on the deep divisions and personal tiffs on display in this week’s Democratic debate.
Trump was still regaling his audiences with his critical assessments of the Democratic debate field, including former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, whom he’s branded “mini Mike.”
“We are going to win Nevada in a big, beautiful landslide,” Trump predicted.
Trump then called for the impeachment of former President Obama, because he’s nuts:
"We'll do a belated impeachment, fake news" — Trump calls for the impeachment of Obama (he then makes clear that he's kidding) pic.twitter.com/jkVA00fMln [1]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2020 [2]
Trump also struggled to read from the teleprompter:
Trump botches reading his teleprompter but then pretends he meant to do it pic.twitter.com/KrSyMImhoE [3]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2020 [4]
Then Trump flat-out forgot where he was:
"Right here in …. your place" — Trump forgot what city he's in for a beat pic.twitter.com/wzb3gxKXE3 [5]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2020 [6]