Donald Trump took an unusual detour during his South Carolina rally Wednesday night, telling supporters a lengthy story about Melania Trump, a stage routine involving Joe Biden, and an encounter with a wall that apparently left the first lady wondering whether her husband was okay.
What began as another attempt to mock his predecessor turned into a rambling explanation of why Trump believes his own jokes are sometimes misunderstood.
According to the president, he had once performed an exaggerated impression of Biden appearing confused onstage.
“I mimicked Sleepy Joe, getting walking off the stage,” Trump told the crowd. “And I had a wall behind me in that case. And I walked into the wall. And I walked around aimlessly, had no idea.”
Trump said he believed the audience had loved the performance.
“And I thought the place was cracking up, right? And then I came back, and I finished my speech. And I said, baby, how good was that tonight?”
But the reaction he attributed to Melania was not exactly the enthusiastic review he had expected.
“And she said, what happened to you? Are you OK?” Trump recalled.
The president said Melania had apparently watched footage of him walking around the stage and believed the movements were genuine rather than an attempt at comedy.
Trump complained that clips of the routine had been circulated without the context he intended, making him appear confused instead of deliberately imitating Biden.
“I said, that’s the end of sarcasm,” he declared, blaming what he called the “fake news” for misunderstanding his performance.
He then returned to the physical comedy, describing himself “hitting a wall, bouncing off walls, grabbing this there and semi-tripping in fun.”
According to Trump, Melania eventually had a simple request.
“She actually said, please, please never do that again.”
And that wasn’t the only thing the president said his wife disliked.
“She also hates me dancing, you know?” he added.
Trump has repeatedly discussed Melania’s supposed objections to his campaign-stage performances, including his dancing and exaggerated impressions. Earlier this month, he told rallygoers that she considered some of his routines inappropriate for a president.
Those earlier comments were documented in multiple public appearances. The conversation with Melania, however, remains Trump’s account of a private exchange, not something the first lady has independently confirmed.
The South Carolina anecdote offered another glimpse of Trump’s tendency to interrupt his political speeches with personal stories about his performances and his relationship with the media.
He was ostensibly onstage to promote Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
Instead, for several minutes, the audience heard about his impression of Biden, his encounter with a wall, his frustration with television coverage, and Melania’s alleged concerns.
And the most memorable moment was the question Trump said his wife asked after watching him perform.
“Are you OK?”
It was hardly the reaction he had been hoping for.
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