Viral Video Claiming “Trump Freezes For 21 Seconds During Speech At His Rally” Is Fact-Checked

According to a report by USA Today on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, a recent video clip circulating on social media has stirred controversy and confusion about former President Donald Trump’s behavior during a rally.

The clip, originally shared on TikTok and later posted on Threads, shows Trump appearing to stand silently behind a lectern while a person off-screen counts to 21.

The post claims that Trump “froze” for 21 seconds during his speech and suggests that Fox News had to cut away from the broadcast.

“BREAKING,” reads text within the post, which was originally shared on TikTok. “Trump freezes for 21 seconds during a speech at his rally and Fox News has to cut away!”

This claim has since spread across Threads and X (formerly known as Twitter), with some users comparing Trump’s pause to a similar incident involving Mitch McConnell.

The post’s caption says, “Looks like Don Old has tied Mitch the Glitch’s record for locking up on camera,” and includes the caption “#trumpisnotfittobepresident.”

However, this interpretation of the footage is misleading. The claim that Trump “froze” during his rally is false. The actual events, as shown in the full video, reveal a different story.

The incident took place during a rally for Trump on August 9, 2024, in Bozeman, Montana. As Trump was addressing the crowd, an audience member began to require medical attention.

The full, unedited video of the rally, available from sources like C-SPAN and PBS, provides a clearer context.

In the footage, you can hear the crowd shouting “Medic” during Trump’s speech. Trump responded by calling out, “A doctor, doctor please,” and then told the crowd to “Take your time.”

It is clear from the video that Trump was waiting for medical personnel to attend to the situation. He stood quietly and calmly as the medical staff worked with the audience member.

This pause was not a result of any personal or health issue on Trump’s part but rather a response to an emergency situation in the audience.

The Threads post and similar claims on other social media platforms have taken the pause out of context, suggesting that Trump was “freezing” in an awkward or troubling manner.

In reality, Trump’s brief silence was due to him allowing time for the medical emergency to be handled properly.

Footage from C-SPAN shows Trump waiting while the audience member was treated, and this is consistent with what was shown on PBS.

After a short pause, during which the crowd began to chant, Trump resumed his speech without any further interruption.

The misleading nature of the claim became clear when the complete footage was reviewed.

The social media posts did not include the critical moments leading up to or following the pause, thus distorting the actual events that took place.