Former President Barack Obama took a sharp jab at Donald Trump's leadership and communication skills on Friday, mocking the former president for his incoherent speaking style.
During a Friday campaign stop for Vice President Kamala Harris in Arizona, Obama referred to Trump's remarks as "word salads," criticizing his ability to articulate clear and coherent policies as the presidential election draws near.
"Along with his intentions, there is also a question of his competence," Obama said. "He's giving two, two-and-a-half-hour speeches. Just word salads. You have no idea what he's talking about. He's talking about Hannibal Lecter."
He went on to question Trump's mental competence after the former president decided to stop taking questions from the audience at a town hall event in Pennsylvania on Monday, and instead played music for 39 minutes, swaying back and forth on stage to tracks including "Ave Maria," "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," and "YMCA".
"The point of a town hall meeting is to take questions," Obama said. "He just decided, you know what, 'I'm gonna stop taking questions' and then he's swaying to "Ave Maria" and "YMCA" for about half an hour," he said. "Folks are standing there not sure what's happening. Can you imagine if I did that?"
Obama referenced remarks made by Trump at a campaign event in Georgia this week, where he told the all-female audience he was the "father of IVF." Trump has flip-flopped on the issue of reproductive rights but has supported a policy that would mandate insurance companies or the government pay for the medical procedure. However, he has also indicated he would consider religious exemptions to his IVF mandate.
"He calls himself the 'father of IVF.' I do not know what that means. You do not either," Obama said, before referencing separate remarks made by Trump at a Univision town hall this week where he called January 6 a "day of love."
"He said January 6 was a 'day of love,'" Obama said, prompting boos from the crowd. "Do not boo. Vote," the 44th president hit back. "He made January 6 sound like it was Woodstock."
"You would be worried if your grandpa was acting like this. So imagine it coming from a guy who wants to be given unchecked power. We do not need to see what an older, loonier Donald Trump looks like with no guard rails. We've had enough arrogance and bumbling and bluster and division. America is ready to turn the page," Obama said.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
Concerns over Trump's physical and mental health have piled up over the last week. According to a Politico report published Friday, a Trump adviser reportedly told an interviewer the former president was declining certain interviews because he was "exhausted."
"If you're exhausted on the campaign trail, it raises real questions about whether you are fit for the toughest job in the world," Harris said during a campaign stop on Friday.
It comes after Harris, 59, called Trump, 78, "increasingly unstable and unhinged" at her rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Monday, and called into question his mental acuity. The vice president called on Trump to release his medical records last weekend after releasing her own. It said she "possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency."
Following the release of Harris' medical records, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign stressed that medical reports voluntarily released by the former president have found that he is in "perfect and excellent health to be Commander in Chief."
Trump previously repeatedly claimed that his former opponent, President Joe Biden, 81, was unfit to run for a second term, calling him a "brain-dead zombie" and "sleepy Joe," amid concerns over his age and cognitive ability. The 81-year-old ended his reelection campaign in July following a disastrous debate performance against Trump in which he slurred on words and appeared to lose his train of thought.
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