Did he mean to say that?
Former President Donald Trump made a notable error during a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Friday night, seemingly confusing GOP rival Nikki Haley with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., while discussing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. In his remarks to supporters in Concord, Trump criticized Haley, who served as an ambassador to the United Nations in his administration but has never been a member of Congress. Trump claimed that information and evidence related to the events of Jan. 6 were destroyed and deleted, alleging that Haley was in charge of security and rejected offers of 10,000 soldiers and National Guard support.
Trump’s mistake is significant, as he has previously accused Pelosi of turning down 10,000 soldiers on Jan. 6, a claim debunked by the final report of the Jan. 6 committee. The report stated that there was no evidence of Trump giving such an order and that Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller refuted the claim under oath.
This mix-up occurred as Trump often portrays President Joe Biden as confused and mentally unfit for office. Despite his own gaffes, Trump has used Biden’s occasional mistakes as a central campaign issue. Trump has defended his confusion during speeches by stating that he sarcastically swaps names, suggesting that others may be influencing the country’s governance.
While both Trump and Biden have had their share of verbal slips, Trump has made mental fitness a more prominent campaign issue. A September NBC News poll revealed that voters expressed concerns about the ages of both Trump and Biden. Approximately 74% of respondents expressed concerns about Biden’s mental and physical health for a second term, while 47% reported similar concerns about Trump. The former president’s recent confusion regarding political figures and locations adds to the ongoing narrative surrounding the mental acuity of both Trump and Biden.
