President Donald Trump had a rough night after losing his place during his big speech Thursday night.
Critics called his 25-minute speech on losing to former President Joe Biden a disastrous display of showmanship.
Trump’s primetime presentation was less about what he had to say and more about one moment that left viewers scratching their heads.
He addressed the nation hours after officials placed his teleprompter operator on unpaid leave over allegations he bet on Trump’s speeches since 2016.
The president would say he got through it smoothly.
But viewers would say he struggled, reading from the teleprompter several times on Thursday night.
At one point in the White House East Room, the president appeared to short-circuit on camera.
While raving about the Chinese government, he alleged that China interfered on Joe Biden’s behalf during the 2020 presidential campaign.
He looked as though he had lost his place on the teleprompter, then read “Donald Trump” instead of switching the script to the first person.
“They did not… not want… and they just didn’t want it. They fought like hell not to have it. Donald Trump to win,” he rambled before a slight pause, “and for good reason,” Trump added.
A clip of that specific word salad from the president quickly spread across the internet.
“OK, this is bulls–t that he can’t even read with any energy. But WTF is going on with how he keeps twisting his body? And why do the arms of that suit [look] like they’re stuffed with something other than him? Complete clown show!” one person exclaimed.
Other reactions to Trump’s garbled comments read “Holy moly, this is the worst” and “”He was staring at that screen for dear life.“
Many pointed out Trump’s history of declaring he does not need to read his speeches. One person tweeted, “Man who has repeatedly stated since 2016 that he does not need teleprompters.”
“Struggling to read your own message while claiming transparency is precisely why confidence keeps eroding,” offered another person on X.
Trump sounded hoarse and jumbled as he slogged through his address, leading one critic to proclaim, “What an idiot!”
Throughout his second term in office, Trump has experienced several high-profile problems with teleprompters, prompting him to voice loud complaints.
One of the most infamous teleprompter incidents of the Trump 2.0 era took place at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.
Trump openly accused the U.N. of sabotage after his teleprompter malfunction during his speech in front of an audience.
Despite the president’s gripe, U.N. officials claimed Trump’s staff was responsible for operating the display device, not the organization.
More recently, Trump was lambasted online in early July 2026 for appearing to have trouble reading the teleprompter while in North Dakota.
“I have two teleprompters that aren’t working, and here I stand,” Trump told the crowd at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
Trump’s issues with reading from teleprompters will likely continue, considering his age, but also because he lost his long-standing operator, who was immediately thrown under the bus.
