CNN
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Donald Trump has delivered his closing arguments to voters entering the final stretch of his race for the White House.

At least, that’s what his campaign said Saturday when the former president took the stage in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

But shortly after walking out to the entrance music of a professional wrestler, Trump quickly segued into a rollicking anecdote about the late Arnold Palmer, the golfing legend after whom the local airport is named. The story, which seemed to serve little purpose other than invoking a regional icon and lasted nearly fifteen minutes, included tangents about Palmer’s immense wealth and several passing comments about the Hall of Famer’s naked body.

“Arnold Palmer was all man, and I say that with all due respect to women, I love women… This man was strong and tough, and I refused to say it, but when he was in the shower with the other pros , they got out of there, they said, ‘Oh my god. That’s unbelievable,” Trump said.

The anecdote prompted one rallygoer to say, “I didn’t expect to hear that tonight.”

From there, Trump invited Antonio Brown, a former Pittsburgh Steeler star with a troubling legal background, to the stage, called his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris a “sh*t vice president” and attacked mail-in voting while fencing his supporters urged them to cast their votes. absentee ballots early.

In between the vulgar and bizarre moments, there were glimpses of a final throw. Reading from a teleprompter, Trump told the crowd: “With your support, we will restore the strength, dominance, prosperity and pride of our nation. … This will be America’s new golden age; A hundred years from now, the 2024 presidential election will be seen as America’s greatest victory.”

He also tossed out a video of Harris expressing support for a ban on fracking, an issue of interest to many Keystone State voters.

But at other times, Trump interrupted his written remarks just as he seemed about to deliver the heart of his campaign’s message, the kind of message that could be broadcast by local television stations in Pittsburgh.

“This election is a choice between whether we have four more incredible years of failure – such a terrible four years. Everything they touch turns into…” Trump paused.

The crowd shouted back the accompanying expletive.

The meeting kicked off two days of Trump appearances in Pennsylvania, a battleground that both campaigns have prioritized both on air and in their agendas. Trump will hold a town hall outside Philadelphia on Saturday. He also plans to attend the Pittsburgh Steelers game and stop by a McDonald’s to work as a fry cook – a visit designed to troll Harris’ work experience with the Golden Arches.

Ahead of the Latrobe event, Trump’s campaign suggested the former president would tailor his message to the urgency of the moment and a contrast between the two candidates.

“I think today’s comments are important because it’s the beginning of that framework,” said Jason Miller, a top Trump adviser. His pitch will be delivered in full in a week at a planned meeting at Madison Square Garden, Miller added.

However, there was little to distinguish Trump’s comments from the dozens of speeches he has given over the course of the campaign. He railed against immigrants and the mental competence of his opponents. He complained about the lawsuits against him as a former president and the investigation into Russian election interference that dogged the early years of his presidency.

Saturday’s whimsical display – performed before a smaller-than-normal audience that lacked energy during the support act – follows a string of recent performances that have deviated from expectations.

Trump’s rally in Detroit notably failed to fill the venue his campaign booked, and as he took the stage, Trump was interrupted by technical problems with his microphone. The former president stood awkwardly at the lectern waiting for it to be repaired and then promised to reprimand the contractor who provided the sound system.

Earlier this week, Trump decided to stop answering questions at a town hall after a member of his audience suffered a medical episode. Instead, he shouted songs to be played over the sound system as he waved and waved his arms on stage and left after 40 minutes without asking any more questions.

The incidents played a role in recent attacks from Harris and her allies, who have argued that Trump has become unhinged and less stable in the final days of the race. They have also seized on Trump’s decision to cancel high-profile interviews with “60 Minutes” and CNBC as evidence that the former president’s travel schedule has caught up with the 78-year-old former president.

During his speech in Detroit on Friday, Trump pushed back against suggestions that he has lost a step.

“I’ve now been 48 days without rest and I have that loser who doesn’t have the energy of a rabbit,” he said.

The next day he spoke in Latrobe for about an hour and forty minutes – a public demonstration of his ability to persevere.

Still, Trump looked ahead to the moment when he could put his third bid for the White House in the rearview mirror.

“We have been through so much together,” Trump said, “the finish line is finally in sight.”