Remember when Trump's big mistake at NRA's annual meeting raised eyebrows?

In May 2024, Donald Trump participated in the National Rifle Association's annual meeting where his comments sparked significant worry and concern.

Donald Trump sparked at least three controversies thanks to comments he made during his address at the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting in Dallas, Texas on May 18th. One of the most worrying things he said was about maybe seeking a third term. 

Reuters reported the former president used his platform to urge gun supporters to head to the polls in November, saying: "We've got to get gun owners to vote…I think you're a rebellious bunch. But let's be rebellious and vote this time."

The NRA endorsed the former president in 2016, 2022, and now 2024—which may be why Trump saw fit to repeat his pledge to fire the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on day one if reelected to office. 

Trump also went after Joe Biden in his speech, promising the crowd that in his second term, he would “roll back every Biden attack on the Second Amendment” before adding: “The attacks are coming fast and furious.”

The Biden campaign was quick to respond to the former president's comments at the time and said that Trump was prioritizing the gun lobby over public safety according to Reuters a claim that did appear to be true based on Trump’s remarks. 

"Tonight, Donald Trump confirmed that he will do exactly what the NRA tells him to do — even if it means more death, more shootings, and more suffering," Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign said about Trump’s comments. 

However, that wasn’t the most problematic statement the former president made while he was speaking at the Leadership Forum. Trump joked that he would be open to a third term in office if he were to retake the White House in November. 

“You know, FDR 16 years — almost 16 years — he was four terms. I don’t know, are we going to be considered three-term? Or two-term?” Trump said to the crowd according to Politico, which reported some in the audience shouted: “Three.”

Trump’s mention of a third term goes against what he declared in an April interview with Time Magazine in which he said he would not want to challenge the 22nd Amendment, which was put in place after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. 

“I wouldn’t be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track. Our country is going down. We’re a failing nation right now. We’re a nation in turmoil,” Trump said.

However, for all of Trump’s bluster on stage, he did have a moment that gave his critics pause and renewed worries that he was suffering from some form of cognitive decline according to a report from Newsweek. This is all the more important following Biden's recent exit from the race amid claims he was too old to run for a second term.

While speaking, Trump remained silent for an extended period of time while in the midst of praising Texas and then paused for an abnormally long amount of time before starting his train of thought back up again. 

"The Texas spirit of proud independence was forged by cowboys and cattle hands, ranchers and rangers, oil workers, soldiers, and brave, brave, brave, pioneers," Trump said before taking a pause that lasted over 30 seconds according to Newsweek.

"But now we are a nation in decline," Trump continued after his silence. "We are a failing nation. We are a nation that has the highest inflation in 58 years, where banks are collapsing, and interest rates are skyrocketing."

The scene led X accounts like Biden Win’s to write: “Donald Trump just glitched out and froze at his rally tonight. He is clearly unfit for office. Retweet so every American knows Trump is senile.”

Newsweek noted that other accounts on social media like that of Democratic content creator Harry Sisson claimed that the former president was suffering from “rapid mental decline” and called on him to drop out of the presidential race. 

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