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You can count on Trump to say something that raises eyebrows. And he's not disappointing.


Polls show the presidential contest tightening, with Trump either tied or holding narrow leads in key swing states necessary to get to a winning 270-electorial vote count on Nov. 5.

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Outlandishness has been a staple of Donald Trump's political brand since he rode a golden-hued escalator into a decade-long transformative political career. And the former president has not disappointed in the last weeks of what he has called his "final" bid for the White House.

He has commented on the late golfing legend Arnold Palmer's manhood and stated that he would employ the American military against political rivals he called "the enemy within." The comments follow a string of other over-the-top remarks in the late stages of the 2024 presidential campaign, including a debunked racist claim that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town were eating residents' pets.

The zany, if not disturbing, pronouncements have not hurt the Republican nominee, however.

Quite the opposite as the behavior is said to have energized his base. Polls show the presidential contest tightening, with Trump either tied or holding narrow leads in key swing states necessary for a winning 270-electorial vote count on Nov. 5.

Here are seven things to know about what he has said, and how they may be playing out in the race for the White House.

Trump: Golf legend Arnold Palmer 'was all man'

At an Oct. 19 rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Palmer's hometown, Trump opined on the golfer's genitalia.

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

Peg Palmer Wears, the late golfer's daughter, did not find the locker-room talk humorous. She told ABC News that Trump's comments were "disrespectful" and "inappropriate."

Trump focuses on the 'enemy from within' …

Trump has often invoked dystopian language against political rivals, especially in the aftermath of criminal charges filed against him by a U.S. Justice Department special counsel, and prosecutors in Georgia and New York.

During an interview on a Fox News program aired on Oct. 20, Trump again singled out political critics with particularly hostile language in speaking about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff.

“These are bad people. We have a lot of bad people. But when you look at ‘Shifty Schiff’ and some of the others, yeah, they are, to me, the enemy from within,” Trump said.

... a comment that followed Trump raising the use of the military

The prior week, in another interview on a Fox program on Oct. 13, the former president had ratcheted up the rhetoric by raising the specter of employing U.S. armed forces against domestic adversaries.

“We have some very bad people. We have some sick people. Radical-left lunatics,” Trump began.

He later added that he would support sending in U.S. military forces against any unrest by political opponents saying: “I think it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Asked about potential violence from his supporters, as happened during the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump was dismissive saying, “No, I don’t think — not from the side that votes for Trump.”

Trump also engaged in an unusual stage performance

Trump's rally speeches include what he has called "routines," skits that involve mocking of critics or bravado-loaded recollections of talks with foreign leaders.

On Oct. 14, during a town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Trump flipped the script by stopping the question-and-answer session and opting to dance, sway and bounce to music for roughly 40 minutes.

“Let’s not do any more questions. Let’s just listen to music. ... Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” he said.

The playlist that ensued, according to media reports, included James Brown’s "It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World," the Village People’s "YMCA," "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O’Connor, and Luciano Pavarotti’s rendition of "Ave Maria."

More off-color language from Trump, too

In the 21st century, it is no longer rare for an American politician to drop a vulgarity during a public appearance.

But Trump has seemingly made it part of his repertoire. He has repeatedly called the felony charges and civil cases against him "bull****." His rally attendees have adopted the language, too, in placing the f-word on flags and chanting "bull****" at events after Trump uses the word.

At the Latrobe rally, Trump again used a profanity in referring to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris saying: "We can't stand you. You're a sh** vice president."

Harris, Democrats hit Trump over latest statements

Vice President Harris and campaign surrogates have struck back at Trump over the statements, calling them "dangerous."

On Oct. 23, Harris called Trump's comments "increasingly unhinged and unstable" in speaking with reporters. She later stated she agreed with former Trump White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that Trump fits the label of a "fascist".

"Yes, I do. Yes, I do. And I also believe that the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted," Harris said, alluding to the retired Marine Corps general's analysis of Trump.

Do Trump's statements hurt him? Nope, they help him, polls suggest

The overall public has shown distaste for Trump's behavior. The former president's FiveThirtySix popularity rating has consistently been plus or minus 10 points underwater for the past year.

But none of this has kept him from winning the Republican nomination three consecutive times and the presidency in 2016. In fact, Trump's supporters and Republican voters, in general, have often stated they find his unorthodox style appealing and state they show he is a political figure who speaks his mind, and it appears to drive his voters' determination to cast ballots at the polls.

Those in Trump's base say the scrutiny on the former president's statements and actions is evidence of what they call his critics' overly negative obsession — a term they call "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

The pollster Frank Luntz said this month that Harris' post-Democratic convention and post-debate momentum "froze” when she started lobbing personal attacks on Trump.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the Paste BN Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.comHelp support our journalism. Subscribe today.