No, this video doesn’t show former President Donald Trump confusing Pennsylvania for North Carolina

Former President Donald Trump spent months painting President Joe Biden as incompetent, incapable and confused. 

Now some social media users are casting Trump as "senile," pointing to a recent video clip of Trump giving a speech in Pennsylvania as evidence. 

"Trump was giving another one of his incoherent rambling rally speeches in Pennsylvania and THOUGHT HE WAS IN NORTH CAROLINA," an Aug. 17 Threads post said. 

"Trump doesn’t know what state he’s in," another said. "He just asked the crowd at his Pennsylvania rally, ‘ ... would that be okay, North Carolina?’ Trump is the oldest candidate for president."

"BREAKING," an Aug. 18 Instagram post said. "In a horribly embarrassing moment for Donald Trump, he forgets what state he is in. Trump suggests he is in North Carolina while he is in Pennsylvania. Retweet to make sure all Americans see this and know Donald Trump is senile."

Many such posts feature a video clip of Trump saying: "A little bit longer. How would you like it? A guy’s waiting with his family for three and a half, four days. They have a tent and the tent is set up. They have hundreds of them and they wait. And then I walk in, speak for 15 minutes, and leave. I don’t know, somehow — would that be OK, North Carolina? I don’t think so, right? They want me to speak all day."

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Trump held a campaign rally Aug. 17 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

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As of July 23, 2024, “Trump has announced he won’t debate Kamala Harris.”

He mentioned Pennsylvania by name about two dozen times throughout his speech and opened his remarks with "a very big hello to Pennsylvania."

He did say, "Would that be OK, North Carolina?" But in context, it’s clear that he was addressing a group in the audience from North Carolina — not mistaking where he was. 

About 11-and-a-half minutes into his speech, after Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for being "anti-fracking and anti-drilling," he addressed supporters who identify as "Front Row Joes" because they camp out to get into his rallies.

"We will bring back the American dream bigger," Trump said. "We are going to bring it back. Bigger, better, Front Row Joe. Bigger, better and stronger than ever before. We’re going to bring it back. Look at all these Front Row Joes over here. They’ve only been, we have a couple of groups here. They’re at about 222 events. Front Row Joes, stand up, wave your hands. There — you guys are great. Patriots."

Trump then said: "But I have another group from a place called North Carolina. Has anybody ever heard of North — we love North Carolina. The beautiful ladies over there. This is number, what — 217? So this is No. 217."

He talked about the North Carolina supporters for about a minute before pivoting back to Harris. 

About 15 minutes later, Trump countered accusations that he rambles during his speeches and said, "I go for sometimes two hours, two and a half hours, because people are waiting outside for three days, four days. You guys were waiting out there for a long time. Front Row Joes are waiting out — I don’t know how you guys do it. And I feel I have an obligation to speak, and speak in a certain way, and speak a little bit longer. How would you like it? A guy’s waiting with his family for three and a half, four days. They have a tent, and the tent is set up. They have hundreds of them and they wait. And then I walk in, speak for 15 minutes, and leave. I don’t know, somehow, would that be OK, North Carolina? I don’t think so, right?"

After a Harris campaign spokesperson posted on X that "Trump just said he was in North Carolina" when he was in Pennsylvania, Trump’s campaign responded: "Wrong again, moron. President Trump was obviously referring to the Front Row Joes from North Carolina in the audience, whom he recognized earlier in his speech."

We rate claims Trump thought he was in North Carolina when he was in Pennsylvania False.