At Wednesday’s South Carolina rally, Trump gave three different figures for new U.S. investment commitments before correcting himself and appeared to struggle to name Lake Ontario, The Independent reported.
The event was held at Clemson University’s T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton, where Trump appeared with Republican Senate candidate Darline Graham. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Trump “remains in excellent health.” The Independent described verbal and numerical missteps during the speech.
Trump first put new investment commitments to the United States at $22.2 trillion, then referred to $22.2 million. He corrected the unit to billions and later cited $22 billion, according to The Independent.
Trump also returned to his grievance over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, then referred to the Pulitzer Prize in a way the outlet said appeared to confuse the awards. The Independent reported that the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize went to Navanethem Pillay, a former United Nations human rights chief. EconoTimes previously covered Trump’s claim that his writing merited a Pulitzer.
At another point, Trump appeared to have trouble naming Lake Ontario. In August, he had directed federal agencies to use “Lake America” for the lake amid a dispute with Canada, The Independent reported. Trump also told the crowd that reporters would portray his asides as rambling, the outlet said.
The Independent said earlier health concerns followed reports of Trump appearing to doze during the day, bruises on his hands and swelling around his ankles. The outlet said Trump and the White House have framed the scrutiny as politically motivated. Ingle also accused news organizations of withholding information about former President Joe Biden’s mental and physical decline, contrasting that coverage with attention to Trump. After a May physical, Trump said that “everything” had “checked out PERFECTLY.”
In April, 48% of Economist/YouGov survey respondents said Trump showed modest or significant cognitive decline. The Independent said multiple polls pointed to substantial Republican vulnerability ahead of the midterms. The U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for Nov. 3.
