Trump blames dead microphone at Pennsylvania rally on ‘Crooked Hillary’

Donald Trump was mid-rant in Erie when his microphone cut out, sending him wandering around the stage with nothing but a murmuring crowd audible and a quiet Pennsylvania nighttime countryside in sight as he chastised his staff.

“Mic. Mic. Mic,” the president appeared to say, looking down offstage at nearby aides and technicians. He blew on his lectern-mounted mic and nothing happened.

Mr Trump looked down again. Nothing.

He tapped the microphone, causing its long, “goose" neck to shake a bit.

Still nothing.

As the crowd booed and cheered, seemingly unsure how the president they so adore – minutes earlier, they had, indirectly prompted by him, chanting “We love you!” – wanted them to react, Mr Trump strolled around the stage with his hands out to his sides.

The president slowly approached the microphone to find it working again as his loyalists let out a loud cheer. He informed them he did not suspect general election foe Joe Biden had the audio system temporarily taken offline.

"I wonder who did that to our mic? I don't believe it was Joe,” he said with a chuckle.

After an audience member appeared to shout something that conjured a presidential chuckle, Mr Trump said: “You know who that was? Crooked Hillary [Clinton]."