Trump tells Pennsylvania rally 'nobody wants me' before cutting event short and dancing off stage to YMCA

In one of his most bizarre and incoherent performances to date, president Donald Trump on Tuesday night told a Pennsylvania rally "nobody wants me" before cutting the event short and dancing off the stage to YMCA.

Outmuscled financially and trailing Joe Biden in most national and battleground polls, Mr Trump did not appear to be his usual energetic self, as he addressed thousands of Make America Great Again supporters crammed into a chilly and dark Erie International Airport.

Two weeks out from election day the president, 74, complained about the temperature, which had been hovering around 10C (50F), telling the crowd he was only there because he was losing, a highly unusual move – even for a president as unpredictable as Mr Trump.

At one point, the commander-in-chief appeared to be trying to get the crowd to feel sorry for him, telling them "nobody wants me". Just last week, the president begged suburban women to "please like me" as he sought to recover ground among female voters, who overwhelmingly favour Mr Biden, 77.

"Really, I can't believe it. You better give me the credit damn it, I tell 'ya. What I've gone through – the drug companies, they're spending a fortune on fake ads," Mr Trump told his fans. 

"They don't want me, China doesn't want me, Iran doesn't want me .... no body wants me!" he added as the crowd chanted: "We want you!"

As is often the case with the president's meandering speeches, it was not clear exactly what he was referring to when he said nobody wanted him, although he may have been alluding to the US's deteriorating relations with both countries. 

The Trump administration in 2018 abandoned the Iran nuclear deal and has repeatedly clashed with China over national security issues.

Just minutes after telling Pennsylvania he didn’t want to be there, Mr Trump then announced he would be cutting the rally short because of the cold. 

"And in conclusion, we'll make this a little shorter, you know it's about 40 degrees, I don't want to lose anybody," he said shortly before wrapping up proceedings earlier than usual in the state – a key battleground which the president must win to remain in the White House.

As has been the case at recent rallies, the president then trailed off the stage dancing to YMCA, the 1970s hit by Village People. Footage from the rally shows the president with his feet planted firmly to the ground while bending alternate knees and punching the air.

His press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany could be seen following the famous dance routine to the letter, as she spelt out the characters 'YMCA' with her arms.

On Wednesday night, Mr Trump will head to North Carolina, another crucial battleground state where polls show a tight race between the two candidates.

Meanwhile, Mr Biden has kept a low profile in recent days and is thought to be preparing for Thursday's third and final presidential debate.

Former president Barack Obama will make his first appearance on the campaign trail on Wednesday to support his Democratic colleague.

Mr Obama, who served eight years in the Oval Office with Mr Biden as his vice president, will urge supporters to vote early for Mr Biden and other Democratic candidates in the general election at an outdoor drive-in rally in Pennsylvania's biggest city, Philadelphia, an aide to the former president said.