Former President Donald Trump continues to pull ahead in the battleground states. He's making moves on states that Democrats have had a lock on for decades, including such unlikely places as New Jersey and Minnesota; the RealClearPolitics polling averages have now moved Minnesota into the "toss-up" column. On Friday, on X/Twitter, the Trump War Room posted an excerpt from a Trump speech in the Gopher State's capital city, St. Paul, that presents one reason why Trump continues to outshine Biden. The former president continues to hit Joe Biden on one of his greatest liabilities - his dishonesty.

Crooked Joe Biden is all about DISINFORMATION.

Pilots come in; he says, "I used to fly a plane."

Truckers come in; he says, "I used to drive a truck."

People come in from Minnesota; he says, "I used to live in Minnesota."

🤣 pic.twitter.com/lRtUnCYddh

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 18, 2024

Trump also had some sharp - and humorous - comments about losing the teleprompter, which had fallen off the stage - and he got in a dig at Joe Biden in the process.

President Trump is in high spirits tonight in St. Paul, Minnesota and he began his speech with a teleprompter joke that included Joe Biden.

The crowd is fired up.
. pic.twitter.com/z8a6oA9eRz

— Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) May 18, 2024

For contrast, here is befuddled old Joe Biden talking to liberal activist and "influencer" Harry Sassoon, who looks decidedly confused at the president's rambling and his abuse of the double negative.

BIDEN (confused again): "He's gonna do away with making sure that we don't invest money in education!" 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kSFkRnDNRW

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 18, 2024

Crooked Joe Biden accuses President Trump of what Biden is already doing: "He's gonna tell the AG who he should prosecute ... he's gonna get his enemies" pic.twitter.com/wGl7jRrj7m

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 18, 2024

That last quote is particularly interesting, as the president is engaging in the time-honored Democratic tactic of "always accusing your opponent of doing what you are actually doing."

You can see former President Trump's complete St. Paul speech here.

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What all this boils down to is simple: The former president is making the current president look weak and ineffective. The St. Paul speech showed Trump in his element; he can use humor, most particularly his own particular brand of cutting, sarcastic humor. He is energized, he has stamina, he interacts with the audience, and he can ad-lib and adjust to events that take place in real-time; all the things that Joe Biden can't (and never could) do. I saw former President Trump speak at CPAC in February, and his energy in speaking to a live audience is almost palpable when you're in a room with people watching him; just as seeing a live concert is more engaging, and more personal than listening to an album, so Donald Trump is more engaging when you're there. That's why he is firing up the rally machine again, and that's why the Biden campaign is insisting on no live audiences at the debates.

By contrast, Joe Biden looks more halting and weak by the day. The Democrats would be crazy not to be thinking of some way to get him off the ticket; the problem is, old Joe's understudy is worse.

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Trump, as noted above, is pulling ahead in general polling as well as the battleground states. If the polling averages are accurate, and if today were Election Day, Trump would be winning by a comfortable margin. He is trusted more than Biden on inflation and the economy - and, as James Carville aptly pointed out all those years ago, "It's the economy, stupid."

The election is still over five months away. But as of this writing, it's impossible to deny that the momentum is all with Team Trump.