A Republican candidate's bid for the White House has got off to a rocky start after his pregnant wife collapsed during his campaign launch and he failed to rush to her side.
Rollan Roberts II, a local businessman, later published the video of his speech but edited it to remove the bit where he stood and watched as others went to help his collapsed wife.
The presidential hopeful was several minutes into his speech at the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, US, when Rebecca Lea Roberts began to stumble before falling and taking out an American flag.
Footage shows an aide try to hold her up before going to remove the flag.
Other people on stage rush to help her as Rolland Roberts watches from the podium and only after five seconds does he go to help her.
Like former-President Donald Trump, Mr Roberts has no previous experience in politics and hopes to win over voters by his business experience.
Later Roberts praised those who went help her saying: "Can we give a hand to the medical team for their assistance? She (Rebecca) is five months pregnant.
"Her blood pressure is fine, so we thank the Lord."
After unedited footage of the event appeared online, Roberts was slammed for the time he took to get to his wife's side.
One Twitter user sarcastically said: "Rollan Roberts II announces he is running for president this week, when his five-months pregnant wife passes out. She was fine, and Roberts was obviously highly concerned. Hell of a start to Rollan Roberts 2024!"
Roberts comes from a political family, and is being supported by his dad, Rollan Roberts I, a West Virginia state senator.
Another Twitter user quipped: "The campaign ad against him writes itself: “Rollan Roberts - his pregnant wife can’t depend on him; neither should America.”
In a video of the speech posted onto his Facebook page, his wife's collapse is edited out and it instead skips to her sitting down on a chair with an aide rearranging the previously knocked over flag.
Despite this Facebook users didn't let him get away with it, with one commenting underneath: "Dude, the part in the director's cut of this video where your pregnant wife collapses to the floor while you just stand around dumbfounded is a perfect indication of how you would react to unexpected/unwelcome developments should you ever become president or the manager of a Cinnabon."
Another said: "The people on the other side of the room reached your wife before you ever left the lector.
"Shows us that in case of a nuclear attack, you would be the first one in the basement and lock the door with your wife and children on the outside crying for you. Give up now, you don't have a Christian chance."
