Rollan Roberts II’s wife collapses on camera as he unveils longshot bid for White House

The West Virginia Republican wants to be the next president

Rollan Roberts looks on as his wife collapses at his presidential campaign announcement (Twitter/@RonFilipkowski)

Rollan Roberts II’s longshot bid for the White House got off to an inauspicious start when his wife collapsed onto the floor in the middle of his kickoff speech.

Ms Roberts, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, was standing by as Mr Roberts detailed why Americans might consider him for the presidency in 2024, until she wobbled slightly and fell to the ground.

Mr Roberts heard the disturbance, turned around, and then slowly made his way over to where his wife was lying on the floor. Some observers were not impressed with the optics.

The West Virginian is an unlikely candidate for president to begin with. Unlike other, top, contenders, he has never been elected to office at all, let alone a statewide or federal office. He describes himself on his website as “an American businessman, (and) government advisor.”

Mr Roberts’ father, Rollan Roberts, has more of a pedigree in politics: he serves as state senator in West Virginia, and is backing his son’s bid.

“It gives me great pleasure to introduce my son to you today,” Mr Roberts said as he introduced his son at his kickoff event in comments reported by the West Virginia Daily News. “He has an announcement to make that will change the course of his life, challenge his stamina and fiber, and culminate in success because he is following God’s will.”

Mr Roberts II began by speaking about the divisions in American politics and his problem-solving mentality before his wife collapsed. After a brief period, Mr Roberts returned to the podium and assured the assembled crowd that his wife was okay.

“Can we give a hand to the medical team for their assistance? She (Rebecca) is five months pregnant,” Mr Roberts said. “Her blood pressure is fine, so we thank the Lord.”

The headline of this article was amended on January 31 2023 to remove an inaccurate reference to Mr Roberts II as a state senator.