Video of the comments from NBC News showed that Trump then accused the media of intentionally distorting his words, pointing at the assembled press corps and telling the crowd, "these people are the lowest form of life."

As his supporters cheered, the candidate then executed another half pivot. "They are the lowest form of humanity!" Trump bellowed. "Not all of them, they have about 25 percent that are pretty good actually, but most of them."

The meandering, jokey way Trump speaks, riffing on subjects like a stand-up comic working out his material live on stage, makes the task of reporting his comments unusually challenging.