Donald Trump gave an 87-minute speech at CPAC where he denied rambling and brought up critics who say he is cognitively impaired – saying he was in fact a 'genius.'

'They'll say he rambled – he's cognitively impaired,' Trump said about an hour into his speech, denying those who have criticized his mental state. 'No, it's really the opposite. It's total genius, you know that,' Trump said, having called himself a 'stable genius' while in office.

Trump made the comments during rambling remarks where he gave impressions of Biden, casting the president as constantly asking people where he was and struggling to manage stage instructions.

He repeatedly championed his own style of veering off script, defending his 'very informative' stories, during remarks where he gave impressions of Joe Biden and railed about favorite subjects ranging from low flow water-saving devices to his gripes about electric cars.

It came after a week when President Biden's own age and memory were once again an issue, including the president's use of note cards even in closed events.

In one of many odd tangents in his speech, Trump praised Russian President Putin days after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, then agreed with Putin's recent comment that Russia would like to see a second term for Biden.

'I talked to Putin a lot. I got along with him well, although he did announced the other day that he'd much rather see Biden as President. And I agree with him. I agree because you know, I ended Nord Stream right?' Trump said, referencing former U.S. sanctions on pipeline construction.

'Biden, he's more experienced, more predictable, he's a politician of the old formation,' Putin said this week. 'But we will work with any U.S. leader whom the American people trust.' 

Referencing the media, Trump said, 'These fakers up there. 'He rambled on endlessly. Telling these horrible and very boring stories.' No, they're very informative stories they're very important stories, actually,' Trump said. 

'No they said there is no cognitive problem if there was a know about it. In fact, if there was, you'll be the first to know because I will tell you,' he told the crowd.

Then Trump got back to one of his digressions, relating to imposing tariffs on Mexico.

'What happens is I was talking to the gentleman, and he's very confident, and I said no, you're going to do it. You're going to do it. And he thought, this a weird conversation because he kept saying no. I said, No, you're gonna do it. 100 per cent.  Don't even think about it. No, I said, No. I said no, but he says I have to say, No? I said, I said, Yes. He said, I can't do it. Said here's what I'm doing. It's Friday evening, starting Monday morning, at seven o'clock. Mexico is going to pay a tariff of 25% on all of the cars that you stole form our country, by the way ...' 

That got Trump complaining about the 'all electric mandate,' meaning incentives to buy electric cars. 'Everybody has have an electric car, which doesn't go far. Got a couple of problems. Does it go far. Doesn't work in cold weather, remember. 

He tore into California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who he said had 'destroyed' California, then teed off on water-saving devices.

He complained about authorities 'notifying people in Beverly Hills. You can only use 40 gallons of water ...  They say you can only brush your teeth once a day. Who the hell wants to mean – you can't use too much water on your hair. That would that would put me out, I would ...' he joked. 

Trump appeared to relish his time off script. 

'And by the way, isn't this better than reading off a fricking teleprompter,' Trump said 58 minutes into his monologue.

He seemed attuned to what critics might say, in a speech where he ripped the 'fake news' and the crowd booed the press.

'They'll say: he rambled. Nobody can ramble like this,' Trump said a few minutes before the full hour mark.

He referenced a 'best speaker' award, then accepted that he might not be taking home any trophies.

'Probably I won't get the best speaker this year because I went off this stupid teleprompter,' he said, after long diversions about ISIS, why he likes to call the former president 'Barack Hussein Obama,' and other matters.

Trump spoke on the day of the South Carolina primary, where former Gov. Nikki Haley has been accusing both Trump and Biden of being past their prime, and highlighting Trump mixing up herself and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.