Trump returns to Pa. in full attack mode against Harris, Democrats

By Ford Turner and Adam Babetski / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG – Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump delivered scathing attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris on fracking, immigration and other topics Wednesday night in his first appearance in Pennsylvania since the attempt on his life July 13 at a rally in Butler.

He also delivered a tribute to the man killed at that rally, firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver.

“A very special hello to Pennsylvania,” Trump said in his first moments at the state Farm Show complex. He immediately repeated a promise that he would return to Butler before his campaign was over.

At the Butler rally, a would-be assassin’s bullet struck Trump in the ear, wounded two spectators and killed Mr. Comperatore. Trump called for a moment of silence for him, and an absolute hush fell over the crowd of more than 7,000. 

“We will never forget Corey or his beautiful family,” Trump said.

Trump spoke for nearly 90 minutes after taking the stage more than an hour after his scheduled start time. He repeatedly blasted Ms. Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, saying that only weeks ago she was considered ill-suited to lead and now — after the withdrawal of President Joe Biden as a candidate for re-election — “all of a sudden she is the new Margaret Thatcher.”

He called Ms. Harris “an extreme radical-left lunatic,” and pounded home issues of immigration, crime and energy.

“She’s not going to allow you to frack,” he said. “If they get in, your state is screwed.”

A few hours before he spoke, a series of Republican speakers – including U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick – fired up the crowd with denunciations of the Biden-Harris administration and Ms. Harris’ recent elevation to being the likely Democratic nominee.

Mr. McCormick described how he and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Luzerne, were eyewitnesses to the attempted assassination in Butler. Mr. McCormick praised Trump’s strength in getting to his feet immediately after being hit in the ear and pumping his fist in the air, despite the shock of the moment.

“That’s the kind of strength we need to turn our country around,” he said.

There were few empty seats in the arena. “We want Trump” chants broke out and spectators at one point did “the wave” as they waited for Trump to appear.

Trump hit on many themes that have nearly become trademarks at his rallies. Referring to leadership of the Democratic Party, he said, “These people cheat. They cheat like dogs.” Mail-in voting, he said, is not working, and he vowed a return to single-day voting using paper ballots, proof of citizenship and voter ID.

And, he said, “I will keep men out of women’s sports. How simple is that?”

He said the U.S. is in serious decline. “We are a failing nation,” he said.

Mr. Meuser during his warmup speech that the only reason Mr. Biden withdrew from the presidential race was “because President Trump was beating him so badly.”

Hitting themes that Trump would pick up a few hours later, Mr. Meuser said Ms. Harris wants to have “boys playing girls’ sports,” ban fracking and confiscate firearms. It was, Mr. Meuser said, “San Francisco stuff” and “the Democrat machine has no respect for Democracy.”

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, of York, got a sustained roar of applause when he said of Pennsylvania, “This is ground zero, we are not going to let Harris win.”

Mr. McCormick lumped his Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, in with Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris repeatedly, accusing the trio of favoring billions in overspending and a “lack of moral clarity.”

“This great country is slipping away,” Mr. McCormick said. “This is a moment where we have a stark choice.”

Most of those in the crowd had waited for hours in sweltering heat before they were allowed to start passing through security and enter the arena at 2 p.m.

People wait in line to attend a Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday, July 31, 2024.(Associated Press)

The state Farm Show arena is a storied mid-state venue for rock concerts, sports events and a massive, annual farming expo held January. On Wednesday, the crowd that waited outside to pass through security appeared to be all about Trump.

His image and name appeared on T-shirts, flags and vehicles and on merchandise being hawked by vendors. One stand where attendees could take a picture with a cardboard cutout of Trump was run by a group of Japanese citizens.

“What happens in the 2024 election here in the United States will affect the entire world,” the site’s business card said. “If America continues under the leadership of leftist Democrats like Joe Biden … then many countries will be forced to abandon America and follow the leadership of nations like Communist China.”

Nathan Metelsk, 15, came from Cleveland in a pickup truck with his uncle and set up his stand at dawn. Every day selling merchandise is different for Nathan, who said his family has “good ones and bad ones” depending on the size of Trump’s rallies. He’s headed to another one Saturday in Atlanta.

“Some days we’ll do 12, 14 grand, some days we’ll make four or five,” he said. “Should be a big day — over 8 [thousand].”

The heavy police presence appeared to reduce concerns about security following the horrific event in Butler.

“I feel more safe here than where I’m from,” said Michelle Wyles, 69, of Raystown Lake, who frolicked in water sprayed from garden hoses to beat the heat outside the rally.

With police on foot, on bicycles and on horseback, security was a concern for few, except for border security — that was the No. 1 issue motivating many to support Trump in November.

The Harrisburg arena is an enclosed space where spectators enter via short tunnels from wide hallways that wrap around the arena. On Wednesday security screened people individually as they entered the building, and other personnel patrolled the halls and stood near the tunnels.

At the Butler venue, the shooter gained a line of sight to Trump by climbing onto an unprotected roof just outside the main security perimeter. The lack of clear explanations of how that happened in the face of a multilayered security presence led by the U.S. Secret Service has spawned bipartisan frustration. The search for answers has put a spotlight on Pennsylvania – adding to an already intense political environment.

In recent days, state political circles have been alive with speculation that Gov. Josh Shapiro will be picked as Ms. Harris’ running mate.

During a Philadelphia appearance on Tuesday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin, Mr. Shapiro was not asked about that possibility. But in response to questions, he described himself as “competitive as hell,” said the impact of Mr. Biden’s 50 years of public service would be felt for “generations to come,” and added, “We are indebted to he and Vice President Kamala Harris.”

At the same time, in Washington D.C., Republican lawmakers on Tuesday grilled the acting head of the U.S. Secret Service, Ronald Rowe, who took the post after the former director, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned under pressure July 23.

Days earlier, a member of the Beaver County SWAT team said during a television interview that photos of the man who ultimately fired the shots were taken about an hour before the attempted assassination, counter-snipers were warned, and a command group was notified. Mr. Rowe, however, told federal lawmakers on Tuesday that those warnings never reached his agency, and he questioned how local officers did not spot the gunman on a roof about 130 yards from the stage where Trump stood.

Also Tuesday, Susquehanna Polling & Research released a new poll that showed Ms. Harris with a four-percentage-point lead over Trump – equal to the poll’s four-point margin of error – among likely Pennsylvania voters when asked about their preferences in a four-way race including independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

Ford Turner: [email protected]

Adam Babetski: [email protected]