Donald Trump talks fracking, Arnold Palmer and Charleroi as Latrobe rallygoers lean into religion

By Laura Esposito and Adam Babetski / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Donald Trump campaigned with former members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, accused Vice President Kamala Harris of “persecuting Catholics,” and offered up a detailed story about Arnold Palmer, at one point even praising the late, legendary golfer's genitalia, at a rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport just outside Latrobe on Saturday night.

The former president and his Democratic opponent are making their final pitches to Pennsylvania voters. The must-win battleground state with 19 electoral votes is critical for both presidential campaigns. The race is a statistical tie, according to polls.

“If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole damn thing,” Trump said.

Trump’s rally was visually reminiscent of his Butler rallies — with two large cranes supporting an American flag behind him — albeit on a smaller scale. An estimated 3,000 supporters clustered around the stage, a smaller crowd than the ones he drew at previous rallies in Butler, Johnstown and Indiana, Pa.

After a low flyover of the crowd in the “Trump Force 1” Boeing 757, the Republican nominee entered to WWE star The Undertaker’s theme shortly after his advertised speaking time of 6 p.m.

Trump began with recollections of Latrobe native Arnold Palmer, recalling that he got to know Palmer later in life and played golf with him. “I asked him if [my drive was] as long as he’d be back in the day… he said, ‘Donald, let me tell you a little secret: You weren’t even close.”

Politicians saluting Palmer in his hometown is nothing new. But Trump spent 12 full minutes doing so at the top of his speech and even suggested how much more fun the night would be if Palmer, who died in 2016, could join him on stage.

“Arnold Palmer was all man, and I say that in all due respect to women," Trump said. "This is a guy that was all man.”

Then he went even further.

“When he took the showers with other pros, they came out of there. They said, ‘Oh my God. That's unbelievable,'” Trump said with a laugh. “I had to say. We have women that are highly sophisticated here, but they used to look at Arnold as a man.”

Trump senior adviser Jason Miller told reporters before the speech that the former president planned to preview his closing argument against Ms. Harris and “start to get into that framing.” Candidates have traditionally used their final days on the campaign trail to sum up for the electorate why they deserve to win the White House.

Trump eventually hit many of his favorite campaign themes but didn't offer much in the way of new framing of the race or why he should win it. He instead boasted of creating strong tax policies and a strong military during his first term in office.

He slammed Ms. Harris as “crazy" and added a profanity.

“You have to tell Kamala Harris that you’ve had enough, that you just can’t take it anymore, we can’t stand you anymore, you’re a s— vice president,” Trump said to roars of the crowd. "The worst. You’re the worst vice president. Kamala, you’re fired. Get the hell out of here.”

Following his preamble, Trump launched into a familiar refrain.

“I’d like to begin by asking a simple question: Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” he said.

Trump then criticized President Joe Biden and Ms. Harris for not attending the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City, a fundraiser on Thursday for Catholic charities.

Ms. Harris had announced last month that she would not attend because of a conflicting campaign event, breaking presidential candidate tradition.

Trump said the Biden-Harris administration was “persecuting Catholics,” using Ms. Harris telling a heckler who shouted “Jesus is Lord” on Thursday that he was “at the wrong rally” as an example. Mr. Biden is a practicing Catholic, while Trump is a non-denominational Christian.

Trump alternated between his usual riffing and canned phrases that he said he was pulling from a teleprompter, pausing at least half a dozen times to watch his own campaign ads on the board.

He covered his usual talking points: Out-of-control illegal immigration, rising prices and crime, and Ms. Harris’ support for transgender surgeries.

Retired Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown took the stage before Trump, wearing a red MAGA hat along with his old teammates Le’Veon Bell and Mike Wallace. Mr. Brown railed against “Tampon Tim Walz” while questioning the Democratic vice presidential candidate’s ability as a former high school football coach in Minnesota and Nebraska.

“He could never guard me,” Mr. Brown said.

The appearances of the former Steelers came as Ms. Harris works to gain support from Black men. Mr. Brown told the audience that they were the “Crackers of the Day,” referring to his famous nickname for admirable white people on X.

Trump would later invite the trio back on stage, where they led a “Here we go, Steelers” chant. He also called up Senate hopeful Dave McCormick, who urged supporters to help him boot incumbent Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., from office on Nov. 5.

Trump displayed a graphic purporting to show rising illegal immigration, a graphic that he also used in Butler County on July 13, just before a would-be assassin — a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park — fired at the stage, wounding Trump and two others and killing one man.

He claimed 101,000 people were in attendance for his return to Butler on Oct. 5 — a number nowhere near the estimated turnout of 30,000. 

Trump said Ms. Harris wants to ban fracking, a talking point that he and his vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have made repeatedly during their visits to Pennsylvania despite her denials.

Trump again claimed that Charleroi “has seen a 2,000% increase in population of illegal migrants under Harris.” That statistic has been proven to be wrong, with the majority of migrants in Charleroi being in the country legally.

“On Nov. 5, the migrant invasion ends, and the restoration of our country begins,” Trump said.

He called for the execution of “every migrant who kills an American citizen” and promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to facilitate mass deportations.

Trump thanked Elon Musk for his support and said that as president, he would lay the groundwork to land humans on Mars, in line with the SpaceX founder’s mission. Mr. Musk is currently touring Pennsylvania to win votes for Trump and will be in McKees Rocks for a town hall on Sunday. Trump is expected to attend Sunday night’s NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets.

Hours before Trump appeared, country music blasted from speakers and thousands wearing red MAGA gear milled about vendor stands that lined the airport grounds. There was an emphasis on different nationalities and cultures. Many spectators held signs with slogans such as "Italian-Americans for Trump" or "Japan for Trump."

Dana and Shane Chesher, of Harrison, said one of their favorite aspects of Trump rallies is the "diverse crowds" they attract. "All these people together, different races ... it reminds me of one nation under God because there's so many people connected here," Ms. Chesher said.

Mr. and Ms. Chesher said they frequently attend Trump rallies and were seated directly behind the candidate during the rally July 13 in Butler.

Ms. Chesher called the shooting "life-changing" and said it was difficult, at first, to return to Trump rallies in the aftermath. But she said the election stakes are too high for her not to support Trump publicly.

"I feel like, right now, it's the battle for God, family and country. If people don't stand up, this is one nation under God, we'll lose it all," she said. "And if America falls, I believe, the world does."

Such sentiments were common among the spectators Saturday, with many wearing baseball hats with the message "Make America Godly Again." Alysha Wright, 29, of Connellsville, said she enjoys Trump rallies because she meets so many people who share her Christian ideals.

Ms. Wright attended Saturday's event with her 3-year-old son, Tommy, who wore a black polo shirt with the "Make America Great Again" slogan and a hat with the same message. "We want to teach him to show support for those who have the courage to speak up for what you believe in," she said, holding her son's hand.

A few days ago, Ms. Wright said she showed her son a photo of Trump. "I was like, ‘Who's that, buddy?’ And he's like, ‘Jesus,’" she said with a laugh.                            

Trump maintains strong support from evangelicals, and his campaign has put an emphasis on mobilizing that voting bloc in the lead-up to Nov. 5. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance told Christian voters to "take this country back" during a town hall at the Monroeville Convention Center last month.

Others also made the event a family affair, including Travis Brinker, 32, who brought along his 7-year-old son, Eli, for his first rally.

"What are some of your beliefs about Trump?" Mr. Brinker, of Ligonier, asked his son, who wore a red Trump cap.

"I wanna be president one day and make America great again," Eli said, smiling.

But Mr. Brinker pressed his son until — finally — he responded, "Kamala Harris is letting terrorists into the border."

"Educating him for the future," Mr. Brinker said.

Trump has leaned hard into anti-immigrant rhetoric on the campaign trail, blaming immigrants for "poisoning the blood of our country" and saying last month that the fact that some immigrants have committed crimes means "we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now."

Research has assessed the relationship between immigration and crime and numerous studies show that undocumented immigration has not amounted to an increase in violent crime.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, studies found that immigration is associated with lower crime rates and an increase in structural factors — such as social connection and economic opportunity — that are linked to neighborhood safety.

The Associated Press contributed.