Harris and Trump Battle for Pennsylvania in Key Campaign Visits \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took their campaigns to Pennsylvania on Monday, making their case to voters in different parts of the state. Harris, in Erie, criticized Trump’s recent remarks about using the U.S. military domestically, while Trump, in suburban Philadelphia, focused on the economy and energy policy. Pennsylvania, a key swing state with 19 electoral votes, is shaping up to be a major battleground in the 2024 election.
Harris and Trump Compete for Pennsylvania: Quick Looks
- Harris in Erie: Vice President Kamala Harris warned about Trump’s “enemy from within” remarks, which she described as dangerous rhetoric.
- Trump in suburban Philadelphia: Trump pledged to boost U.S. energy production and accused the government of manipulating economic data.
- Frequent visits: Pennsylvania has become the most visited state in the 2024 campaign, with both candidates frequently targeting its crucial 19 electoral votes.
- Swing state importance: Pennsylvania, known for tight races, flipped from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020, and both campaigns are vying for its voters.
Deep Look
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are intensifying their focus on Pennsylvania, a key battleground state that could play a decisive role in determining the next occupant of the White House. On Monday, the two candidates made dueling appearances in different parts of the state—Harris in Erie and Trump in suburban Philadelphia—underscoring Pennsylvania’s importance as both campaigns ramp up efforts to sway voters in the final stretch before the election.
Harris delivered her message in the city of Erie, a traditionally Democratic stronghold in the state’s northwest corner. It was her 10th visit to Pennsylvania this campaign season, a testament to the state’s critical electoral value. During the rally, Harris homed in on Trump’s controversial remarks from a Fox News interview over the weekend, where he suggested the U.S. military could be used against “the enemy from within.” Trump made the comment while discussing the potential for disruptions on Election Day, which he blamed on what he described as “radical left lunatics.”
Harris played a clip of Trump’s remarks on a large screen during the rally, emphasizing the gravity of the former president’s rhetoric. “He considers anyone who doesn’t support him or who will not bend to his will an enemy of our country,” Harris said to the crowd. She described Trump’s words as “unstable and unhinged” and argued that they were part of a broader pattern of threatening behavior that should alarm voters. “This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America and dangerous,” she added, underscoring her belief that Trump’s return to the presidency would endanger democracy.
Trump’s remarks, made during an interview on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures, centered on his belief that domestic threats—whom he referred to as “the enemy from within”—pose a larger risk than external ones. Trump suggested that if necessary, the National Guard or even the military could be deployed to deal with those threats. “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics,” Trump said. “And I think they’re the big— and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.”
Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, defended Trump’s remarks during a campaign event in Minneapolis earlier on Monday, arguing that the use of military force could be justified in extreme cases of civil unrest. “Is it a justifiable use of those assets if they’re rioting and looting and burning cities down to the ground? Of course it is,” Vance told reporters. He dismissed concerns that Trump’s remarks indicated a willingness to use the military for partisan purposes, saying that the former president was merely responding to hypothetical situations involving lawlessness.
In her rally in Erie, Harris also took the opportunity to highlight the importance of early voting in Pennsylvania, where mail-in ballots have already been sent out. With Election Day fast approaching, Harris urged her supporters to cast their ballots as soon as possible, emphasizing that early voting is crucial in such a closely contested state. “If you have already received your ballot in the mail, please do not wait,” she urged. “Fill it out and return it today or tomorrow. But please get it out.”
Harris’ focus on Erie is strategic, as the city and its surrounding region are often seen as a bellwether for Pennsylvania as a whole. While Erie itself leans Democratic, the suburbs and rural areas surrounding the city have significant Republican populations, making it a microcosm of the broader political divide in the state. Erie County, with its blend of urban and rural voters, has shifted between Democratic and Republican candidates in recent elections, making it a key target for both campaigns.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump spent his day in the southeastern part of the state, holding a town hall-style event in Oaks, a suburban area just outside of Philadelphia. His appearance focused largely on economic issues, with Trump pledging to lower energy costs by ramping up U.S. oil production. “We’re going to drill baby drill,” Trump declared to the enthusiastic crowd. “We’re going to have so much energy and we’re going to bring prices down.” He argued that boosting domestic oil production would help alleviate inflation and lower costs for American consumers.
Despite the fact that U.S. oil production is already at record levels, Trump claimed that current government regulations are hindering growth in the energy sector. He blamed what he called burdensome regulations for making it too expensive to build homes and drive economic growth. Responding to a voter who expressed frustration about the high cost of housing, Trump criticized government red tape and promised to roll back regulations if re-elected.
In addition to his promises on energy and the economy, Trump took aim at government data, accusing the Biden administration of manipulating statistics on crime and employment to make the Democratic Party look better. He referred to the official data as “fake” and suggested that the numbers had been altered to conceal the true state of the economy and the rising crime rates. “They’re playing with the numbers,” Trump said, without offering evidence for his claims. He has made similar accusations throughout his political career, often criticizing government institutions he believes are biased against him.
Trump’s event was briefly interrupted by two medical emergencies, prompting him to shorten his speech. After the second interruption, Trump shifted the tone of the event by calling for music and turning the town hall into a makeshift concert. He stood on stage, swaying with the crowd as music played in the background, in what some described as an impromptu and unusual campaign moment.
Supporters at Trump’s event voiced confidence in his message and expressed frustration with the current state of the economy. “I’m feeling a shift because the economy affects everyone,” said Tom Bonanno, a Trump supporter in attendance. “It’s not just going to be on, you’re feeling joy or happiness or whatever they’re running on. It’s about the economy once again.”
Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, has emerged as the most visited state in the 2024 campaign, reflecting its status as the largest and most critical battleground. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have made numerous stops in the state, focusing on key regions where swing voters could tilt the outcome of the election. According to the Associated Press, Pennsylvania has seen 46 campaign stops from the two major candidates, more than any other swing state. Michigan, with 33 visits, and Wisconsin, with 29, follow closely behind, highlighting the importance of the Rust Belt states that helped propel Trump to victory in 2016.
Despite the Democratic Party’s recent successes in Pennsylvania, including three consecutive gubernatorial wins and holding both U.S. Senate seats, the state remains deeply divided. Trump won Pennsylvania by a narrow margin in 2016, defeating Hillary Clinton by just over 40,000 votes. In 2020, President Joe Biden, who hails from Scranton, Pennsylvania, won the state back for the Democrats, beating Trump by about 80,000 votes.
As both campaigns ramp up their efforts in the final weeks before the election, Pennsylvania remains a key battleground that could determine the outcome. Harris and Trump will likely continue their frequent visits, targeting the moderate and swing voters who have historically played a decisive role in the state’s elections.
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