Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. This marked his first event in the Keystone State since the attempted assassination on July 13.
Return to Pennsylvania
Addressing the crowd at the Farm Show Complex, Trump stated, “As you know, this is my first return to Pa. since our rally in Butler. We’re going back to Butler too.” He then launched into criticisms of Biden-Harris policies, focusing on border control and public safety. “They’re letting horrible people into our country. They are poisoning our country by contrast. If I’m elected, on day 1 we will begin the largest deportation in American history,” Trump declared.
Reflecting on the Assassination Attempt
Trump also reflected on the near assassination, taking a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, the man who was shot and killed at the Butler rally. Trump and two others were also injured in the shooting.
Many attendees from the Butler rally were present on Wednesday, while others felt compelled to attend due to the tragic events of that day. “It’s one of the reasons I’m here—to support him and let everyone know they’re not going to scare us off. Even a bullet won’t stop us,” said Valerie Mansberger of Newville. “After what happened there with the assassination attempt, I knew I had to come,” added Ryan Morris of New Haven, Connecticut.
Tight Race in Polls
The visit comes as most polls show the race between Trump and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris remains tight. Meanwhile, Harris and her future running mate will be traveling across the country next week, a source confirmed to ABC News. Harris’s campaign confirmed that she will start in Philadelphia on Tuesday, with other stops planned for western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, Savannah, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
Trump’s Contentious Interview at NABJ
On Wednesday, Trump’s interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention in Chicago began contentiously as he falsely questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ race. During the interview, Trump stated his vice presidential pick “does not have any impact” on the election and mentioned he would pardon Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted police officers “if they’re innocent.”
The interview, conducted by ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner, and Semafor political reporter Kadia Goba, started with Scott addressing Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric towards women of color. Scott asked, “You have pushed false claims about some of your rivals, from Nikki Haley to former President Barack Obama, saying that they were not born in the United States, which is not true. You have told four congressmen, women of color, who were American citizens, to go back to where they came from. You have used words like ‘animal’ and ‘rabbit’ to describe Black district attorneys. You’ve attacked Black journalists, calling them a ‘loser,’ saying the questions that they ask are, ‘stupid and racist.’ You’ve had dinner with a white supremacist at your Mar-a-Lago resort.”
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In response, Trump began, “Well, first of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question. So, in such a horrible manner, a first question. You don’t even say hello. Who are you? Are you with ABC? Because I think they’re a fake news network. A terrible network.”
When Scott pressed him to answer her question, Trump responded, “I have answered the question. I have been the best president for the Black population since Abraham Lincoln.”
Trump also mocked Harris and deflected when asked about Republican comments that she is a “DEI” hire, asking the journalist to define DEI. He further questioned Harris’ race, saying, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now, she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother.
New Pennsylvania Poll
A new survey of 600 likely Pennsylvania voters by Susquehanna Polling & Research shows Harris leading by four percentage points in the state. Susquehanna was among the most accurate pollsters in Pennsylvania in 2020. Fox News polls released last week showed Harris and Trump statistically tied in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, reflecting improvements from Biden’s standing in these states. In Pennsylvania, Biden had 46% support from senior voters and 33% support from white voters without a college degree. Harris matched him among voters 65 years old and up, and saw support from white voters without a degree jump to 41% since April. Biden’s support among men was at 40%, with 36% from white men, while Harris’s support increased to 45% and 42% respectively. Biden took 28% support among self-identified independents, which rose to 30% for Harris.