Republican National Committee co-chairs Lara Trump and Michael Whatley came to the Delaware Valley this week with a message for the GOP faithful: We’re leaving nothing to chance on Election Day.
“I want to make sure that every person in this country, when they cast a ballot for whoever it is, whether you are voting for a Republican, Democrat, a third-party candidate on election day or mail-in vote, or early voting, knowing that your vote should count,” Trump told a gathering of 120 election volunteers who packed into Trump campaign headquarters in Newtown Tuesday.
“And that’s why we’re here. We from the RNC have put in place an incredible election integrity program.”
Trump is married to former President Donald Trump’s son Eric.
The volunteers received training on how to ensure the 2024 general election is fair, accurate, secure, and transparent.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was also part of the RNC-sponsored event. She told local Republicans she still has “a little PTSD” from the 2020 election “when we had a court order to observe the ballot-counting and we were kicked out.”
“This time is going to be different and this is a priority for President Trump,” said Bondi.
“I know this will shock you, but 89 percent of Americans only want Americans to vote in our elections,” she said. “It’s the election of our lifetime and Pennsylvania is so important for our country.”
Trump echoed that sentiment. “We want to have an army of people across this country, 100,0000 people strong, working around the country to ensure integrity in our elections,” she said. “Make a plan and get out and vote.”
Whatley, who along with Lara Trump took the reins at the RNC earlier this year, told DVJournal it was time for Republicans to be proactive about ballot security.
“We’re keeping an eye on everything. That’s really why it’s so important for us to make sure first and foremost we have the rules of the road set up the right way before the votes are being cast and then we’ve got to be in the room wherever votes are being counted.”
“We want transparency throughout the entire process,” Whatley said.
In Newtown, Whatley told about having breakfast with Donald Trump and telling him the RNC was ineffective because it was trying to do too much.
“What we need to do is strip down and focus on two core missions. Number one, we’ve got to get out the vote,” Whatley told Donald Trump. “That’s what the RNC does. That’s been our core mission for the last 40 or 50 years and we are really good at working with our state parties.”
“But second — and for the first time in a presidential campaign — we have to protect the vote.”
“We created an office of election integrity,” Whatley said. It’s the first time we had a dedicated office that is focused solely on making sure we are there to protect the vote.”
Asked why former President Trump has not championed voting by mail, Lara Trump said he has messaged it on Truth Social.
“We want legal votes to count and however you can vote best, that’s exactly how you should vote,” she said.
Philadelphia election lawyer Linda Kerns, who is retained election integrity counsel for the RNC in Pennsylvania, attended the training.
“The Pennsylvania Election Code allows for qualified voters from both major political parties to be watchers in each and every polling place in this great commonwealth. The RNC’s goal with our Protect The Vote program is to ensure transparency. Fair and lawful elections ensure voter confidence and strengthen our great nation,” said Kerns.
Green Lane resident Barbara Steever signed up to be a poll watcher.
“People say Trump brainwashed us,” said Steever. “No. We just happen to believe what he believes. If Biden gets another term, this country is dead.”
Ed Moye, who is running for state representative in the 70th District in central Montgomery County, said he’s a Trump supporter because of his policies.
“It’s obvious the nation was in better shape (before Biden took over),” said Moye, who previously ran for sheriff.
Lara Trump said her father-in-law “believes the momentum is behind him” and the polls “clearly show that.”
“We believe if every legal vote is counted on Nov. 5, Donald Trump will become President-elect of the United States,” she said.
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