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Trump’s Victory Continues to Resonate in the Delaware Valley

While many Republicans are rejoicing in President Donald Trump’s victory and many Democrats are in mourning, others are analyzing what went wrong.

Bucks County GOP Chair Pat Poprik said, “I am so happy that the majority of voters in Bucks County joined the majority of voters in the country and voted for change. We knew the country was not going in the right direction and that we needed a strong determined leader, like President Trump, to turn it around. Based on how well he did in his first four years, I am looking forward to the next four years to have a stronger border, a better economy, and a safe country in which our children and grandchildren can live.”

Bucks County was the only Delaware Valley county to vote for Trump. He won there by 1,284 votes.

Democratic consultant TJ Rooney said, “I agree, generally, with very little Bernie Sanders says. In this case, however, he is exactly correct. Unless we stop playing identity politics, we will continue to lose elections.”

Delaware County Republican Chair Frank Agovino said, “The level of commitment from volunteers and staff was at a level not seen in decades. Delaware County, and all the collar counties, delivered better results compared to 2020 which proved to be the difference for President Trump, Sen.-elect Dave McCormick, and all of our statewide row offices.”  Locally, incumbent Rep. Craig Williams (R-Delaware/Chester) was successful, he noted.

Similarly, Chester County GOP Chair Raffi Terzian was “thrilled with the election of Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States and JD Vance as vice president. We are also excited about the election of Dave McCormick as our next U.S. senator, as well as the victories of our statewide candidates,” mentioning Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Auditor General Tim DeFoor, and Dave Sunday, attorney general-elect. Terzian also lauded incumbents Williams and Rep. John Lawrence, who were reelected. He thanked everyone who worked for the GOP victories.

Even that Democratic bastion, Philadelphia, saw a Republican shift, with the election of Joe Picozzi, as state senator in northeast Philadelphia.

“President Trump and Republicans up-and-down the ballot proved that by focusing on the issues that truly impact the lives of Philadelphia residents, including the cost-of-living, crime, illegal immigration, and far-left policies that place special interests above working families, Republicans can win support in our city,” said Philadelphia GOP Chairman Vince Fenerty.

Jeff Jubelirer, with Bellevue Communications, said, Pennsylvania “remains a swing state. It swung back the GOP’s way this cycle. I’m not surprised Trump won given the dissatisfaction among the broad electorate with two big issues – the economy and immigration. Harris had the impossible job of presenting a new agenda while not turning her back on Biden, whose job approval numbers were so negative. I believe many independent-minded voters cared more about who they felt would be better on these issues (in this case, Trump) than they did about their personal feelings about Trump’s character.”

“I think Trump’s coattails helped McCormick a lot as well.  The only place where the GOP didn’t make gains was the Pennsylvania House. Districts are drawn in a way that makes it very difficult to beat incumbents. It’s ironic that a conservative Democratic House member (Frank Burns) from a big Trump area was the reason that the Democrats held the slim majority.

“I credit a lot of the GOP’s success this year in Pennsylvania to the efforts of the party to increase voter registration, particularly in Bucks County. It turned out their voters included many who appear to be new and/or not just the typical ‘likely voter’ who regularly participates.”

Bruce L. Castor Jr., a lawyer and former Montgomery County Commissioner, who represented Trump during his Senate trial, wondered how many of the incumbent Democratic senators who voted to convict Trump lost their seats. Those senators include Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), although Casey hasn’t conceded.

“The Trump-GOP comeback began that day,” said Castor. “I called them out on it and dared them to prosecute. How could the Democrats not have realized goading when it was staring them in the eye? And that the rest of the country would recoil at the misuse of all that prosecutorial power? President Trump won because he is best for the country and the Democrats stuck with Biden too long and compounded their mistake by trying to jam a less than unqualified candidate down the throats of the whole rank and file of their party… [This was] the greatest most skillfully done political comeback in U.S. history helped along by the greatest collection of political blunders ever known since politics came to be. They could not help themselves. Hatred is a powerful motivator.”

 

GIORDANO: The Sleeper Issue of the 2024 Election Is…

As we head into the homestretch of this election cycle, at least two things are clear to me. This election is as hard fought as any in our history and the margin of victory will be incredibly slim with the winner of Pennsylvania becoming president.

The margin of victory in Pennsylvania will likely be under 50,000 votes.

It’s also clear to me that inflation and the border are the two issues that dominate the minds of voters. However, the stealth issue that will also deeply affect the outcome revolves around transgender controversies, particularly Vice President Harris’ support for gender affirming care with taxpayer funded surgeries for even illegal immigrants in prison. The other part of this involves the battle over gender fluid and transgendered boys and men who compete in women’s sports.

Axios reports the Trump campaign agrees with me. Its closing ad campaign has focused on the battle over transgender issues. The main ad is entitled “Kamala’s agenda is they/them, not you.” It’s also reported the Trump campaign, exclusive of outside PAC spending, has spent more than $30 million on trans-focused ads that include an ad in Spanish in just the past 36 days. The source was AdImpact data. This amount of spending indicates the campaign believes Harris has flip flopped on it and it frames her as radical.

This issue is also important because every day there are renewed battles that often get media attention. For example, we have the ongoing battle in the Mountain West Conference after five women’s college volleyball teams have forfeited games against the San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team because it has a biological male who identifies as a woman as a key player.

This raises not only the issue of fair competition but also a real risk of injury because of the San Jose State’s ability to spike a volleyball. The recent forfeit by the University of Nevada’s team to San Jose State showed a change in attitude by female athletes. Unlike the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team, which was forced by the university to conceal Lia Thomas, a male swimmer on the team, the women at Nevada spoke out and publicly pushed back against the school officials who according to Outkick told them they were not ‘educated enough ‘around the science of transgenderism.

Maybe the women are like the 69 percent of Americans who told Gallup that “transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform to their birth gender.”

The Wall Street Journal noted that poll in a recent piece citing transgender sports as the sleeper issue of 2024 in the races of Democratic U.S. Sens. Casey, Brown, Tester, and Baldwin. The Journal stated, “But these days the hard edge of the transgender movement has dictated that its view of gender must be imposed nationwide. Senate Democrats have toed that line.” I would argue that Vice President Harris has toed that line even more firmly.

Harris has started to try to deflect from her previous positions in this area. In the interview with Brett Baier on Fox News Channel, she argued that President Trump was for sex change operations for people in prisons and she was just following the same principles. On the Breakfast Club Show out of New York, she argued she was only involved in two cases of gender changing surgery. I don’t think she can escape her support for these radical policies.

So, when this election is finally settled, I’m sure we’ll hear that inflation, the border, and the canard that Trump will end our democracy will all be analyzed. But don’t forget the sleeper issue of 2024.

Haley to DelVal Voters: We Need McCormick And Trump

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who unsuccessfully challenged her former boss Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary earlier this year, was back in Pennsylvania promoting another Republican: U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick.

“What I am excited about is Pennsylvania actually has a candidate who’s a fighter,” said Haley, a former South Carolina governor. “He’s a combat veteran. He knows what it means to sacrifice for our country. He’s a business guy. He knows what it means to balance a budget and save dollars. He’s a dad, not of one daughter, but of six daughters. But more than that, he’s a servant.  He wants to serve. He wants to do this for our country.”

And while she and Trump may not be on the best of terms, Haley urged Delaware Valley voters to give the Republican another four years in the White House.

Nikki Haley stumping for Dave McCormick in Pennsburg.

“We have to do more than elect Dave McCormick.  We have to elect Donald Trump. Because if Donald Trump wins Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick wins Pennsylvania.”

Haley also had harsh words for McCormick’s opponent, three-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr.

“Bob Casey has been in this position for 18 years. What has he done for 18 years?”

Someone called out, “Nothing.”

“That’s the problem. We need normal people. Dave McCormick has already signed a term limits pledge. We need everybody to sign a term limits pledge,” said Haley.

Haley is popular among suburban Republicans in places like Chester, Delaware and Bucks Counties, where she significantly outperformed her statewide average in the April presidential primary. She received more than 150,000 votes in the primary, despite having dropped out of the race in early March, and she received nearly a quarter of the vote in the Philadelphia suburbs, compared to 17 percent statewide.

Haley brought up the traditionally-GOP issue of federal spending and the national debt.

“Casey voted with Kamala Harris on the American Rescue Plan. It didn’t rescue anybody,” Haley said.

“They took all of our taxpayer dollars, flushed it into the sink of wasted projects costing $2 trillion. Then they go and pass the CHIPS Act. They were saying they were going to build and manufacture [silicon] chips in America. All in the name of national security. You know what they did? They gave all of our tax dollars to these companies and didn’t even require the companies to stop manufacturing in China. What a waste.

“Do you know over 70 percent of government employees are still working remotely? Seventy-five percent of our federal buildings are sitting empty. And we are paying for that. Bob Casey did that to you,” Haley added.

She also dinged Casey over his record on illegal immigration and the flow of deadly fentanyl over the southern border and increased inflation, saying it causes the average household to spend $29,000 a year.

“The one thing that can really bring that down is to become energy dominant. Bob Casey voted against expanding fracking six times. I think he forgot the state he lives in. Who does that?”

Haley also praised McCormick’s support for making America “energy dominate again, which is good for our national security.”

“And [Casey is] willing to support a candidate for president who has said she’s willing to pack the courts and get rid of the [Senate] filibuster. That’s who Bob Casey is.”

McCormick said that while it’s routine to say every election is the most important in our lifetimes, this one really is.

“This is for our children. This is for our children’s children, and right now we’re in trouble.”

After he lost the primary in 2022 to Dr. Mehmet Oz, McCormick said he planned to leave politics but kept “getting pulled back” because he believes in America, “the greatest country in the world for individual freedom, for religious freedom, a force for good in the world,” he said. “It’s my belief America is exceptional.”

“I’m going to be a voice for getting our country back on track, a leader for getting our country back on track,” said McCormick. “Kamala Harris is the most extreme liberal nominee in modern political history. Just look at her own words, ban fracking. Transition energy workers. Legalize illegal immigration. Mandatory buybacks of your guns. Eliminate private health insurance. Defund the police. These are what she said in her own words. That’s the choice, right?

“Don’t underestimate how important this is. Pennsylvania needs someone who is willing to fight and lead in the United States Senate.”

McCormick plans to draw on his experience as a college athlete for the final spring of the campaign.

“I wrestled in college. If I got into the third period within a point or two, I always knew I’d win because the third period in wrestling is not about wrestling. It’s about mental toughness. It’s about heart. It’s about staying on offense every single second. That’s what I’m going to do in the next six days,” McCormick said.

ROSENBERG: A Tale of Two Delis: The Left’s Backlash and the Right’s Silence Reveal Jewish Community Divisions

In today’s polarized America, even a simple visit to a deli can ignite a political firestorm. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris made a well-publicized stop at a Philadelphia deli, drawing a mix of praise and criticism.

Around the same time, a suburban deli hosted a commercial shoot for former President Donald Trump, sparking outrage from left-leaning groups. The reaction from the left was severe, with many unleashing vitriol against the business owner for hosting anything Trump-related. Republicans, on the other hand, largely overlooked Harris’s visit, choosing to ignore the event. These contrasting reactions illustrate a troubling reality: Jewish Americans on the left are entangled in ideological battles that often defy reason, while the Jewish right responds with what might be deemed selective silence.

This double standard is a microcosm of broader divisions within American Jewry and highlights an imbalance. Jewish Democrats who cheered Harris’s appearance quickly condemned any association with Trump, even when it was a neutral, business transaction. The left’s attack on the suburban deli for allowing a Trump commercial underscores an alarming lack of tolerance for differing viewpoints. Meanwhile, Republicans shrugged off Harris’s deli appearance without fanfare, a stark asymmetry that speaks to the widening ideological gulf among American Jews.

The Left’s Backlash: An Overreaction with Consequences

The backlash against the suburban deli owner illustrates the intolerance creeping into even the most basic expressions of free enterprise. What should have been a non-issue—a private business allowing space for a Trump commercial—became a flashpoint for social media outrage. Left-leaning voices attacked the owner personally, with calls for boycotts and cancellations. Those reactions reveal a disturbing trend where any association with opposing viewpoints, even incidental or business-related, is treated as betrayal.

This response is troubling for several reasons. First, it sends a message that political purity tests are increasingly demanded within liberal circles. For left-leaning Jewish Americans, it’s not enough to disagree with the right; there’s an expectation of active repudiation toward anyone even perceived as aligned with conservatism. Second, it disregards individuals who may simply be trying to run their businesses without getting involved in partisan battles. For critics, the mere presence of a Trump ad in a deli is enough to warrant personal attacks, regardless of the business owner’s actual stance. Finally, it reveals a pattern within the Jewish community, where Jews openly attack one another, further dividing the community.

This intolerance reflects an almost irrational standard, where political affiliation “trumps” individual context. The fact that a Jewish business owner is the target of such vitriol is especially painful, given that Jewish communities have historically upheld principles of fairness, open debate, and mutual respect. Yet, in today’s hyper-polarized climate, these values seem to be slipping away.

Republican Silence: Overlooking Harris’s Deli Visit

On the other side, Republicans barely reacted to Harris’s visit to a Philadelphia deli. Her appearance, a classic political gesture aimed at local voters, was met with neither outrage nor criticism by the Jewish right. There was no uproar, and no questioning of the deli owner’s decision to host Harris. In many ways, the Republican response—or lack thereof—demonstrates a willingness to let these gestures pass without backlash.

This restraint, however, may indicate a missed opportunity. By staying silent on Harris’s visit, Republicans missed a chance to highlight the double standards at play. Had the right responded with the same intensity as the left’s reaction to the Trump commercial, it might have spotlighted the inconsistency within liberal circles. Instead, their silence suggests apathy or a belief  these gestures shouldn’t be divisive.

For Republicans, ignoring Harris’s visit may be strategic, signaling a focus on issues they view as more substantial than optics. Yet their quiet acceptance may also reflect a growing frustration among right-leaning Jews, who are increasingly fed up with perceived double standards and prefer to avoid unnecessary controversies.

A Divided Jewish Community

These reactions reflect a larger issue: an ideological divide fracturing shared values and mutual respect within the Jewish community. Jewish Democrats and Republicans increasingly live in separate worlds, shaped by distinct narratives and loyalties. For many on the left, association with conservative ideals is seen as betrayal, and expressing a divergent view comes with a high cost. For Jewish Republicans, the silence on Harris’s visit may reflect a desire to steer clear of symbolic skirmishes and focus on more substantive debates.

This division highlights a loss of dialogue within the Jewish community. As political divides deepen, ideological purity becomes a badge of honor, pushing those with differing views to the margins. The left’s reaction to the suburban deli showcases how easily a community can turn on its own, casting out individuals for associations perceived as “wrong,” regardless of context.

A Snapshot of National Fracture

The contrasting responses to Harris’s deli visit and the Trump commercial reveal a troubling reality. It isn’t just that Republicans and Democrats react differently; it’s the reactions themselves showcase an irrationality increasingly defining American Jewish politics. For the left, the suburban deli’s association with a Trump-related project is seen as an unforgivable offense, while the right quietly ignores Harris’s visit. Both responses contribute to a climate where political allegiance overshadows nuanced thought and association is judged more harshly than intent.

This irrationality is especially perplexing within the Jewish community, historically known for valuing diversity of thought and respectful dialogue. The polarization risks eroding these ideals. Rather than standing united on shared cultural values and security, the community appears fractured, driven by a need to validate political allegiance above all else.

Reclaiming Balanced Discourse

The uproar over these two deli visits is more than a story about one business or a single commercial shoot; it’s a cautionary tale. The Jewish community faces a real risk of losing its ability to tolerate and engage across divides. If purity tests continue to define community standards, the Jewish community risks alienating its own and sacrificing the diversity of thought that has long been its strength.

In the end, it’s not the delis that matter but the mindset behind each reaction. If American Jews can restore reason to their discourse, the community will emerge stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to face the challenges ahead.

 

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Couple Finds Love at Trump Rallies, Hopes Trump Will Officiate Their Wedding

The Kamala Harris campaign has no monopoly on joy. Just ask Edward X. Young and Shelly Gray Mullinax.

Young and Mullinax met two years ago at a Trump rally and, after a whirlwind romance, the two are now engaged after not seeing each other again until September.

Young, 65, had been to 97 Trump rallies as of Oct. 17. Mullinax, 53, has attended 27.

Young, who was divorced and then widowed when his second wife died of cancer after only two years, hadn’t dated for about 18 months. Young, an actor who works as a debt release agent and is a Republican committeeman from Point Pleasant, New Jersey. She had resigned herself to being alone.

Young first spotted Mullinax at his 54th Trump rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 3, 2022.

“She caught my eye,” he said. “It was packed, you know. But I met her, and we started chatting.” Then the rally started, and he hadn’t asked for her phone number.

“I was in the VIP section. She was in the general section,” Young said. He hoped to find her afterward but didn’t see her.

“Normally, I would have driven home to New Jersey, but I was feeling tired, so I figured, well, I’ll stay in a hotel tonight. And in the morning, I figured, I might as well get breakfast.”

His late wife, Susan, had loved Cracker Barrel restaurants, so when he spotted one he pulled in. As he was leaving, he ran into Mullinax on the porch. They sat and talked some more, and he gave her his business card.  But she lived in Atlanta, and “I didn’t want to come on too strong,” he said. “I wanted to be polite. She was there with her family and friends.”

Young, a super Trump supporter, would wear a green hat to stand out in the sea of red MAGA hats. He often goes over to schmooze with the press and tout Trump. Trump’s opposition to illegal immigration attracted him to the former president, Young said, because Young was seriously injured in a car accident caused by an illegal immigrant.

He also started making TikTok videos to support Trump, and Mullinax saw those videos.

“In September, I put up a video about the September rally at the Coliseum on Long Island, N.Y.,” he said. “I jokingly said a friend and I were going to camp out in a tent.”

Shelly spotted the video and, despite not having seen Young in two years, decided to drive up. But she had her doubts along the way.

She got about 300 miles from her Calhoun, Ga., home and decided it was crazy. “It’s a guy I met two years ago,” she thought, and she turned around. Mullinax, a spiritual person, believes an angel told her to turn around again and continue the drive to Long Island.

“Nassau Coliseum is a huge arena,” said Young. He was there with his friend, Mike, and both had VIP passes. Mike told Young someone was waving at them. It was Mullinax.  He told Mike to hold his seat and went over to her.

They hugged and agreed to meet at the door afterward. Again, he didn’t think of exchanging phone numbers.

“I hoped she’d wait, but the place was packed,” he said. After it ended, security guards were forcing people out, and he didn’t see her in the lobby. But once he left the building, there she was.

Mullinax said she would drive back to Georgia. Earlier, Mike had suggested they go to a Friendly’s. Young convinced Mullinax to have dinner with him. They both ordered club sandwiches and then shared a sundae.

“We were feeding each other ice cream,” he said. “When she touched my back, it felt like magic.”

As she was leaving, Young asked Mullinax if he could kiss her, and she offered her cheek. “I said, ‘I was hoping for a real kiss.’ And so she kissed me on the lips. “It was very, very nice,” he said.

From there, they met halfway at a Trump rally in Wilmington, N.C.  They called and texted.  She was going to head back to Georgia, but her mother told her not to because of Hurricane Helene. So she stayed a few weeks with Young in New Jersey, and they went to more rallies around the country.

Young proposed at the Oct. 9 Trump rally in Scranton, Pa. He was standing with Mullinax and talking to a journalist, Brian Glenn of Real America’s Voice, who said they seemed to be so much in love that they should get married.

“I was shocked, but I believe there were a lot of signs that God had given us,” said Mullinax about Young’s proposal. “He brought us together. I was scared but happy.”

Young went to Trump town hall in Oaks, Pa., alone because Mullinax had to return to Georgia to deal with a family issue.  Mullinax, divorced and the mother of two grown children, is a breast cancer survivor. She likes Trump because he always mentions the 325,000 missing migrant children.  She brings a sign to rallies to inform people about these lost children, a cause close to her heart.

“That was the passion that led me on this crusade,” said Mullinax.

Young drove to Atlanta to go with her to the rally there on Oct. 17.  Then she brought him home to meet her parents for the first time.

Young hopes Trump will officiate at their wedding. Maybe at the Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27?  Stay tuned.

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Disaffected Republicans Pledge Support to Harris at Historic Washington Crossing

Just moments before sitting down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for a high-profile interview, Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday gave a speech at an iconic Bucks County landmark, Washington Crossing Historic Park, joined by some 100 Republican leaders.

Several hundred people came to see Harris speak. However, they made their way through roads festooned with Trump-Vance campaign signs in purple Bucks County, which now has 3,590 more registered Republican voters than Democrats, according to voter registration guru Scott Presler.

Reading from a teleprompter, Harris spoke about standing where General George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River and marched into Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776, surprising Hessian soldiers, a move that helped turn the tide in the Revolutionary War. Afterward, delegates wrote and signed the Constitution in nearby Philadelphia, she noted.

“At stake in this race are the democratic ideals that our Founders and generations have fought for. At stake is the Constitution itself. We are here today because we all share a core belief that we must put country before party.

“We all have so much more in common than what separates us,” she said.

But she soon turned from statesman-like remarks to attacking her opponent.

Harris said she’s “never wavered from upholding that oath.”

“And that is the profound difference between Donald Trump and me,” she said. “He who violated the oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and make no mistake, he who is given the chance will violate it again. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, and he refused to accept the will of the people in a free and fair election. He sent a mob, an armed mob, to the United States Capitol, where they violently assaulted police officers law enforcement officials and threatened the life of his own vice president. And he refused to engage in the peaceful transfer of power.

Harris also claimed Trump, who survived an assassination attempt, has threatened to turn the military against Americans who he called “the enemy within.”

She promised to “make life better for you” as opposed to Trump, “who I can guarantee will sit in the Oval Office, plotting retribution, stew in his own grievances, and think only about his own self and not about you.”

Former Republican Congressman Jim Greenwood said he’s also represented Bucks County in the state legislature and called himself a “lifelong Republican.”

“I have supported every Republican nominee from Richard Nixon to Mitt Romney. And then along came Donald Trump,” said Greenwood, who chairs Pennsylvania Republicans for Harris-Walz. “Donald Trump is utterly and unequivocally unfit for office.” He said psychiatrists call Trump a “malignant narcissist and a pathological liar…Trump cares only about himself and his ambition.”

Olivia Troy, a lifelong Republican, was a former Homeland Security adviser for Pence and also served under President George W. Bush.

When she was in the Trump administration, Troy said, “I witnessed firsthand his disregard for the American people. And his disregard for the rule of law. I had a front-row seat to the damage Trump created. And I can confidently and without hesitation say he is too dangerous to get near the Oval Office again.

“Trump has never cared about making our country safer,” she said. “Donald Trump’s north star is Donald Trump…She’ll be a president for all Americans. Donald Trump would be a president for one person: himself.”

Former GOP U.S. Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), David Trott, (R-Mich.), former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Jeff Duncan, and former New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman were among the Harris supporters.

Former Illinois GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who joined Democrats on the Jan. 6 Committee and opposed Trump in Congress said, “The last four years I’ve taken stands that have put me on the outside of the party. Some have questioned why I’ve taken the stands. The answer is simple. We must put country first. We must put our country over our party, and like you, I’m putting my country first.”

He was drawn to the Republican Party for its support of democracy and the rule of law, he said. He’s always respected strong leaders, but said Trump “is a whiny, weak, small, tiny man who is scared to death. Donald Trump may be running as a Republican, but he does not share those long-held Republican values of supporting democracy, standing for the rule of law, and faithfulness to the Constitution. As a Republican, that saddens me.” Kinzinger said Harris does share those values. Kinzinger’s support for Democrats was repaid by the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature gerrymandering his congressional district out of existence in 2022.

After the event, Dallas, Texas resident Patrick Mendoza, who worked in the President George W. Bush administration as a program advisor to the EPA administrator, told DVJournal, “One thing W. ran on in 2000 was restoring honor and dignity to the White House. And I think, after the Trump years that’s certainly what we need and what we needed. What you have is a clear distinction in this race. You have one person who is for the Constitution and one who isn’t. One who is for the rule of law and one who isn’t.  And I think it’s pretty crystal clear for a Republican who fights for limited government and for the rule of law, it’s a clear-cut choice of who that should be and who people should vote for in this race, regardless of whether there is an R or a D after their name.”

The Trump team responded.

“It’s quite pathetic to see former ‘Republicans’ of the past dug up out of irrelevance to have one last moment in the sun by campaigning for another four years of unlimited illegal immigration, rising prices, and endless wars under Kamala Harris. Fortunately, as with any other theatrical prop, they’re all going to be tossed aside the moment they stop being useful for Democrats – which will be November 5, when President Trump is reelected by Pennsylvanians,” said Pennsylvania Team Trump spokesman Kush Desai.

Trump Holds First DelVal Event in Oaks, Answers Residents’ Questions

An upbeat crowd of more than 5,000 packed the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks Monday evening for a town hall with former President Donald Trump.

Chants of “U.S.A.” and “Fight, fight, fight” rang out from the crowd, many wearing red MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats, Trump 47 shirts, or shirts that read “I’m voting for the Hillbilly and the Outlaw.”

Trump’s message to supporters at his first Delaware Valley campaign event was to urge them to vote on or before Nov. 5.

“We’re all in this together. We’ve got to win the election Nov. 5,” he said.

Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) questioned Trump and a handful of local backers asked questions. However, the question period ended abruptly after two people fainted in the hot room and Trump paused the event while medical people attended to them. They were eventually OK.

Afterward, music played for about 45 minutes as some of the audience left. Others stayed and danced, including Trump and Noem.

Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris of participating in a coup against President Joe Biden.

“We’re running against a very powerful and very corrupt machine,” said Trump. “When you talk about Biden, he got 14 million votes. He won the primary. We had a debate. His numbers were down. So they went to see him, and they said, ‘You’ve got to get out.’ He said, ‘I don’t want to get out. I won.’”

“That was the overthrow of an American president.”

Former President Donald Trump, Springfield resident Angeline Banks, and Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.)

Trump criticized how the Harris-Biden administration handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Its incompetency “probably led to Putin going into Ukraine,” he said. “He would have never done that under me.”

Noem asked Trump who controls the strategic, American-built Bagram air field in Afghanistan now.

“China,” Trump said. “We spent billions of dollars to build that airbase…They gave it up.”

A single father and veteran asked Trump about high mortgage rates, saying he could not afford to buy a home. Noem mentioned that 65 percent of Americans are unable to buy a home.

Trump said many regulations drive up costs, but a significant factor is high interest rates.

“We had them at 2 percent. Now they’re at 10 percent, and you can’t get the money.

“Buying a home is the American Dream,” said Trump. “We’re going to create the American Dream for young and old people, too…By the way, no tax on Social Security.”

Under Biden, inflation has been at 30, 40, and 50 percent, “depending on what they include,” said Trump, and it’s hurting people on fixed incomes.

“We have the worst president and vice president in the history of our country,” he said. “And she’s worse than him. She’s more dangerous than him. He’s actually smarter than her. I never thought I’d say that.”

Unlocking American energy would bring prices down since the cost of energy goes into all sorts of goods, he said. “As energy rates go down, interest rates will follow. We have more liquid gold under our feet than Saudi Arabia. I am going to bring down your energy costs by 50 percent in the first year.”

Mary and Charles Strange, a Gold Star family whose son, Michael, a Navy Special Warfare operative, died Aug. 6, 2011, with 29 other service members. “It was the biggest loss of life in the Iraq and Afghan war,” said Charles Strange. He said the government has not given the family “any answers” about what happened. Trump said, “in the first week,” he will set up a commission to investigate the deaths of the members, 22 of whom were members of Seal Team 6, who killed Osama Bin Laden.

Springfield [Montgomery County] resident Angelina Banks said illegal immigration, inflation, and crime hurt Black Americans. Trump said Biden has not enforced a deal with China to buy $50 billion in American produce, hurting American farmers.

“When millions of people walk into our country, they’re having a devastating effect on Black families, on Hispanic families…I think unions are going to have a big problem…many are coming in from jails and insane asylums…We have sick puppies coming into our country…They’re coming as terrorists.”

He mentioned the Border Patrol union endorsed him.

“We’re going to close that border so tight,” he said. Illegal immigrants are “affecting the school and hospital systems.”

Noem said Harris “has been the border czar who facilitated this invasion.” She mentioned an interview that ABC’s Martha Raddatz did with vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance Sunday, where Raddatz said only a few apartment complexes were taken over by Venezuelan gangs.

“They’re like me. They’re in the real estate business. But they’ve taken over with rifles,” Trump quipped.

Harris “wants to take your guns away,” said Trump, who noted he’s been endorsed by the NRA. “The bad people aren’t giving them up.”

Noem said Harris lost 300,000 migrant children who were “kidnapped and trafficked and murdered.”

Lansdale resident Yanni Lambros, who owns a restaurant, said prices “have spiked up” since gas prices rose, hurting small businesses.

“They want to get away from gas,” Trump said, about a move to ban gas stoves. But chefs “feel gas is better than electric,” and the country has a lot of gas. Harris and Biden are pushing electric cars while “California is having blackouts.” He said they’d get rid of the mandates. “People will have more money to go to your restaurant,” said Trump.

The Hickman family, including a disabled niece, drove 20 hours from Quitman, Ark., to attend the Oaks town hall.

“We enjoyed it,” said Amy Hickman, saying it was worth the trip to see Trump.

Wayne resident Dave Furman agrees with Trump’s policies of cutting taxes and regulations and ensuring a strong military.

“He’s good for the country said Rodney Formeck of Phoenixville. Trump will lower gas prices and close the border.

“He’s trying to unite the U.S. He’s a great president,” said Formeck.

Pete Deutsch, a former Democratic Congressman from Florida, spoke first, saying he’s voting for Trump.

“The first day Donald Trump got into office, he eliminated funding for Iran. As mentioned in the debate, Iran was effectively bankrupt…They didn’t have the funds to pay for the terrorists, the Houthis, the Hezbollah, Hamas. The first day the Harris-Biden administration came into power, they changed that. For the four years they’ve been there, they effectively gave $100 billion to those terrorists,” said Deutsch.

“It’s not that they just want to kill Israelis and other nationals. They want to kill Americans. In the parliament of Iran, literally, they sing ‘Death to America,’” said Deutch. He likened the Harris-Biden policy toward Iran to then-British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler before World War II.

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While Trump Rallied in Butler, DelVal MAGA Fans Gathered in Montco

Some drivers honked. Others made rude gestures. But a gathering of Trump supporters in the heart of deep-blue Montgomery County certainly caught people’s attention on Saturday — the same day the former president was appearing at the western Pennsylvania site of July’s assassination attempt.

While Donald Trump appeared in Butler, Pa. at the same venue where a would-be killer’s bullet grazed his head, an enthusiastic group of supporters showed up in Abington to wave Trump signs and American flags, and to boost the candidacies of local Republicans as well.

Abington committeewoman Jamie Maerz said she is for Trump because, “Trump is for strong borders, our country was safe, and we were able to afford our groceries and gas. Ever since the Biden-Harris administration took effect– and you know unelected bureaucrats are running our county behind the scenes—we’ve never been so unsafe. Our military is at its weakest, our country is at the weakest, we’re more divided than ever.”

Gerrie Woodson

Abington Township Republican Organization Chair Joe Rooney was also on hand. Rooney, who is running for state representative for the 153rd District, said he’s been campaigning hard all around Abington, Rockledge, and Upper Dublin to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Ben Sanchez.

A Democratic Abington School board member shook his hand recently, telling the Republican, “You are relentless,’” Rooney said. “I’m a Marine, so saying you are relentless is a nice compliment.

“I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, and I’ve been doing this since before the primary. The number one question I get from most people is: ‘Who’s our representative right now?’”

John McAuley, communication director with Black Republicans of Philadelphia, was filming the rally. He said supporting Trump “is just common sense. He already proved he was a good leader.

“I think our community is tired of inflation and high energy. Our schools are horrible. I think they care more about our kids’ genders than educating them properly. Our infrastructure is horrible. Our roads are trash. The Democrats get funding, and they keep the money. It doesn’t take 100 years to change these urban neighborhoods.

“My job is to show my people you have other options,” said McAuley. “You don’t have to go Democrat straight down the line. These conservative values, the nuclear family, these Republican ideologies are what we should be following.”

Joe and Beth Rooney

Pat Smith, a local Abington resident, said she supports Trump because of his policies. “Putting America first,  cutting taxes, letting free enterprise thrive, being energy independent…It’s a win-win for everybody. It’s an expanding pie. It’s not just a piece of the pie. Where you cut taxes, more people have money, they can invest, they can grow businesses, there are more jobs, we can export things…There’s not anything negative about this guy. He’s fantastic. He has a proven track record, too.”

Abington committeewoman, Bernadette Wilkinson, said, “My husband is from Ireland. He came over here legally. My grandparents all came from Italy. They came here legally. And $640,000 has been given to the illegals, and there is no money left from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to give to the poor people who are affected by Hurricane Helene. They’re destitute. It’s not right, and that bothers me.”

Philadelphia resident Gerrie Woodson said inflation under Biden-Harris is a reason to support Trump.

“He’s a man of humanity, and he cares for the American people. He wants it to be like it once was.  Things are bad now,” said Woodson.

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‘No Substance, No Plan:’ Vance Targets Harris at Bucks County Rally

No Republican has carried Bucks County since 1988, but GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance was in Newtown Saturday to try and break that streak. And trends show the purple county may be in play.

Vance was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of some 1,500 at the Newtown Athletic Club, with supporters chanting “U.S.A.!” and “JD!”

Donald Trump’s running mate delivered the message they wanted to hear, making the case that Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t capable of doing the job.

“The problem with Kamala Harris is she’s got no substance,” said Vance. “The problem with Kamala Harris is she’s got no plan. The problem with Kamala Harris is she has been the vice president for 3 ½ years and has failed this country. Let’s send her back to San Francisco where she belongs and put Donald Trump in the White House.”

Vance hit the three issues Republicans believe are their best sellers with Pennsylvania swing voters: Inflation, energy and immigration.

“We’ve got natural resources in the state of Pennsylvania,” Vance said. “Great natural gas. Let’s get it out of the ground for Pennsylvania workers. When Donald Trump is president, we’re going to drill, baby, drill and bring back the great American economy.”

“Kamala Harris wants us to buy energy from every tin pot dictator from all over the world,” said Vance. “Kamala, we say, ‘no way.’ We’re going to buy it from our own people, right here in the state of Pennsylvania.”

“We’ve got inflation at 40-year highs,” added Vance. “We’ve got groceries at 25 percent higher than when Kamala Harris took office. That’s because Kamala Harris cast the tiebreaking vote to on almost $4 trillion in new spending, printing money that we don’t have to juice inflation and destroy the middle class in the state of Pennsylvania.”

He also blamed Harris, “the border czar,” for the “wide open southern border.”

“It is an invasion in this country,” he said. “When you let in 25 million people, many of whom are bringing fentanyl into this country, and they’re competing against Americans, buying homes that ought by right go to American citizens, that is why we have sky-rocketing housing costs here in Pennsylvania and across the country.” And illegal immigrants are driving down wages for American workers, he said.

Not only will the Trump-Vance administration continue to build the border wall, they’ll deport illegal immigrants. “We’re going to go to war against the Mexican drug cartels,” he said.

Vance said they would deport the criminals first. “There are 13,000 illegal immigrant murderers in the United States America right now,” he said. “They’re in this country because Kamala Harris let them into this country.”

While polls consistently show Pennsylvania is too close to call in the presidential race, the assumption is that Philadelphia’s suburbs are a deep-blue corner of the Keystone State. But Bucks County could be a key exception.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton narrowly edged out Donald Trump in Bucks County by one percent and fewer than 3,000 votes. And it’s the home of Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, whose held onto the seat even in blue-wave elections.

While it’s true that Joe Biden beat Trump solidly in 2020 with a four percent and 17,000 vote margin, since then, Biden’s been bounced from the ticket, and there are now more registered Republicans than Democrats in the county for the first time since George W. Bush was in the White House.

How important is Bucks County?

“If you win Bucks County, you keep the Southeast close, you win Pennsylvania and he’s president of the United States,” said Jim Worthington, owner of the Newtown Athletic Club where Vance spoke.

During his speech, Vance called out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for what looked like a partisan campaign stop at a munition factory in Scranton with Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.).

“We spent $200 million on Ukraine.  You know what I wish Zelenskyy would do when he comes to America? Say thank you to the people of Pennsylvania,” said Vance. “Donald Trump is the candidate of peace.”

After the speech, DVJournal asked Vance how a second Trump administration would handle the Ukraine/Russia war and Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah.

“I have a very detailed plan for how we’re going to bring peace and prosperity back to the world: elect Donald Trump,” said Vance. “When you have weak American leadership, and you have an American leader that nobody respects, you have wars breaking out all over the world.  If Donald Trump was president, Russia would have never invaded Ukraine. If Donald Trump was president, Hamas would have never attacked Israel.”

“We’ve got to get back to commonsense American deterrence,” said Vance, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq. “You’ve got to make the bad guys worry that if they do something screwed up, somebody is going to make them pay for it…Peace through strength.”

Vance also scoffed at Democrat claims that they’re for the middle class.

“If she stands for the middle class, why does she want to tax the middle class to give rich people money to buy electric vehicles made in China?” he asked. “Why does she want to destroy Pennsylvania energy? If you stand for the middle class, unleash Pennsylvania energy workers.”

Harris has flipped on various positions from banning fracking and private health insurance to embracing them now that she’s the presidential nominee.

“She’s not actually governing that way,” he said. He’s told Trump, “Sir, I think she’s going to show up at your next rally with a red MAGA hat.”

Vance also rejected the claim that Trump is only appealing to the GOP base. He said their campaign is reaching out to Democrats and moderates who agree with them on many issues, noting that former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and former Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are backing Trump.

“There are a lot of Democrats out there who want an economy where normal people can afford to buy food and housing, and to those Democrats, I say, ‘You are welcome on the Trump-Vance team.’”

 

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Second Assassination Attempt Targeting Trump Sparks PA Reax

Just two months after former President Donald Trump came within inches of dying from an assassin’s bullet in Pennsylvania, a Secret Service agent foiled a second attempt on a Florida golf course.

Trump was not hurt and a suspect is in custody. But officials on both sides of the political aisle say the two close calls show there are serious problems with Trump’s security. And some Trump supporters say part of the problem are partisan elements inside the federal government who are less-than-motivated to make sure Trump stays safe.

During a press conference on Sunday, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters a Secret Service agent working security around Trump at his south Florida golf course was one hole ahead of  the former president when he saw a rifle barrel sticking through a chain link fence. He “immediately engaged” — firing his weapon — and the would-be shooter fled in a black Nissan.

Bradshaw said the suspect was about 300 to 500 yards from Trump before he was spotted. “With a rifle and scope like that, it’s not a long distance,” Bradshaw said.

The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested on Sunday. He reportedly has a lengthy criminal record in North Carolina, and he has frequently posted about politics, particularly the issue of Ukraine. He has declared on social media that “democracy is on the ballot and we cannot lose” in the 2024 election, a theme of the Kamala Harris campaign and other anti-Trump Democrats. He’s also touted his efforts to recruit people to travel to Ukraine and fight against Russia.

Trump released a statement telling supporters, “I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us.”

And in a message of defiance, Trump posted on social media: “0-2,” a reference to two missed attempts on his life.

Many of Trump’s Pennsylvania supporters, however, weren’t laughing.

“It’s unbelievable to me that we’re here at this point again,” said Christian Nascimento, chair of the Montgomery County Republican Committee. “I hope that the Secret Service has better procedures in place than they did in Butler (Pennsylvania). And I hope that the political rhetoric will change. When you continue to call someone a threat for political gain, you invite disturbed individuals to take actions like this.”

Delaware County GOP Chairman Frank Agovino also pointed a finger at the political rhetoric Democrats are directing at Trump and his supporters.

“Democrat leadership continues to antagonize the electorate by knowingly spreading lies about President Trump’s desire for authoritarian rule. These lies are making for dangerous times and every American should call for a stop to this rhetoric,” said Agovino.

And Bruce Johnson, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, said, “You can’t call somebody a Nazi and Hitler and not expect this reaction. They made him out to be a villain who is destroying democracy. People think they’re heroes by killing ‘Hitler.’ He’s well-hated.

“If he was as bad as they say he is, why lie about him?” Johnson added. “Eight years of people saying what an evil person Trump is, it’s got to have an effect on those with weak minds.”

At the national level, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat running against Trump for president, said on X, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”

President Joe Biden released a statement saying, “I am relieved that the former president is unharmed.” He also added, “I have directed my team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has every resource, capability, and proactive measure necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety.”

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick posted on Twitter, “Thank God President Trump is safe after this scary incident. We are praying for him and his family and grateful for the quick actions of our men and women in law enforcement.”

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) urged that Trump’s security detail be expanded.

“The level of Secret Service protection must be the same for former presidents as it is for current presidents. Both are constant targets of deranged individuals and foreign adversaries. Full USSS staffing is needed to completely secure all perimeters surrounding their protectees at all times.”

David Winkler, the Republican candidate for Congress running against Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery) is a Marine Corps and Army veteran. He called on Democrats to tone down their messaging and social media rhetoric.

“The dangerous rhetoric from the left needs to stop,” said Winkler. “It’s too divided…We’ve got to get back to policy and being Americans again,” said Winkler. “The rhetoric is over the top, as I see it. The Democrats put ads out there against President Trump and Dave McCormick that are to me inciting violence. And on social media. The Pennsylvania Democrats need to tone down their rhetoric. Stick to policy. Because I fear, as a candidate and a veteran, for President Trump’s life if they keep doing what they’re doing.”

Alfeia “Alfe” Goodwin, who is running against Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon in Delaware County, is also an Army veteran.

Goodwin said she “broke out in a cold sweat” after seeing a notice about the assassination attempt on social media. She hopes “American will understand this is not a game. This is real.”

She believes the Biden-Harris administration is signaling it’s OK to be violent.

“They have a level of tolerance for dangerous rhetoric and for violence,” said Goodwin, “that is like we’ve never seen before. And I think it fuels this type of behavior.” People think, “‘I don’t like him so why should he be alive?’ It has installed a sense of fear and for some on the hard left, that has become very traumatizing. I think Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. It’s real. These people are freaking out and becoming violent.”

Bucks County GOP Chair Pat Poprik called it “a travesty.”

“That a presidential candidate could be shot at two times during a campaign, let alone almost 2 months apart. The big question on everyone’s mind is why isn’t President Trump being given the additional protection he needs? It’s obvious to anyone that not checking the perimeter of a golf course where the president is golfing seems to be a dereliction of duty for sure. Thank God, one Secret Service agent saw the barrel of the gun and obviously saved not only the president’s life, but also of those in close proximity to him. It’s a sad commentary that some people think (this) is appropriate behavior when they disagree with someone. America has to learn to disagree with each other without becoming so disagreeable.”

Many of “the American people love and adore [Trump], most of us,” added Goodwin. “It’s just really sad these people are acting out. I just pray for him and his family.”

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