DV Journal

Pennsylvania is in play and may end up in the win column for former President Donald Trump.

When historians write the saga of why Vice President Kamala Harris failed in her presidential bid, they may attribute it to one fatal choice: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her VP pick.

When I watched Ohio Sen. JD Vance take apart Walz in the vice-presidential debate, I imagined the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, sparring with Vance.

Shapiro would have held his own against Vance and perhaps scored a few points.

So, why didn’t Harris pick Shapiro, a slam-dunk choice who enjoys immense popularity in a state that she needs to win?

The first reason underlines why Harris does no real interviews and can’t answer basic questions about solutions to inflation and the illegal immigrant crisis. Shapiro would upstage her. He is much better on his feet and has a much more commanding speaking style, not to mention a commanding grasp of the issues. People would wonder why he is not at the top of the ticket.

The second reason he wasn’t chosen intersects with the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel. Shapiro, who is Jewish, not only called out the horrors of the Oct. 7—horrific attacks by Hamas on Israelis—he pointed out the hatred and antisemitism on many college campuses protesting against Israel and told university officials to remove the encampments.

Shapiro forcefully and eloquently laid out the case against the haters.

Despite his political talents and the fact that he might have carried Pennsylvania for Harris, it seems clear that the far-left Democrats found his defense of Israel and Jewish college students abhorrent.

On the first anniversary of Oct. 7, the Anti-Defamation League released data indicating antisemitic attacks increased by 200 percent over the past year. And at least 1,200 of the 10,000 reported incidents occurred on college campuses.

I have found few, if any, messages from college and university presidents on the anniversary reminding people of the savagery of the original attacks and the fact that rape and torture were not acts of rogue outliers but the policy of Hamas when it massacred innocent Israelis.

The national office of The Council on American  Islamic Relations issued a statement that read, “ On the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks and the start of the genocide in Gaza, we reiterate our condemnation of such violence and demand that President Biden use American power to end this year-long disaster. It is long past time for President Biden to force Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a comprehensive ceasefire deal that ends Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” On the same day, Vice President Harris, in a “60 Minutes” interview, refused to say that President Netanyahu was an ally of the United States.

I visited Israel on a tour with 30 of my listeners, and I came away with a deep sense of Israel’s need for security. I support its need to continue to hunt down members of the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

But stopping Israel from rooting out Hamas in Gaza is where many in the Democratic Party have landed, and each week we get further away from the memory of Oct. 7, the more they will push for a ceasefire.

Amanda Greenberg, writing at Broad  + Liberty, makes the point many try to disguise as DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). She writes, “According to believers of DEI, Jews are “White” and are, therefore, oppressors.”

This oppressor-colonizer narrative that’s now taught in many schools plays into the ongoing criticism of Israel and is used ultimately to mitigate the appalling Oct. 7 attacks.

So, as we move past the first anniversary of Oct. 7, I contend that Josh Shapiro was not chosen as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate because of bias. The Democrats will see the result of that bias when Trump wins Pennsylvania and is once again president of the United States.

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Minnesota Nice wasn’t enough for Democrat Gov. Tim Walz in Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate.

While U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) delivered a smooth performance that largely avoided the contentious rhetoric many associate with him, Walz offered a gaffe-filled series of difficult to follow answers.

At one point, Walz called himself a “knucklehead.”

“JD Vance wins by knockout,” said Guy Ciarrocchi with the Commonwealth Foundation.

Walz, 60, was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and reelected in 2022. He won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 and served six terms.

Vance, 40, was first elected to public office in 2022 when he won the race for U.S. Senate in Ohio.

From the first question, Vance appeared to have the upper hand. The CBS News rules did not give the candidates the opportunity to make an introductory statement, but Vance used the first question to deliver one, anyway. He seemed comfortable and confident the entire night.

Walz, on the other hand, spoke fast and appeared flustered. During a question on gun control, he mistakenly said he “made friends with school shooters.” And he compared his support for censorship of political speech on social media to “shouting fire in a crowded theater.”

The wheels nearly came off for Walz when he was confronted about his repeated false claims that he was in China in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.

Offering a word salad that would have made Kamala Harris blush, Walz rambled from his childhood in a small Nebraska town to his National Guard service to his career as a teacher to his support for a bipartisan farm bill. But eventually he conceded, “I will talk a lot. I will get caught up in the rhetoric.”

Walz added, “I’ve not been perfect, and I’m a knucklehead at times.”

As in previous debates, the Republican faced tougher questions than the Democrat, and Vance was repeatedly asked to defend controversial statements made by his running mate, Donald Trump. And as in earlier debates, the moderators only “fact-checked” the Republican, never the Democrat.

Vance was unfazed. He even turned the tables on the moderators when Margaret Brennen attempted to mislead viewers about the legal status of the thousands of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.

“Just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio, does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected status,” Brennan said. When she tried to move onto another topic, Vance interrupted her.

“The rules were that you got a fact check, and since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on,” Vance said. “So there’s an application called the CBP One app where you can go on as an illegal migrant, apply for asylum or apply for parole and be granted legal status at the wave of a Kamala Harris open border wand.”

As Vance continued to speak, CBS News cut off his microphone.

In a reflection of how the night was going overall, Walz then jumped in to claim that what Vance described “has been on the books since 1990.” He was wrong.

The Biden administration began using the CBP One app, which wasn’t released until 2020, for widespread asylum requests like those used by many Haitians in Springfield, in January 2023.

“It’s three against one,” said National Review’s Andy McCarthy. “And the one is winning.”

And Walz may have created a headache for himself by denying that the Minnesota abortion law he signed allows doctors to legally deny care to babies that survive abortion procedures.

“That’s not what the law says,” Walz claimed, adding, “There’s a continuation of these guys to try and tell women [what to do]. I use this line: ‘Just mind your own business’ on this.”

In fact, as The Dispatch reported, Walz signed a bill repealing nearly all of the state’s protections for those infants. Minnesota “recorded eight deaths among infants who survived abortion attempts during Tim Walz’s tenure as governor,” The Dispatch confirmed.

In a drastic turn from recent political debates, both candidates went out of their way to treat each other with respect and even graciousness. During the debate over gun control, for example, Walz mentioned that his 17-year-old son witnessed a shooting at a community center.

“I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting,” Vance said. “I’m sorry about that. That is awful.”

And Walz repeatedly mentioned he agreed with points Vance was making, on issues like bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.

But nice wasn’t enough.

“Governor Walz was a deer in headlights for the first several minutes of the debate,” said Republican strategist Vince Galko, a former executive director of the Pennsylvania Republican Party.

“The Harris leadership team has to be seething behind closed doors. If Governor Walz wasn’t agreeing with Senator Vance then he was bragging about Minnesota. Can anyone remember one positive thing he said about Kamala Harris?”

The reaction from Keystone State Democrats was muted, though a few did speak up in defense of Walz via social media.

“Tim Walz tonight was plain spoken and powerful in laying out a future with more freedom, opportunity, and decency with Kamala Harris as president,” posted Democratic nominee for Auditor General Malcolm Kenyatta.  “JD Vance couldn’t say Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and tried to convince us that Trump wasn’t Trump.”

And U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan also weighed in.

“Way to go, Coach! Tim Walz showed up tonight to talk about a New Way Forward for America where everyone, everywhere can get ahead. Vance showed us the dystopian future he and Trump are intentionally designing. Move forward together or get dragged backward–the choice is clear.”

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During an appearance at a medical products company in North Philadelphia, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance offered his own diagnosis of American politics: Democrats are gaslighting you.

“We have a country that’s being failed by its present leadership,” said Sen. Vance (R-Ohio). “Don’t let anybody gaslight you here. Kamala Harris is running around the country and saying ‘On Day One,’ she wants to bring the cost of goods and the cost of housing under control. She says ‘On Day One,’ she wants to make the cost of groceries and housing more affordable to American citizens.

“Kamala Harris, where you have you been?” Vance asked. “Day One was three and a half years ago!”

Vance’s speech came after Harris revealed her economic plan that includes giving first-time homebuyers $25,000 and imposing government price controls on groceries.

Vance was introduced by DiSorb Systems CEO Ted McLaughin, who told the enthusiastic crowd America needs experienced entrepreneurs like former President Donald Trump to run the country, noting that Democrats Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) have no business experience.

“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the epitome of career politicians,” he said.

Vance came to prominence as a best-selling author who wrote about his experiences growing up in the economically-depressed environs of Appalachia, and he’s been an outspoken advocate of Trump’s “America First” policies that promote domestic economic activity, in part by imposing tariffs on imported goods.

“We’ve got to stop the Chinese and everybody else from undercutting the wages of American workers.  If you want access to American markets, you ought to deal fairly with the American people. Union and nonunion alike, we’re going to stop the Chinese from building their middle class on the back of the American middle class,” Vance said.

Vance noted Harris has also said she wants more manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

“Well, Kamala, if you really, really want to bring American manufacturing back to this country, might I suggest you vote for Donald Trump,” said Vance. “Get out of this race.”

Vance, who sat down for a series of tough interviews on the Sunday news shows, called out the Democratic ticket for refusing to take questions from the press.

“It is disgraceful that Kamala Harris pretends to run for the presidency of the United States, but she refuses to stand before the American people without a teleprompter standing between.  What are you so afraid of? The American people are good and kind.”

“If you want to be the people’s president, you ought to be willing to stand before the American people and answer a few tough questions. I don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it?”

Vance also turned his fire on Harris’s running mate, who has been besieged by video clips and press statements he’s made that were less than accurate about his service in the National Guard.

“Everything that comes out of [Tim Walz’s] mouth about his military service is 25 percent of a lie,” Vance said, adding:  “It occurred to me the closest that Tim Walz has ever come to combat, even though he said he ‘carried a weapon in war,’ is when he let rioters burn Minneapolis to the ground.

“The American people deserve to be led by someone who is willing to get out there and talk to somebody,” said Vance. “Kamala and Tim, stop hiding in the basement. Get out there and campaign.”

When a reporter asked Vance about abortion, the crowd booed.

Vance said he and Trump are “focused on making the American Dream affordable again.”

But added Trump said that Pennsylvania will have a different abortion policy than Ohio or California. “Let the states decide.”

Their Democratic opposition is talking about “taxpayer-funded abortions up until the moment of birth,” said Vance.

“We want Americans to feel like they can afford to have families again,” said Vance. “You talk to young women who have an unexpected pregnancy, a lot of them feel like they don’t have options. How are you going to feed a baby? How are you going to house a baby?”

DVJournal asked him what a Trump-Vance administration’s position on Israel and the war in Gaza would be.

“Our position is pretty simple. The best thing for Israel and the best thing for the United States is for this war to be over as quickly as possible and for Hamas to be destroyed in the process,” Vance said. “You have Kamala Harris, who said she’s really concerned about civilian casualties. Well, I’m concerned about civilian casualties, too. If you’re concerned about civilian casualties, you want the war to be over as quickly as possible, and you want to destroy Hamas’ ability to fight.

Carolyn ‘Bunny’ Welsh

“She’s pursued policies that are just the opposite,” Vance said. “Not allowing Israel to finish the job against Hamas is the worst of all [outcomes].”

Former Chester County Sheriff Carolyn ‘Bunny’ Welsh was at the Philly event, and she noted that he grew up poor and served in the Marines.

After the event, attendees told DVJournal they were impressed.

“He’s a strong partner for Trump,” said Welsh. “He’ll go through a wall for him. He’s articulate and measured.”

“I think he was great,” said Melissa Hertenberger of Langhorne after the event. “He had a clear presentation, and he knows what it is to be in business and how to get things done.”

Gary Heasley, a Chester County resident, said, “JD Vance has the ability to articulate the platform that is necessary to restore this nation. And he’s already voting to implement it [in the Senate]. He’s a great choice. You can see it when he goes on Democrat TV channels, CNN, MSNBC. He’s consistently fighting for the pro-America agenda to get these policies through, not the globalist agenda.”

Vance “can explain it, but he can also execute it,” Heasley said.

“He’s very quick on his feet. I like what he says,” added West Goshen resident Felice Fein. “He says what he means, and he means what he says. He believes it.”

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(For an alternate point of view, see, “Counterpoint: Politicians Should Focus on Issues, not Gothca Moments”)

Watching the coup going on in the Democrat Party these last two weeks, unseating Joe Biden and installing Kamala Harris with middle-of-the-night phone calls and agreements, sleight of hand to keep campaign money intact and every day a new development as they skirt the ever-more vague rules and seem to think that the world is not going to notice that Democrats have had no say in their new candidate for president.

Just a few months ago, they were assured that Biden was cognitively and physically capable enough to continue for another four years. Then, all of a sudden, he’s not.

And that the voters will not realize that she takes no responsibility for a failed  three and a half years, which has practically destroyed the country, and that this cognitively impaired president is still in the White House. And that we won’t notice or care that Harris was complicit in it all.

Having had the honor of representing Bucks County at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month as one of our three elected delegates, I’m noticing the glaring differences between the Republicans’ and the Democrats’ political process.

How did we do it? The RNC, which followed an above-board and honest process, was a sparkling, electric, loud, proud, joyous, patriotic event with the absolute “who’s who” in Republican politics and supporters who spoke about and modeled our RNC focus as we rolled out the GOP platform to take this country back and frankly save it. Four full days of speakers and experiences, one after the other – at the Pennsylvania delegation’s private breakfasts or in the arena each evening.

Donald Trump received enough votes throughout the months-long primary process to ensure he received the delegates he needed to be our nominee. We then pledged each state’s delegates to him. Nikki Haley, his challenger, pledged support and her delegates to him. Trump then selected JD Vance as his running mate.

Those procedures were closely followed, and the Republican voters can rely on them.

Seeing Vance in Philadelphia, himself a child of addiction, as he came to provide comfort and hope to area families who have lost children in the fentanyl crisis that is destroying the city under Democrat mismanagement and negligence brought to mind Harris, the “Border Czar” though she’s distancing herself from that title as she has yet to visit the border, had laughed about it,  and has overseen an invasion of an estimated 8 million people from 175 countries with an estimated 100 individuals let in from the terror watchlist while we’re losing Americans to crime and fentanyl. We’re losing our children.

Harris has been “basement campaigning.” As of this writing, she still has not held a press conference, but Vance showed up and invited unplanned questions from the press. He knocked it out of the park. No preparation. Just experience and truth.

I was proud to be an American and proud to be a Republican. And proud of Vance: Veteran. Senator. Dad. Husband. American.

Across the city, a few hours later, Harris announced Gov. Tim Walz as her nominee. Just as questionable as her sudden replacement of Biden via social media after he won his primaries and the delegates that no one else challenged him for. Isn’t it strange that she would pick Philadelphia as the location for this? What an odd location for the pair of California and Minnesota Leftists.

My bet is that, she had indeed chosen Gov. Josh Shapiro in this critically important swing state, but at the last minute, she decided against him because of antisemitic factions in her party.  She needed someone who wouldn’t mind being in her cackling shadow. Then, with Vance already scheduled to be here, she needed to keep her Philadelphia location.  He showed up and showed her up in more ways than one.

Republicans and Democrats are not the same.

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Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick to serve as her running mate is running into trouble over allegations he’s misrepresented — or outright lied — about his actions in the Army National Guard.

Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) served in the National Guard for 24 years, a fact praised by his critics. But the way he has since described that service  — and how he ended it — have sparked accusations that Walz misled voters and is guilty of “stolen valor.”

At issue are statements Walz made that imply he served in the war in Afghanistan (he didn’t), retired as a “command sergeant major” (also not true) and talked about the “guns he carried into war.”

Most upsetting to some veterans was his decision to leave his Minnesota National Guard unit in 2005 when he knew they were almost certain to be deployed to Iraq.

According to reporting by the Washington Free Beacon:

“As Command Sergeant Major, I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on,” Walz said in a campaign statement on March 20, 2005. Just three days prior, the National Guard Public Affairs Office announced that at least part of his battalion could be shipped overseas to the Middle East in the next two years.

Walz left the National Guard that May. Two months later, his battalion was put on notice that they would be deploying to Iraq.

“He got out after he knew about the deployment? Ok, wow. And as a sergeant major? That’s even worse,” said former Ambassador and U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) when learning the latest details of Walz’s story.

Brown joined the National Guard at age 19 and served for 35 years, including during his time as senator. He rejects the argument Walz had to resign when he did in order to run for Congress.

“When I ran for U.S. Senate, I was still in the Guard. I had service. As a U.S. senator, I conducted my National Guard training in Afghanistan,” Brown said.

According to Doug Julin, who oversaw Walz in his National Guard field artillery battalion, Walz came to him as the deployment approached and asked about his desire to run for Congress.

Julin said it was “no big deal” and noted that members of Congress had deployed in the past.

Walz then went to Julin’s superior officers to secure his retirement.

“I would have analyzed it and challenged him. It would have been a different discussion, but he went to the higher ranks. He knew I would have told him, ‘Suck it up, we’re going,’” Julin told The Washington Post.

“Nobody wants to go to war. I didn’t want to go, but I went. The big frustration was that he let his troops down,” Julin added.

Pennsylvania veterans reacted with dismay.

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Montgomery) said, “Tim Walz quitting his National Guard unit when notified of a deployment to Iraq is both cowardice and unprofessional. He was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier in his battalion and was chosen to attend the Command Sergeant Major Academy. He abandoned his soldiers when they needed him the most—in war. He then dropped out of Command Sergeant Major Academy after committing to completing it—at taxpayer expense.

“The military trains for war, and his soldiers depended upon him for leadership at the most important time—war. That is what we train for—-he is a coward and a disgrace to the uniform,” said Pennycuick, who retired as a U.S. Army Lt. Colonel after 26 years of active and reserve service, which included time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Doylestown resident Peder Cox, a Lt. Colonel U.S. Army (retired), 82nd Airborne Division, said, “The Command Sgt. Major (E-9) of any unit is the top dog of the battalion. Even the Battalion Commander takes their advice and guidance. The CSM leads by example and always takes care of his soldiers. And deploys with them to war zones.”

Cox also explained the issue of Walz’s conflicting claims about his rank at retirement, an issue civilians may shrug off, but military veterans take very seriously.

“Master Sgt. Walz (E-8) failed to complete the CSM Academy and serve for two years as an E-9. This is self-serving conduct and false representation by claiming to be a CSM but not completing the requirements. Thankfully, as a matter of record, the Guard stripped him of his rank and retired him with a lower pay grade, which he failed to disclose.”

U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who was deployed to the Middle East during the First Gulf War and received the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq before retiring as a captain, responded to the Walz story with a simple post on X.

“I am a Vietnam Veteran, who served in the U.S. Army, ended my active duty time as an E-6 Staff Sgt., spent some time in the reserves and ended as an E-7 Sgt. First class,” said Doylestown resident Fred Hessenthaler. “I take issue with Gov. Walz’s statement that he was a Command Sgt. Major (E-9), while in fact was a Master Sgt. (E-8), because he hadn’t completed the required military courses necessary for his position.  Didn’t he retire as an E-8?”

State Treasurer Stacy Garrity served three deployments. In 1991 in Operation Desert Storm, in 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in 2008 in Operation Enduring Freedom. She was awarded the Bronze Star twice for exceptional service and received the Legion of Merit before retiring from the Army Reserve with the rank of colonel.

Her take on the Walz story? “These allegations are both troubling and a reminder that wearing your nation’s uniform is honor enough without requiring exaggeration.”

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In an incredibly divisive election season, there is one thing that major pundits and political figures I bring on my show agree on: Whichever presidential candidate wins Pennsylvania is going to win the presidency.

Pennsylvania is a swing state and has 19 electoral votes, making it the key state to reach the required 270 electoral votes and win the presidency.

So, why did Vice President Kamala Harris choose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate? Is Shapiro not seen as a popular and capable governor? On the contrary, he is seen as very capable and has a job approval rating of about 61 percent.

Shapiro’s also a world-class campaigner and even though very liberal, he has been able to posture effectively as a moderate and even somewhat bipartisan. Walz is from a deep blue state, and someone known as at least as progressive as Harris.

You will hear spin that Shapiro was not chosen because he is not viewed as a team player. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) apparently was instrumental in pointing that out to Harris and her advisors. And Shapiro was labeled as “overly ambitious.” Shapiro seemed like he’s been running for president for years. With Harris viewed as a weak political player, she and her advisers probably thought Shapiro, would overshadow her.

However, I think the main reason he wasn’t chosen is a lot uglier than that. Shapiro is Jewish and has properly and publicly defended the right of Israel to defend itself against enemies who launched horrific attacks on innocent people in Israel: the unspeakable savagery of the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. He supported Israel’s attempts to hunt down members of Hamas. He also pushed back against the mobs on college campuses like Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and others that allowed Jewish students on their campuses to be threatened and attacked.

Those moral and logical positions are not allowed by significant numbers of the current Democratic Party. On CNN, progressive Van Jones agreed Shapiro was passed over because, “You also have antisemitism that has gotten marbled into this party. You can be for the Palestinians without being an anti- Jewish bigot, but there are some anti-Jewish bigots out there. And there’s some disquiet now- and there has to be- how much of what just happened is caving into some of the darker parts of the party?”

That a polite way of saying the progressive mob of the party has veto power over almost any supporter of Israel.

So, what has Harris gotten in Walz? First, he’s a governor who took days to send in the national guard as cities in Minnesota were burning during riots after the killing of George Floyd. Walz has backed defunding the police and opposes fracking.

Yet, he has been sold as a guy who can come to places like rural Pennsylvania and reach voters through a progressive agenda and a folksy persona. He has said things like, “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.” Apparently, because he likes cabins and ice fishing, he will be able to win back Trump voters across the more remote parts of Pennsylvania. Watch for Republicans to highlight his cozy relationship with the Communist Chinese Party leadership and his abandoning of his leadership role in the Minnesota National Guard when it was going to be deployed in Iraq.

I see Walz as someone who mirrors Harris’ radical agenda and someone who will get no traction in Pennsylvania, other than in Democratic bastions like Philadelphia. As far as Josh Shapiro, he is a very formidable opponent who has been taught a brutal lesson about the bigotry of his own party.

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Hours before Vice President Kamala Harris came to town to introduce new running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) to Americans, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) held a rally with some 500 supporters at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia to make his case for the Trump-Vance ticket.

It’s part of a counterprogramming strategy by former president Donald Trump’s campaign. As Harris and Walz barnstorm swing states over the next five days, the Vance campaign blitz won’t be far behind.

While Vance didn’t address the Walz pick in his speech, he did discuss it with reporters afterward, noting Harris’ snub of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had been widely viewed as the frontrunner for second spot. According to Vance, Harris caved to pressure from within her party not to pick a Jewish running mate.

“The biggest problem with the Tim Walz pick, it’s not Tim Walz himself — it’s Kamala Harris,” Vance said. “That when given an opportunity, she will bend the knee to the most radical elements of her party, and that’s exactly what she did here.”

Vance added that he “felt bad” that Shapiro “had to run away from his Jewish heritage because of what the Democrats are saying about him,” calling it “scandalous and disgraceful.”

Democrats dispute that claim.

Citing the wars between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas along with the current instability in the stock market, Vance told rally attendees Harris brought chaos wherever she went.

“Everything that Kamala Harris touches has been a disaster and we’ve got to kick her out of the United States government, not give her a promotion,” he said to cheers and applause.

Vance used most of the time to criticize the Biden-Harris administration’s policy on the southern border. The White House gave Harris the task of addressing the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico and the “northern triangle” nations of Central America, earning her the moniker “Border Czar” from the media.

Vance said Harris was an abject failure when it came to securing the border. The result, he added, was a flood of deadly fentanyl into communities across the country, including Pennsylvania.

The event featured several Pennsylvanians who said they had suffered from the Biden-Harris administration’s bad policies.

Denise Trask discussed how her 26-year-old daughter died of an accidental overdose at a Philadelphia mall after buying fentanyl-laced heroin.

“Fentanyl is killing thousands and thousands of people every day,” she said. Trask added the administration ignored the “border travesty” and caused families to lose loved ones.

One South Philadelphia woman told rally attendees that her mother has Narcan in her closet because her brother is an opioid addict.

“I feel compelled to address the opioid crisis that’s affecting our community,” Denise Briggs said. “Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies have led the city I once knew to become unrecognizable.”

Vance took time to answer questions from the press — something Harris has yet to do since President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. Asked about Harris choosing Walz to be her running mate, Vance quipped, “They make an interesting tag team because Tim Walz allowed rioters to burn down Minneapolis in the summer of 2020, and the few that got caught, Kamala Harris helped bail them out of jail.”

Vance also said he called Walz to congratulate him on the selection because he wanted to be nice. Walz didn’t answer so he left a message, Vance said.

He was noncommittal on when the pair would be on the debate stage together. Vance said it was important to make sure Democrats didn’t try to pull a fast one at their convention this month and nominate someone else.

“Of course, we want to have a robust debate again because we believe the American people have the right to have their political leaders try to persuade them,” he said.

Rally attendees liked what they heard and expressed support for Vance and GOP presidential nominee Trump.

“He’s the definition of the American Dream. If you work hard, you can do anything,” Downingtown resident Kate Collins told DVJournal.

“They bring a level of normalcy back to the country,” said Bryan Shine of Phoenixville.

Shine said the previous Trump administration was good for the economy with lower gas and grocery prices. He noted he works two jobs now to pay bills. “I can barely survive. It’s really difficult,” he said.

Others at the event pointed to the Biden administration’s foreign policy as extremely problematic.

Philadelphia lawyer J. Matthew Wolfe told DVJournal he still gets sick when thinking about the Afghanistan withdrawal that left the Taliban in charge. “My stomach still tightens up when I  think about the vision of people holding on to the airplanes,” he said. “It’s seared into my mind.”

For Vietnam-era Army veteran Frank G. Criniti, it was Biden not remembering the 18 service members who died under his watch, including the 13 in Afghanistan. “That put a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of us veterans,” he said.

Thousands of people filled Temple University’s Liacouras Center to watch Vice President Kamala Harris introduce her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Harris noted she had just received her party’s nomination the evening before.

Both Harris and Walz attacked their Republican opponents, former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), saying they were too rich, in Trump’s case, and too weird, in Vance’s.

Harris got the loudest applause when she said she would protect a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion. Democrats have made abortion their top issue since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Harris highlighted the issue Tuesday night, as well as Walz’s record on the issue as Minnesota governor.

In 2023, Walz signed a bill into law establishing a “fundamental right” to abortion at any point throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy.

Before the rally began, several attendees expressed disappointment that Harris did not choose Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her vice-presidential pick, but said they were willing to back Walz.

Philadelphia resident Sylvester Walker said he was “surprised and upset,” when he heard Tuesday morning Walz had gotten the nod instead of Shapiro. But he said he’s still supporting the ticket.

“It’s not what I want. It’s what she wants,” said Walker. “She’s young. Josh Shapiro is young. I’m from the South. You send out an old mule with a young mule. The Democrats are very smart.”

Cheltenham resident Jordyn Kelman said, “I think she made a smart decision not picking Shapiro. I don’t think the country is ready for a Black president and a Jewish vice president.”

Stacy St. Yves of Fort Washington said, “I like the policies of the last last four years. I want to keep that going, and I like her stands to protect women’s reproductive rights.”

As for Walz, St. Yves said, “He’s a great choice. I’m real excited about it.” She said she’s just learning about him and “I’m impressed.”

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker called for unity.

“They are going to use divide and conquer,” said Parker, warning the Democrats not to “take your eyes off the prize.” She also praised President Joe Biden who dropped his campaign in favor of Harris, while continuing to serve as president. “Trump’s a trickster,” said Parker. “Don’t forget we are Democrats. We are for the working class. We are for labor.”

Shapiro said Harris is “battle-tested and ready to go.” He got the crowd chanting, “We are not going back!”

“We’re not going into the future with Donald Trump,” Shapiro said, perhaps a poor choice of words given the former president was nearly assassinated in Pennsylvania just two weeks ago.

Shapiro also praised Walz as “a great man” and “a dear friend.”

He also appeared to address the fact that his name would not be appearing on the national ballot when he talked about his faith.

“My faith teaches me that no one, no one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it. That means that each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game, and to do our part.”

Before Harris took the podium, the song “My Girl” played.

She introduced Walz, a former teacher, who represented Minnesota in Congress before being elected its governor. Walz is a husband, father, and Army National Guard veteran, she said.

Walz taught social studies and coached the high school football team.

“Coach Walz motivated his players to believe they could achieve anything, and together, they surprised (their opponents), going from a winless record to the school’s first-ever state championship.”

When a student wanted to start a Gay Straight Alliance, Harris said, “Tim knew the signal it would send to have a football coach, so he signed up to be the group’s faculty advisor,” Harris said. “In the high school yearbook, the students voted Coach Walz ‘the most inspiring faculty member.’”

“After Roe was overturned, he was the first governor to sign a new law protecting reproductive freedom,” said Harris.  She promised to pass a bill to restore “reproductive freedom.”

Although Walz is a hunter and “was one of Capitol Hill’s best marksmen,” he believes in “sensible gun safety,” Harris said.  He expanded background checks and increased penalties for illegal firearm sales.

If she’s president “we’re finally going to pass universal background checks.”

Walz has executive experience and “will be ready on Day One,” she said.

“When you compare his resume with Trump’s running mate,” she said, calling it “a match-up between the varsity team and the JV quad.”

Walz, who has a folksy speaking style, called Shapiro “a treasure.”

“Everybody in America knows, when you need a bridge fixed, call that guy,” he quipped. “I couldn’t be prouder to be on this ticket to help Vice President Harris become the next president of the United States.”

He praised Harris’ career as a prosecutor and in the Senate.

He criticized Trump for “sowing chaos and division” and for having a criminal record.

The crowd chanted, “Lock him up, lock him up.”

Walz said when Republicans talk about freedom, “they mean the government should be free to invade your doctor’s office.”

India TV sent a team of three people to cover the rally. People in India are “very excited” about Harris’ campaign for president,” said reporter Dr. Sumita SenGupta. “They’re very excited that an Indian-origin person can have the opportunity to become president of the United States.” Harris’ mother immigrated from India and her father from Jamaica.

A Republican at the Vance rally in Philadelphia held earlier on Tuesday, believes Harris should have chosen Shapiro.

“I think she made a big mistake,” said Perry Petrongola, of South Philadelphia. “I guess the Obamas told her who to pick and she just followed suit.”

Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz attended the Harris-Walz rally.

“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz resonated deeply with the audience, embodying the values and aspirations shared by many Americans. They articulated a vision that includes the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions, fostering community unity, ensuring affordable childcare, prioritizing education, and making housing more accessible. Their discussions centered on the everyday challenges people face.

“While I initially hoped Gov. Shapiro would join the ticket as the vice-presidential candidate, I am confident that Tim Walz brings a valuable perspective to the team. He comprehends the struggles of our farmers and, as a gun owner, upholds the Second Amendment while advocating for sensible background checks. His diverse experience and pragmatic approach will undoubtedly strengthen the Democratic platform,” she said.

She said the “enthusiasm” was “electrifying.”

“Not since Obama have I witnessed such excitement among Democrats.”