DV Journal

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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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.”

As Congressional review of what happened on the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump has gotten underway, it is imperative that state and local law enforcement are offered a state-level forum to discuss what happened and what can be done better from their point of view.

It is with this need in mind that I recently introduced House Resolution 501 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

This resolution would form a purely bipartisan Select Committee on the Trump Assassination Attempt, made up of three Republicans and three Democrats, to probe what happened on July 13th by giving state and local law enforcement a platform to describe what happened from their perspective. It will also offer policymakers ideas about how to improve state and local law enforcement practices, especially as they coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies, as Pennsylvania will remain the epicenter of political and cultural events in the coming years.

What happened on July 13th is an undeniable tragedy. One Pennsylvanian was killed shielding his family from the errant bullets of a would-be assassin. Two more were critically injured.

From the perspective of the head of the U.S. Secret Service, the day represented the “most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.”

But there were also stories of heroism, patriotism, and citizens and law enforcement officers doing the right things in the right way. From what we know, state and local law enforcement responded with bravery and professionalism while keeping Pennsylvanians and high-profile individuals safe during a chaotic time.

These frontline heroes should not be pushed to the sideline or under the bus in how this story is told. They deserve the ability to have a more nuanced forum where they can present their story, their perspective, and their expertise in explaining what happened and how it can be prevented from happening again.

And the latter part of that is imperative as we look toward the future.

Pennsylvania is and will remain a political battleground state throughout the course of the 2024 election cycle and well into the future.

Our electoral votes are some of the most coveted among Presidential contenders and, as such, it is obvious that July 13th will not be the last time a Presidential candidate will be campaigning within the borders of the Commonwealth.

Also, as we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, Pennsylvania will be the home of many major celebrations commemorating that event, including major sporting events like the World Cup, the MLB All Star Game, the NFL draft, and the PGA Championship.

Combined, all of this means that it is not the last time state and local law enforcement, and other first responders, will have to coordinate with federal law enforcement partners to keep civilians and high-profile individuals safe from harm.

This committee will not look to assign blame but will inform Pennsylvania policymakers about what we can do to provide law enforcement and first responders with the tools they need to meet or create best practices that ensure the type of tragedy that happened on July 13th is not repeated.

Initially, reaction from the other side of the aisle in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has been unreceptive with Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia), saying federal investigations should be enough.

Not only does this take an incomplete view of what federal investigators are looking at, but it is very on brand for Democrats to want to deny front-line law enforcement officers a voice and hear from their perspective.

While the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is not due back in session until the end of September, I would hate to think this commonsense imperative would go unmoved because of House Democrats in Pennsylvania no longer having a numeric majority in our chamber after two of their members just resigned.

The bottom line here is politics should not get in the way of looking into this serious matter and giving state and local law enforcement a voice.

Congress has seen the urgency in beginning a review of what happened and how to prevent it in the future.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives should join them.

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Nearly 2,000 people filled the gym at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pa. on Monday to hear Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer make the case for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

The audience’s energy and enthusiasm mirrored some Trump rallies.

And if vice presidents are supposed to be the president’s attack dogs, Shapiro bared his teeth for this potential audition to share the ticket with Harris.

In remarks greeted by cheers, applause and whistles, Shapiro fired broadsides at Trump while Whitmer lambasted Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the Republicans’ vice-presidential nominee.

Gretchen Whitmer (Credit: Harris for Pennsylvania)

“Vice President Harris has been battle-tested,” Shapiro said, touting her background as “a tough-as-nails prosecutor.”

“She is ready to be not just the standard-bearer of our party, but to be the 47th president of the United States. She’s not only ready. She’s damn ready. You know who else knows she’s ready? Donald Trump knows she’s ready.”

“He’s afraid to debate her now…He’s afraid to debate her because he can’t defend his record.”

“He’s got a record of failure,” Shapiro claimed.

“He packed the Supreme Court. He ended Roe v. Wade. Donald Trump did that,” Shapiro said.  “He did that when he had no earthly idea of how to be president. He didn’t know what he was doing and there were a whole lot of guardrails around Donald Trump when he was president.”

He told the crowd to “be extra scared” because the U.S. Supreme Court “just ruled that the rule of law doesn’t apply to Donald Trump,” a reference to a ruling defining the scope of presidential immunity.

“He is dangerous. He is destructive, and the guardrails are off.”

Shapiro also attacked the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” alleging it was “Trump’s Project 2025,” though Trump played no role in creating this conservative wish list compiled by a D.C. think tank.

“I’ve got a message to Donald Trump: Stop sh*t-talking America,” Shapiro added. “While he’s hugging the flag, he’s ripping away our freedoms. It’s not freedom to tell our children what books they’re allowed to read…It’s not freedom to tell women what they’re allowed what they’re do with their bodies.”

Whitmer turned her sights on Vance. “He’s made his values clear. He does not see women as equals. He does not want everyone to have a seat at the table. He’s scared of us because Democrats want everyone to have a seat at the table, even cat lovers and dog lovers alike.”

“He is efficient. In one sentence, he insulted women, Black people, and Jewish people,” said Whitmer.

The people who DVJournal spoke to were fans of both Harris and Shapiro.

Robert Arnold of Doylestown said Shapiro is “clearly thoughtful, intelligent, not reactionary.” He met Shapiro once, and “he was very pleasant and approachable. I agree with a lot of his policies.”

Ekins Park resident Roz Weiss called Harris “brilliant.”

“She’s got the energy we need,” said Weiss. “She’s a person that comes from the heart like Joe Biden. She cares about people. She’s got a lot of courage.”

“In America, we’re a tapestry of people,” added Weiss, who was one of the White women supporters on a two-hour Zoom call for Harris last week. “We’ve got to celebrate that not denigrate it.”

She believes Shapiro is “a man of integrity and honesty.”

Her daughter, Amy Martin, of Abington, said she supports the Democratic candidates because she has a transgender child and a 12-year-old daughter.

“I want her to be able to choose what to do with her body,” she said.

Oreland resident Paul Halpern said he “loves” Shapiro’s policies as a governor.

“He’s highly capable,” said Halpern. “He’s got a lot of government experience. He started at the bottom and worked his way up.”

As for Harris, “I think she’s battle-tested.”

“She’ll rip [Trump’s] liver out and serve it with a nice chianti during the debate,” Halpern said, quoting “Silence of the Lambs.” “I think she can win,” he added.

Former state Sen. Daylin Leach, who lives in Upper Merion, said he likes and admires Harris.

“She’s peaking at just the right time,” said Leach.  He also praised Shapiro as someone who is in politics to help people.

“He cares a lot about people,” said Leach. “He cares about his community.” And Shapiro listens to others’ perspectives. “He’s a rare person in politics.”

Darby Township Commissioner Racquel Holman said the rally was “great.”

“It was energizing,” said Holman. As for Shapiro, “I think he’d make a great running mate for Vice President Harris.”

Kush Desai, a Republican National Committee spokesman, dismissed the criticisms.

Harris, Shapiro, and Whitmer were beating “the dead horse that is Project 2025,” Desai said.

He cited Harris’ record of open borders, inflation, an anti-energy crusade, “capitulating to the far-left on Israel,” and “embracing defund the police radicals.”

Shapiro had his own message.

“I want a future where I can look the 47th president in the eye, and say, ‘Hello, Madame President.’”

There was a bit of a bromance between former President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Dave McCormick at Trump’s rally in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Trump endorsed McCormick as “a warrior, a great military person, an incredible guy. And we have to elect him as the U.S. senator from your state. And just so you know, Dave McCormick is a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian who grew up in Bloomsburg, went to West Point, did great there and earned a Bronze Star for his service.”

“Dave went on to an outstanding career in business and now is fighting for the people of this commonwealth. He loves this commonwealth. He really is a high-quality person. I actually said, ‘Dave, are you too high quality for this job?’”

“But I’d rather have that than the other. And honestly, the other senator has been here forever…I don’t think I ever met him in my years in Washington. He doesn’t do anything,” Trump said. “Dave will vote to secure your borders, stand up to China, and unleash incredible amounts of Pennsylvania energy. And he wants to stop Biden inflation.”

Philadelphia fans welcome former President Donald Trump.

Trump also bashed McCormick’s opponent, Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey Jr.

Trump added, “Bob Casey votes with Sleepy Joe 98 percent (of the time). Bob Casey could have voted to stop Joe Biden’s invasion; instead, he voted in favor of sanctuary cities. He voted to give illegal aliens taxpayer-funded benefits. He voted against the border wall… Pennsylvania, you need to defeat open borders Bob Casey.”

On the stump in the swing state that many political observers believe could determine the outcome of the presidential race, Trump hit two issues hard: illegal immigration and the economy.

Trump recounted recent news stories of attacks by illegal immigrants, like a 13-year-old girl allegedly raped in New York City, a 12-year-old Texas girl allegedly assaulted and murdered by two illegal immigrants, and a Maryland mother of five who was allegedly raped and murdered. In every case, the alleged assailants had previously been released into the U.S. by the Biden administration.

“Joe Biden wants to be president for illegal aliens, but I will be president for law-abiding Americans,” Trump said, while promising to “tear up”  the mass amnesty executive order that Biden recently announced. Countries are opening up prisons and mental hospitals and sending inmates to America, he said.

“In Venezuela, crime is down 72 percent,” he said.

Trump also blamed Biden for inflation and said he would bring back prosperity.

“When I left office, inflation was practically nothing. During my term we had gasoline down to $1.87 a gallon. And the 30-year mortgage rate was 2.7 percent. And then Joe Biden blew it to shreds. Biden’s inflation price hikes on energy infrastructure cost the average American family an astounding $28,000.”

“You know, inflation is a disaster,” he said. “It’s a total country buster. And when you look at the prices of eggs and bacon, it’s gone up 100 percent.”

“The monthly cost of a mortgage has gone up under Crooked Joe Biden,” he said. “With me, it was around 2 percent. Now it’s 10 percent, and you can’t get the money.”

“On day one of my administration, we will throw out Bidenomics and replace it with MAGA-nomics,” he said to cheers and applause.

Former President Donald Trump with Senate candidate Dave McCormick

Trump also talked at length about the troubles plaguing Philadelphia, using them to make a pitch for support among Black voters. He specifically called out progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner, saying he has “the blood of countless men and women and children on his hands” for his soft-on-crime policies.

The Trump campaign is making inroads with Black and Hispanic voters, according to recent polling. The rally in a predominantly Black area of Philadelphia, along with endorsements from rap artists and others, is a clear attempt to attract voters who previously voted Democratic.

“The people of our country are looking for hope, whether they are White, Brown, Black or anything else. They’re looking for hope,” Trump told the crowd. “We will also work to lift up Black and Hispanic and other communities in Philadelphia and all across the United States…They’re smart. They want jobs. They want safety. They don’t want to lose their homes.”

Kristina Bowie, a Black Philadelphia resident, attended to support Trump.

“I like his policies,” she said. “I like all he’s trying to do to make America great again.” When Trump was president, “It was just better then.”

But state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) said his constituents won’t back the former president.

“I represent the community in Philly where Trump is currently ranting and raving. I can authoritatively say my neighbors aren’t in that arena listening to his lies.”

Doylestown residents Peder Cox and Ellen Bowman Cox. Bowman Cox is leader of the Doylestown Republican Club.

When McCormick took the stage, he also focused his comments on the economy and the need for change.

“As a native of Pennsylvania, it breaks my heart that 60 percent of Pennsylvanians are living paycheck to paycheck. Prices are on the rise 20 percent,” said McCormick. “As a combat veteran, it breaks my heart that we can’t make our recruiting numbers, that our military is in decline and that 22 veterans a day kill themselves. We need new leadership.”

Trump’s appearance drew supporters from across the state.

Phoenixville resident Brooke Spinelli said, “I support Trump (for) a number of reasons. School choice. I want the economy to be where it was.” She brought her father, a gun collector who is concerned about his Second Amendment rights, to the rally.

“I think our country was in better shape when Donald Trump was running it,” said Stephanie McCoy from New Holland, in Lancaster County. “He actually cared about the American people and didn’t have our borders opened up for anyone to come in.”

And while Trump’s message in the past on early voting and mail in ballots was less than clear, he urged the Keystone State crowd to get out and vote, whether early, by mail or in person, and to volunteer “to secure our elections.”

“We don’t want them dumping ballots,” he said. “If we win Pennsylvania, we win the presidency.”

Around 100 people rallied for Israel outside the courthouse in Doylestown Sunday, many waving Israeli and American flags.

Ellen Cox, with the Doylestown Republican Club, was one of the organizers and spoke to the crowd.

“There are thousands of children in Israel who lost their mothers and countless mothers who’re waiting for their children to come home,” said Cox, acknowledging that it was Mother’s Day. “This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and we will not be silenced.” Both Jews and Christians are “under attack,” she said.  Just under the surface, there is “horrific antisemitism.”

“The latest trend is in college campuses all over the United States,” she said. “Jewish kids are afraid to attend classes.” Those who are protesting for Palestinians “are cowards who are hitting soft targets of colleges and graduations. They’re so brave. I think we should send them to fight in Gaza. Guess what? No green pup tents. No organic and vegan food and no Wi-fi. They are cowards.”

“It’s now here in CBSD [Central Bucks School District],” she said. “We condemn it. It is not OK.” Jewish people “are our friends, our coworkers.”

“We need to stand with them or we—you—will be next. We don’t want our Jewish family and friends and neighbors to feel scared and alone,” said Cox.

She read from a 1790 letter George Washington sent to the Jewish congregation in Newport, R.I., telling its members they were welcome in the newly-founded nation.

“May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants,” Washington wrote. “While everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree.”

Rabbi Mendel Prus, director of Chabad of Doylestown, thanked the group for coming to support Israel. Israel contributes technology “to make the world a better place,” he said. “And a more peaceful place.” It’s contributed military advances to the U.S. and intelligence to “make the world a safer place.”

He then spoke of the Biblical history of the Jews in Israel from the time of Abraham.

Richard Tems said, “I am a Jew. I am an American. I am an Army veteran. I am the son of Holocaust survivors. We will not bend. We will not surrender. We will not comply.”

He noted that all the Jews left Gaza nearly two decades ago and billions [of dollars] poured in to help the inhabitants make “an idyllic homeland.” The residents voted in Hamas to lead them and Hamas spent the money on miles of underground tunnels and “thousands of rockets to fire into Israel” and mansions in Qatar for Hamas leaders.

On Oct. 7, Hamas invaded Israel and attacked farming communes and a music festival near the border. They raped, tortured, mutilated and incinerated  thousands defenseless men, women, children and small infants.”

Tems said, “[President] Biden, on the day he delivered a speech to remember the Holocaust, cut off military supplies to Israel. He told Israel he forbade them to secure the final Hamas stronghold in Rafah.”

Cox introduced Steve Mekanik, who is running for state representaive in District 29.

“It’s not about me today. It’s about Israel. We’re here for the support of Israel,” Mekanik told DVJournal.

Huntingdon Valley resident Monique Hofkin attended the rally because she is concerned about antisemitism at colleges and also in schools.  She noted the U.S. Department of Education is investigating Central Bucks for antisemitism. And there was also a teacher at Baldi Middle School in northeast Philadelphia, who crossed Israel off a list of countries and substituted Palestine.  There’s “systemic antisemitism [in the schools] and we aren’t going to allow it to continue,” she said.

Mara Witsen was wearing a sweatshirt with the images of the hostages Hamas is holding.  The five American hostages are Keith Sieel, Omer Neutra, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Dan Alexander, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Jack Potok of Warrington noted that while the pro-Israel group carried both American and Israeli flags, “where on campus have you seen an American flag, except being burned on the ground? They’re not just anti-Israel, they’re anti-West.”

The Israeli army is the only army in the world that tells civilians to leave before it attacks, warning civilians with flyers, phone calls, and knock-knock (warnings) on their roofs,” he said.

Philadelphia resident Malcolm Ratson added that historically, armies kill 30 civilians to one soldier. The IDF has a 1 to 1 ratio in Gaza. “That’s how stringent the Israelis are,” he said.

A small group of pro-Palestinian counter-protesters came as the pro-Israel rally was winding down, and stood in a traffic island across from the pro-Israel rally and began chanting slogans: “Free, free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

People at the pro-Israel rally began singing “Am Israel Chai,” dancing and  chanting “Free Palestine from Hamas,” and “Islamist terror will not be a threat to our democracy.”

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On Sunday, local supporters of Ukraine rallied.

On Monday, Pennsylvania elected officials acted.

As the grim second anniversary of the Ukraine-Russia War arrived, about 700 people came to the famous steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a rally on Sunday, encouraging the U.S. to continue supporting Ukraine as funding for the war-torn country remains stalled in Congress.

On Monday, Pennsylvania officials announced a law is in effect that prevents companies connected to Russia and Belarus from receiving Pennsylvania state contracts, grants or tax credits.

“My constituents of Ukrainian descent have been clear. They do not want their tax dollars supporting the war crimes committed by Russia,” said state Sen. Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill/Carbon/Luzerne). “We should not be investing in companies that support the attempt of Putin’s Russia to extinguish democracy in Ukraine.”

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity said, “After Vladamir Putin’s unjustified and illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, I immediately ended the Pennsylvania Treasury Department’s investments in any Russian and Belarusian entities. I strongly support Sen. Argall’s work to ensure that no state funds are given to any company connected to Russia or Belarus.”

“The Ukrainian American community thanks and salutes Pennsylvania for its steadfast, consistent, and persistent support of Ukraine and her people,” said Towamencin resident Eugene Luciw, president of the Philadelphia branch of the Congress Committee of America. He praised the actions of Keystone State leaders.

“At the very outset of Putin’s brutal, indeed genocidal, criminal attack on Ukraine and her innocent people, Pennsylvania imposed a round of harsh, comprehensive sanctions against Russia. It dispossessed itself of all Russian assets, most notably those held by government employee pension plans. Gov. Wolf also sent non-lethal military aid in the guise of, among other things, surplus body armor and helmets. Monies were set aside to assist expected refugees,” Luciw said.

Argall introduced the bill that would become Act 57 of 2023 at the outset of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The bill ultimately received unanimous, bipartisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly and was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro on Dec. 14, 2023.

The law prevents companies from receiving state contracts, grants, or tax credits if the U.S. Treasury Department finds they are owned, controlled by, or acting on behalf of the Russian or Belarusian governments.

Far more significant, foreign policy experts say, was Monday’s vote by Hungary approving Sweden as the 32nd member of NATO, adding its military to the collective opposition to Russian expansion.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared the number of Ukrainian soldiers — 31,000 — killed since Russia’s invasion two years ago. He declined to give the number of wounded or the total civilian loss count, saying that information would aid the Putin regime.

Last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia.

Luciw added, “Not only has the commonwealth continuously maintained its sanctions against Russia and its malign actors, but it now honors the second anniversary of Ukraine’s valiant defense of its own and the free world’s liberty and democracy by expanding the scope of its measures to companies connected with the Russian government. These punitive actions complement the sanctions that the Biden administration just announced quite well.

“We are proud of our commonwealth,” said Luciw. “It is at the lead among all states in the union and stands as a model for local and federal governments throughout the free world.”

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At a rally held in solidarity with Israel Monday night, Ardmore resident Amichai Shdemah told the story of his step-grandmother’s abduction from her home in Nir Oz kibbutz by Hamas terrorists.

The woman, whom Shdemah calls “Savta” or grandmother, is 84.

“We know some details. In the morning, she was hiding in the safe room,” Shdemah said. “Later, a neighbor heard her calling for help and went outside. He realized he couldn’t help her. There were too many terrorists, and he fled back to his safe room.”

Family members kept trying to call her cell phone. Eventually, someone answered and said in Arabic, “Hamas.”

“We are helpless and sick with worry,” he said. Officials gave the family no information. “They have checked hospitals,” he said. “And the list of the dead.”

“She was a social worker who worked with many families,” he continued. She has the “gift of an enormous family and remembers everybody’s birthday. She always made us feel part of her family. Her chicken soup is our kids’ favorite.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro

With signs that said “Philly Stands With Israel” and blue and white Israeli flags, around 1,000 people rallied in Wynnewood to support the Jewish state after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack that began on Saturday.

The group prayed, sang, and listened to remarks from politicians, clergy, and Jewish community leaders.

Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Jewish Federation, organized the rally. He thanked the supporters and donors who’ve aided the beleaguered Jewish state.

“I don’t have sufficient words to describe the horror of the past few days,” said Balaban. “To wake up on Saturday morning, on Shabbat, a day of rest and Smideot Serot, to the news that Israel, our Jewish homeland and our Jewish people, had been attacked with thousands of rockets. And hundreds of terrorists infiltrated from Gaza. The news of Israelis being murdered, taken hostage, thousands wounded.”

“To read news of toddlers being kidnapped by terrorists,” said Balaban. “To know that refresh of social media or the news would bring with it horrific new details. We stand united, but we also stand in pain together,” he said. “We are heartbroken. We cry together. We are grieving. And we are angry.”

“In our own streets of Philadelphia and in Times Square,” he added, “while Jews are being massacred, there are those that cheer for our destruction. We’ve heard them call these terrorists’ freedom fighters,’ but that’s not what they are. They’re murderers who’ve stolen the lives of innocent Jews.”

“We’ve seen this same hatred time and time again. Like a virus, hatred of Jews has survived over time by mutating,” he said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said, “We stand against terror, and we stand with Israel.”

Many are worried about our friends and family in Israel, which is “now a war zone.”

Others have never been to Israel but “recognize its critical role in the world. You recognize what Israel represents: Freedom. Democracy and peace. Those are values that we as Americans and we as Pennsylvanians hold dear.”

The gathering was near the spot where William Penn arrived 341 years ago, said Shapiro.

Penn had “a vision to build a colony built on the promise of religious tolerance and understanding,” said Shapiro. “Today, three and half centuries later, I am honored to address you tonight, both as the 48th governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and as a proud American Jew.”

“We must condemn the horrific acts of war perpetrated by Hamas and their enablers,” Shapiro said. “Hundreds of Israelis are among the dead and captured. But so are American citizens, as well as British, French, Canadian, Mexican, and so many other nationalities…These unprovoked attacks on innocent civilians warrant condemnation here in America and all across our globe…Let me speak the truth. There is no moral equivalency between Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization as designated by the United States, and Israel,  the only functioning pluralistic democracy in the Middle East.”

Tsach Sa’ar, Acting Consul General of Israel, said, “My homeland is bleeding. My homeland is burning. And my homeland is the closest ally of your homeland in the Middle East and beyond. This same homeland is the spiritual anchor for the Jewish community in America.”

On a joyous day in the Jewish calendar, “Palestinian terrorists from Hamas unleashed unprecedented terror. They killed over 1,000 individuals. Left thousands injured. And abducted more than 100. The victims, Jews and non-Jews, Israelis and Americans, and other foreigners…The atrocities committed are unspeakable. Children were murdered. Women were assaulted and abducted to Gaza. Elderly women at a bus stop were sprayed with bullets. Others were set ablaze.”

“It marks the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” said Sa’ar.

Gail Norry

“These horrifying actions were not just against Israel. They were acts against America, against the free world and all of humanity.”

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) and about 14 state legislators attended the rally. Representatives from the offices of other area congressional representatives, as well as from Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. John Fetterman, attended.

“I stand with Israel 100 percent,” said Philadelphia resident Gail Norry before the rally. “I’m horrified at what has happened. They took innocent lives. Havoc has been wreaked.

“These were people sleeping in their homes,” said Norry. “Young adults at a concert. They just had their entire lives turned upside down. The nature of the attack, just how horrible it was.” She had just traveled to Israel in May to celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary.

“It is the only place to be in Philly if you’re a strong supporter of Israel and a proud Jew,” said Joshua Steinerman, a Bala Cynwyd resident who came with his family.

Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano unloaded both barrels on his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, over soaring crime in the Keystone State.

“On his watch as the senior law enforcement official in the state, crime has gone up 40 percent, that alone is disqualifying,” he told some 700 people at the Fuge in Warminster on Saturday afternoon. “He doesn’t want to talk about 1,000 or more carjackings in Philadelphia, a record number of homicides…and he is a complete, utter, and ridiculous failure.”

They can’t keep up  (with digging) the graves with the young people killed in the crossfire, mostly 15, 18-year-old kids,” Mastriano said.

Participants chanted “Doug for Guv.” Mastriano spoke without notes for about 45 minutes, making his case for why voters should elect him governor.

A 30-year Army veteran, he repeated the classic quote, “Old soldiers never die. They just fade away.”

“There’s no time for us to fade away,” he said. “Our country needs every one of us.”

Mastriano said he has offered to debate Shapiro and would allow him to “bring Donna Brazile,” but “he’s chicken.”

Shapiro has turned his back on “mostly women” who are being sex trafficked in the state, Mastriano charged. Instead, Shapiro sued the Little Sisters of the Poor, spending millions in taxpayers’ money to lose in the U.S. Supreme Court, and sued to keep kids in masks and businesses shut down. On his watch, nearly 10,000 criminals were released from jail.

Mastriano promised, “On day one, woke is broke.”

“Parents will have their powers back,” he continued. “There will be full school transparency…all the pornographic books will be pulled out. On day one and done, Critical Race Theory will be thrown out the window. And maybe bring back civics, the constitution, and Pennsylvania history.”

Mastriano said he was being attacked as not supporting women’s rights and called on his wife, Rebbie, to speak.

Sen. Doug Mastriano and his wife, Rebbie. (Courtesy Tom Sofield, editor/publisher Levittown/Now.com)

She said Republicans support a woman’s right to be born, to have baby formula, to have a say in her child’s education, raise a child in “a safe community where the government enforces the law, prosecutes crime, and doesn’t let criminals out early.”

“And we believe, as Pennsylvanians, that it’s a woman’s right to the Second Amendment,” she added, drawing loud cheers and applause.

“And we believe it’s a woman’s right to compete in sports that are not dominated by men,” said Rebbie, who also serves as Mastriano’s campaign manager. “They’re trying to cancel us. I know each and every one of you can define a woman and tell some of those in your neighborhood what a woman is. Ladies, we’re going to get out that vote like you’ve never seen before.”

Mastriano said boys in girls’ bathrooms threaten public safety. He backed a bill to ensure only girls and women play women’s sports. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) vetoed that bill, and Shapiro filed an amicus brief opposing Virginia’s efforts to keep boys out of girls’ restrooms and locker rooms.

While the Republican nominee trails in the polls, he told the crowd he is waging a grassroots campaign. Since the primary, he has been to all 67 counties, with Bucks, one of the original counties founded by William Penn, as the last.

Mastriano recalled Washington’s “daring raid” crossing the Delaware River from Bucks County to New Jersey, changing the course of the Revolutionary War. He told his supporters they would do the same and “beat back the Democrats and that far, extreme radial, dangerous policy vision they have for our state and nation. We just say no to Shapiro.”

“The Democrats haven’t changed much,” he said. “They don’t have an argument to stand on, so they call names.”

The Democrats are lying and “fearmongering,” he said. “It’s time to take the state back.”

The Democrats have a “laundry list” of things they do not want to talk about, like shutting down small businesses during COVID and the state deciding which could stay open.

“All the cabinet makers across Pennsylvania were shut down, except one. Wolf Industries,” he said. “You could go to strip clubs but not churches. Life under (Health Secretary Rachel) Levine and life under Shapiro.”

“I was in Germany behind the Iron Curtain in 1989 during the Cold War defending us from what the radical left is planning here,” he said. “The godlessness, the evil empire…The fight for freedom is still ongoing for our country, so our job is not done.”

“For our kids and grandkids, we have to win on the 8th of November,” he said. “Our motto is freedom.”

Conservative writer and commentator Jack Posobiec also spoke, saying he grew up in Norristown. He said when drugs flooded that small city, Shapiro was a Montgomery County commissioner and did nothing to help. Norristown has gotten so bad that Posobiec said he has never taken his two sons to see the street he grew up on.

“This (Democratic) cabal took from us, they took from our families, they want to destroy our families,” he said. “The only thing they care about is power.”

Mastriano’s message resonated with Eileen Storch of Newtown. She opposes boys in girls’ restrooms and biological boys competing in girls’ sports.

“That’s wrong,” she said.

David Fiori, Jr. of Yardley said Mastriano “makes a lot of good sense. He’s applying common sense to politics. He has great leadership skills. He relates to everybody. He understands what the stakes are, and he’s not afraid to face the issues of the day.”

A Montgomery Township woman who did not want to give her name said she supports Mastriano because of “schools, taxes, and the economy.”

Mastriano said he had spoken to 500 people in Chester County earlier in the day and had a second event with Gun Owners of America in Bucks County following the Fuge rally. Reports of the “early demise” of his campaign were utterly wrong, he said.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

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