DV Journal

(For an alternative point of view, see:” Counterpoint: Kamala Harris is the Best Choice to Lead the United States”)

Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? The answer to the question of 2024 couldn’t be more straightforward: Trump.

Even without the failures of the Biden-Harris administration, there are plenty of reasons to support a second Trump term. As one of the most successful businessmen in American history, Trump would be a free-market president again by backing job creators large and small with tax cuts, reduced regulations, increased energy production, and other pro-business policies that create real economic growth. As one of the most successful businessmen in American history, Trump would be a free-market president again by backing job creators large and small with tax cuts, reduced regulations, increased energy production, and other pro-business policies that create real economic growth.

Next is mass illegal immigration, which a Trump administration would address on day one with increased law enforcement and a reaffirmation of reasonable legal immigration that makes our country an actual country. And again, on foreign policy, Trump has a proven track record of peace through strength — without endless wars.

Trump has many proven answers, from economic growth via lower energy costs to reduced inflation and border security. That’s why American voters overwhelmingly support Trump on these issues, despite unrelenting Washington establishment attacks. Voters especially like Trump’s ability to handle the large and complex U.S. economy. After years of increasing prices, voters in battleground states are ready for another Trump presidency.

There is another reason to support Trump, and it is no less critical. For decades and with heightened intensity in recent months, the former president has been a champion of free speech, defending the rights of Americans — left, right and center — to speak their minds regardless of what they believe. Trump is by far the best candidate for the First Amendment, fighting back against leftist attempts to censor him (see his infamous ban from Facebook) and appearing on countless new-age podcasts to make the case for our right to free expression. Explicitly and implicitly, Trump’s embrace of free speech by appearing on alternative platforms proves his passion for the First Amendment.

Further proof is Trump’s recent rally in Butler, Pa., where he triumphantly returned after the first attempt on his life. Trump returned to Butler with Elon Musk by his side, with the owner of X claiming 2024 is a “must-win” election for the supporters of free speech. This speaks volumes coming from the head of X (formerly Twitter), which was once a breeding ground for censorship before Musk’s leadership. For years, Twitter had been known for suppressing conservative and libertarian voices that happened to disagree with Democrats — before Musk restored the platform as a haven for free speech.

Any candidate with Musk’s support deserves to win. Any candidate who has fought establishment politicians and their allies for years, tooth and nail, to make America great again deserves to win.

Trump is perhaps the most criticized and vilified candidate in U.S. history, and yet he continues to make the rounds and make his voice heard for Americans who are sick and tired of left-wing politics. Despite an attempt on his life, Trump is a living testament to the power of the First Amendment, and it would be in safe hands in another Trump administration.

If you don’t believe me, listen to Musk or Amber Rose or Tulsi Gabbard or the countless other former Democrats who have decided to give up on radical leftism and support a true Republican leader in 2024. To quote Gabbard at a recent pro-Trump event, “The choice is between freedom and tyranny.”

Don’t believe me? Then listen to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who recently acknowledged that the Biden-Harris administration pressured the company to censor COVID-related content in 2021 — censorship in favor of government propaganda. Democrats even targeted “humor and satire” that didn’t toe the government line, and Zuckerberg is hardly a MAGA Republican.

The answer to the 2024 question is simple: You either support free speech, or you don’t. And, if you believe in the First Amendment, only one presidential candidate deserves your vote: Donald J. Trump.

During a campaign swing through western Pennsylvania this week, former President Donald Trump met with local farmers to talk about inflation, energy costs and, perhaps surprisingly, foreign policy.

Trump says the unique threat to America’s security posed by China means it’s time to ban Chinese nationals from purchasing U.S. farmland. He made his remarks in Westmoreland County at an event hosted by the Protecting America Initiative led by Richard Grenell, a former ambassador to Germany, and former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) also attended.

Trump said he negotiated a deal requiring China to buy $50 billion of American farm products. But the Biden administration isn’t honoring that agreement.

“Now they don’t enforce it. I enforced it. Every single week, I’d go into the office, I’d say, ‘How’s China doing, buying the product?’

“‘Good, sir. Good. They’re doing good.’ And they were doing good, because they knew I was watching,” Trump said.

“I don’t think Biden is exactly watching. Do you? Does anybody think that Biden is? Let’s check it. I don’t think so. And it’s a shame. And that number is way lower than it’s supposed to be.”

Grenell warned China poses a direct threat to American democracy and national security.

“China has quietly but strategically worked against us whenever we are distracted by wars or COVID,” said Grenell. “China goes in and absolutely tries to distract the American people. Quietly, they go after our local and state politicians, they go after our manufacturing. And there is no question that they are looking at some point to leverage that activity.”

“China is getting into our farmland,” said Grenell.

Zeldin said Trump understands the CCP threat and protected America. China now owns 449,442 acres of agricultural land in the U.S., up 82 percent from three years before. Pennsylvania is 26 percent farmland.

“America’s food supply and the farmland that produces it is critical to our national security interest, especially due to China’s aggressive ventures into the U.S. food supply,” said Zeldin. In 2018, Trump signed a law requiring the government to review CCP land purchases around critical infrastructure like ports and military bases. Trump put in place the USMCA trade deal to replace NAFTA that resulted in $2 billion in annual exports. Vice President Kamala Harris, then a California senator, voted against it.

Harris also opposed Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports and cast the deciding vote for the Biden-Harris bill “that sold our auto industry to China,” said Zeldin.

Nick Steffari is a farmer who raises freezer beef and hay in Fayette County.

“I married the farmer’s daughter,” he said.  “My wife and I are both energy workers. With the energy transition in Pennsylvania, our ability to take our pay and put those resources back in the farm has been tremendous. Without that energy job, we wouldn’t have been able to better our farm and better our situation.

“As you sit here today, you’re sitting on top of the Marcellus and Utica shale, the most prolific shale plays in the world are underneath your feet. My family depends on my salary and my wife’s salary.

“Appalachia produces nearly 30 billion cubic feet of gas per day. We could double the amount if we were just given the opportunity. Common sense policies allow for infrastructure to be built here. Pipelines. We need more pipelines. Doubling the output would be the equivalent of putting 10 million barrels of energy on the market for the world stage, providing opportunities for families to remain in farming because (gas companies) pay those royalties,” he said.

Kevin Sweeney, a cattle farmer from Washington County, wants to leave his farm to his kids and grandkids.

“I’m being approached by companies to put solar panels onto his farm for $3,000 per acre a month for 30 years,” he said. “Who subsidizes that? Our government?”

“They are,” said Trump. “And they’re allowing China to come in and just dominate the industry.”

Sweeney worries the federal government will condemn his land and turn it over to solar panel companies. He asked Trump about the “death tax” or inheritance tax.

Trump noted that he had rescinded the federal inheritance tax in his tax 2017 package that’s due to expire next year, so small farms and businesses could be passed down to the family. Democrats want to reinstate it.

“A lot of farmers are land rich but cash poor,” said Trump. “You leave it to your children…And [those heirs take out] big liens on the farms” and end up losing them to the banks.

“We got rid of the estate tax or the death tax and it will come back into play under Comrade Kamala,” said Trump. “They have unrealized capital gain…you’ll have every business person, every company leaving this country…It will affect farmers.”

McCormick, a military veteran and former hedge fund manager, accused the Biden administration of encouraging Chinese aggression through its lack of leadership.

“China is our adversary, smells weakness in all of its relationships with the United States because of the weak policies of Harris, Biden and Bob Casey… We have 52,000 farms [in Pennsylvania] and under the Biden-Harris-Casey administration it’s been a disaster,” McCormick.

Trump blasted McCormick’s opponent, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D) as a do-nothing senator.

“Bob Casey has done nothing for farmers,” said Trump.

Casey did not respond when asked his position on selling farmland to China. Neither did Democratic Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Delaware) nor Madeleine Dean (D-Montgomery).

However, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) voted for the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 when it passed the House two weeks ago. Dean and Scanlon voted no. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) voted yes.

That bill requires the secretary of agriculture to report to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the government body that reviews foreign purchases and other investments from outside the United States. At CFIUS’ recommendation, the president may block transactions deemed threatening to American national security.

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Both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris had their moments during their debate Tuesday evening. It could be argued that Harris got under Trump’s skin at times. When he called her a “Marxist,” Trump appeared to anger her.

But both sides were quick to claim victory.

“Good night, Kamala! Your campaign is over. I just stepped off the stage with Comrade Kamala Harris – and I wiped the floor with her,” Trump said in an email. “She tried to run away from her record. She thought she could deceive the entire country into believing she’s a moderate. But we exposed her for the dangerous liberal that she is.”

Harris-Walz campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon sent this message, “Tonight, Vice President Harris commanded the stage on every single issue that matters to the American people. Americans saw exactly what kind of president Kamala Harris will be: one who offers a New Way Forward for the country, who will be a president for all Americans, and who will turn the page once and for all on the darkness and division of Donald Trump. And she reminded the American people that she is the only candidate in this race ready to serve as our next commander-in-chief.”

More locally, Democrats and Republicans reacted to the debate.

Pat Poprik, Bucks County GOP chair, said, “In tonight’s debate President Trump was not only facing Kamala Harris, but also a clear bias from the ABC moderators. They never went back at her to force her to answer a question that she didn’t answer yet they did with him. I don’t see how anyone can vote for a candidate other than Donald Trump after watching this debate. Only one candidate will fix our economy, close our borders, strengthen our nation, and make life better for all Americans and that is President Trump.”

Charlotte Valyo, chair of the Chester County Democratic Committee said, “America just saw a rambling and confused lie-filled rant from, as Vice President Harris has said, the same old Trump playbook. The contrast presented by Kamala Harris was unmistakable. Her poise, policy details, and professionalism are what Pennsylvania and America need right now.  We’re not going back to that!”

“Vice President Kamala Harris dodged questions about the poor state of the economy, the cost of living, and her past statements on bans on fracking. Meanwhile, President Trump laid out a plan that would get our economy back on track for Pennsylvanians and protect Pennsylvania jobs. In the end, Vice President Harris refused to take responsibility for anything of the Biden-Harris administration and acted like she wasn’t an incumbent. In reality, she was called out as someone who’s done nothing to combat inflation and the cost of living,” said Michael Straw, RNC Delegate from PA-05 and chairman for the Media Borough Republican Committee.

Guy Ciarrocchi, a writer and Commonwealth Foundation senior fellow, said, “This debate began with the candidates tied in the polls and the nation divided. We likely leave this debate with the race still tied, but the nation, perhaps, even further divided. The overt, undeniable bias by the ABC moderators in criticizing President Trump, never criticizing or ‘fact checking’ Vice President Harris and posing questions to put him—not her—on the defensive will further divide the nation, sadly lowering trust in the legacy media.”

Dave McCormick, the Republican running for the Senate said on X, “Kamala Harris, along with Bob Casey, repeatedly vowed to ban fracking and “transition” Pennsylvania energy workers. Her denial just now is insulting and not believable to PA energy workers. Roll the tape:”

Democratic strategist TJ Rooney believes Harris was the clear winner.

“Her preparation was amazing – and it showed,” said Rooney. “She pushed every button and the former president reacted accordingly. When you’re angry and on your heels, you’re losing. Trump was on defense from the start. For dug in partisans, they saw what they wanted. Independent voters will notice a profound difference. And she continues to energize Democrats.”

Regarding whether Harris’ comments on fracking (she is for it now) and Israel (she said she supports the Jewish country but also mentioned a ceasefire so innocent Palestinian lives aren’t lost) would her hurt her with the Democratic base, Rooney said, “No. In truth, I believe her performance will continue to energize the base.  She stood toe-to-toe with him and owned him.”

Longtime Republican strategist Charlie Gerow said, “The most important moment of the debate was President Trump’s closing question. Asking where she has been for the last three and a half years is the question every American should be demanding an answer to. Kamala Harris spent the entire night trying to run away from her own positions. She never explained why she has changed her positions as she promised to do. Sadly the moderators never required her to do so.”

Asked about undecided voters, Gerow said, “Undecided voters didn’t get much from Kamala Harris so not likely that many came to her. President Trump looked and sounded stronger and more like a leader which reinforces the key distinction between the two. That will help.”

Vince Galko, a senior vice president at Mercury and GOP strategist, said  with undecided voters, Harris “did a good job dispelling the notion that she was some kind of leftist with a radical agenda for the time being. ”

“Vice President Harris was more prepared and polished,” said Galko. “The opinions will differ on if it came across as too polished. President Trump was President Trump. He spoke in a simple and relatable manner. It was clear that Trump’s strategy was too galvanize his base support while Harris attempted to appeal to undecideds while risking  the alienation of some in her base.”

And Jeff Jubelirer, vice president with Bellevue Communications, called the debate “unbelievably nasty, probably at this point amping up each candidate’s bases without changing many minds.”

“Trump is by no means helping himself, though, beyond his diehard supporters as he’s all over the place and meandering going off topic and going back to his tired lies about the 2020 election and only spewing his hateful and false rhetoric. He’s unable to talk about any policy specifics. He’s more interested in saluting dictators like Viktor Orban. How does this help him?”

Asked if Harris was playing ‘prevent defense,’ Jubelirer said, “A little, but she can’t afford to do that. She needs to make the 30 or so percent who don’t know enough about her comfortable enough to support her even if they don’t agree with her on everything but don’t want to support Trump.”

He added, “When every Trump apologist online is blaming the moderators for his performance you know he lost the debate. It’s gotten worse for Trump as it’s gone on. [Harris] hasn’t hurt herself as much. Could have been challenged more to directly answer some questions although same can be said for Trump. They just spin. Trump lost it. More than anyone winning it.

As far as undecided voters or the debate changing voters’  minds, Jubelirer said, “Maybe. Not so much changed their mind as got off the fence of being undecided. Again, could be very small number but that could be enough to sway the outcome.”

When Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, voters will be listening as she outlines her vision for America’s future. Her speech to the delegates, the American public, and audiences around the world will likely include a preview of a potential Harris-Walz administration energy policy.

For the sake of the Democrats’ election prospects in November, not to mention American security and prosperity, Harris should deliver a clear message that the U.S. will remain energy independent under her leadership.

The vice president has an historic opportunity to align her party with the majority of Americans who say the U.S. should harness the power of American hydrocarbon energy. A June 2024 Pew Research Center poll found only 29 percent of Americans want to phase out fossil fuels entirely, while a full 69 percent favor a combination of fossil fuels and renewable energy sources to power the national economy.

Americans understand that the country’s energy revolution of the past decade has not only strategically advantaged the U.S. as a global power but has also underpinned our record economic growth. For instance, the Dallas Federal Reserve estimated that oil prices would be 36 percent higher without the fracking technology and production advances from America’s Shale Revolution. With the advent of hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling in shale formations, U.S. output reached 12.8 mb/d by the end of 2019. That increase of 7.9 mb/d since 2007 has all come from shale. The Dallas Fed also calculated that the Fracking Revolution contributed to 10 percent of GDP growth from 2010-2015. This was no small feat, and that energy boost helped President Barack Obama shepherd the economy back from the impacts of the Great Recession.

Interestingly enough, the places that benefitted the most were the rural parts of America, those most hard hit by the recession and poor healthcare which caused population flight to the big cities and shortened lifespans. They need economic development, good jobs, and social services to strengthen their communities and lighten the burden being absorbed by the urban centers. The American people are not just more prosperous because of our natural resources, they are also protecting future generations by aiding in the reduction of emissions.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the transition from coal to natural gas in electricity generation as a result of the increase in domestic natural gas exploration and production led to a 65 percent decrease in emissions of carbon dioxide in the electrical power sector.

And a groundbreaking 2024 study found U.S. LNG was significantly better for the environment than burning coal or other nations’ (i.e. Russia) natural gas, from production to end use. That’s why it’s encouraging that in 2023, the U.S. became the world leader in LNG production and exports. Worldwide electricity generation from coal hit a record high in 2023, and the U.S. would be well-poised to offer the world cleaner alternatives like U.S. LNG.

Despite the science, the Biden-Harris administration made the unprecedented decision in January to freeze new LNG export projects. The policy has been nothing short of counter-productive for the U.S. economy, our allies’ energy security, and our emissions’ reduction goals. Rather, we should be using it as a full-fledged transition fuel to bridge us to the future that Harris envisions. It will also create prosperity opportunities in the rural districts that were once dependent upon much dirtier coal. Harris’ vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz, will see the tremendous value for economic development in the rural districts that have a special place in his heart.

Gone are the days of having to accept Washington climate activists’ binary choice between preserving our planet and saving our economy. By fostering the American Energy Revolution, a Harris administration would help add billions to the economy, support middle-class families with their prices at the pump, and remove countless tons of greenhouse gasses from the environment as a result.

Harris and Walz must consider the impact that policies like the LNG export freeze earlier this year will have on U.S. strength in the world, and on Americans’ bottom line. We as a nation cannot afford to experiment with energy policy that denies science and undermines our national interest.

Instead, at this year’s convention I encourage our presidential nominee to send a signal to the world that her administration would harness the power of American energy and propel us to economic and geostrategic greatness. This is what the American people unambiguously want, and it is what voters will consider as they vote for the 47th president of the United States in November.

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