DV Journal

Some Democrats, locally and nationally, are in denial about the huge Trump and Republican win on Nov. 5.

But the sleeper issue of males playing in girls’ spots that I pointed out in my column just before the election proved to be a winner for the Trump campaign.

The Trump campaign spent about $33 million on ads showing Vice President Harris supported taxpayer-funded surgeries for prisoners who were here illegally and wanted to change from male to female. That snapshot of Harris’ policies, along with Democrats’ support for boys/men to play against girls/women in various sports, moved the needle to Trump for a variety of voters.

Some Democrats, like Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, see this issue as an indicator that his party needs rebranding.

Moulton said, “Democrats spend way too much time trying to not offend anyone. I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field  by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd echoed that, saying, “Democrats learned the hard way in this election that mothers care both about abortion rights and having their daughters compete fairly and safely on the playing field.”

That thought process did not seem to register with many Democrats, particularly the very liberal Central Bucks School Board. At its most recent meeting, the board doubled down on the vote to overturn of the previous Republican-led board’s barring biological males from participating in female sports.

It even cited the fact that the school district had a female player on the boys’ football team to push back against safety concerns. My advice to those arguing against males in female sports is to lead with the argument of fairness, not safety. Females have worked for years to compete at high levels, and mediocre males with distinct physical advantages should not be allowed to overwhelm them.

I have also noted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, had not recently spoken out on the issue. In the past, he has accused those who oppose males playing in female sports of discrimination. This issue that impacted the presidential election could also be a sleeper issue for the governor’s race in Pennsylvania in 2026.

The most outrageous response to the 2024 election results has been the Bucks commissioners’ antics as they sat as the county Election Board in counting votes between the Pennsylvania race for the United States Senate between Sen. Bob Casey and Dave McCormick.

McCormick still has a lead that is mathematically impossible to overcome. So, Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia tried to change the rules. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled twice that misdated and undated ballots cannot be counted. Marseglia admitted she knew it was illegal to count these ballots, but she was going to do it anyhow.

She said, “I think we all know that precedent by a court does any matter anymore in the country. And people violate the law anytime they want. For me, if I violate the law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it.” Democratic Commissioner Bob Harvie also voted for it.

And, ironically, Marseglia sits on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Once again, Gov. Shapiro has been silent on this. People in Bucks County have not been silent, and there are calls for her impeachment.

The bottom line is that many Democrats still reject the voters’ will in the 2024 election cycle. Let’s see how long they continue that stance.

Former President Donald J. Trump won Pennsylvania Tuesday night, ensuring a historic second term in the White House. But he did it without the votes of most of the Delaware Valley. So, how do local residents feel about his victory? Opinions broke down along party lines.

While a majority of Delaware, Chester and Montgomery County voters cast their ballots for Harris, for the first time since 1988, Bucks County voters backed a Republican, at 50.69 to 48.35 percent for Trump.

Bucks County GOP Chairwoman Pat Poprik was pleased with the result.

“We are extremely proud of the results from Bucks County yesterday. What we saw was the culmination of a lot of hard work by the campaigns, committee members, dedicated volunteers, and grassroots conservative leaders,” Poprik said. “The voters, both in Bucks and nationwide, sent a clear message last night that we want a president who will improve the economy, secure the border, and make America strong, safe and respected on the world stage. That person is our 45th and soon to be inaugurated as our 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!”

Delaware Valley residents reacted with jubilation or trepidation, depending on their political leanings.

“The election last night broke my heart and head. I’m certain there are many of you out there who feel similarly dizzied by the results,” wrote Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) on social media.

She encouraged people “to grieve and to question,” but to make sure they took care of themselves and others who were hurting.

Chester County resident and political candidate turned pundit Guy Ciarrocchi said, “This win is not simply about the amazing comeback of President Trump. It’s bigger.

“The future of the GOP is not (yet) Malvern, it’s Mayfair. It’s not C-suites execs, it’s small business owners who manage from their kitchen tables and their employees. It’s people who build things and want to create and work and control their own destiny,” he said. “The future of America is not New York Times editors telling us what to think. It’s first and second-generation Americans who believe in the American Dream.”

Chester County Democratic Committee Chair Charlotte Valyo said, “Although we are disappointed, we left nothing undone and we accept the decision of the American people. We will continue to work towards bipartisan solutions to the problems that face our nation and the world. Our Democratic elected officials will continue to govern for all their constituents and work to improve the lives of all Americans.”

“Last night was a pivotal moment in taking America back to its core values and constitutional consistency,” said Wayne businesswoman Leslie Morgan. “God bless America! Now let’s go show everyone how to govern effectively and efficiently for the people.”

Philadelphia Democrat political strategist Lindy Li said Harris should have picked Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) as her running mate.

“He’s famously a moderate,” she told Fox News. “So that would have signaled to the American people that she is not the San Francisco liberal that Trump said she was, but she went with someone actually to her left from Minnesota.”

Former Radnor Township Commissioner Rich Booker said, “I had predicted that Kamala would lose the election back in August. In response to a comment [someone] made on the golf course that with Biden out, the Democrats have now got a race, and that Kamala could beat Trump. I retorted “Mark it down–Kamala will lose by slightly less than Biden would have.”

“Democrats have gone too far, for too many years,” said Booker. “They never responded to any criticism of their immigration policy. They do not have any sense of what working people think. For many people, they may not have much, but the one thing that they always had, was their country. And the modern, progressive, woke democrats are taking that from them through their open-border immigration policies. They see it, and don’t like it. They let the Democrats know that yesterday.”

Republican state committeewoman Val Biancaniello, a Marple Township resident, said, “This morning, my husband and I are giving thanks to God for the reelection of President Trump. We are everyday conventional Americans who love our country, work hard and want our own children to enjoy the same freedom and opportunities this great country has provided for us. We can sleep again at night knowing under President Trump’s strong leadership, America will be safe and affordable again.”

Longtime Philadelphia political strategist Neil Oxman encouraged people not to overreact.

“My long view is that this country survives everything. The Civil War, the Depression, the Second World War, we’ve survived everything because we have this gigantic stable middle class,” he told DVJournal. “I don’t think the world is going to end.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nikki Haley stumping for Dave McCormick in Pennsburg.

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

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

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

Someone called out, “Nothing.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Left’s Backlash: An Overreaction with Consequences

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

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

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

Republican Silence: Overlooking Harris’s Deli Visit

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

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

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

A Divided Jewish Community

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

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

A Snapshot of National Fracture

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

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

Reclaiming Balanced Discourse

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

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

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As the Nov. 5 election nears, polls show the momentum is with former President Donald Trump and Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick.

“As long as they avoid any big slip ups, Nov. 5 should be a very, very good night,” a confident Charlie Gerow of Quantum Communications told DVJournal.

Much has changed since the end of July, when Democratic President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris. Democratic euphoria over dropping a nominee who appeared destined for disaster sent the relatively unknown Harris’ support soaring. A five-point Trump lead in Pennsylvania turned into a Harris lead in September, according to RealClearPolitics polling averages.

But as of Sunday, Trump was leading in eight of the 10 most recent polls tracked by RCP and held a very narrow 0.6 percent lead.

It’s much different than four years ago, when Trump trailed Biden in the months leading up to the November 2020 election.

McCormick’s polling turnaround is even more pronounced. After trailing three-term U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) by as many as 14 points in early August, most polls now show the two virtually tied.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) rallies volunteers to door knock in Newtown, Bucks County on Saturday.

“That’s not to say that Casey isn’t going to win, but he’s really having to sprint as hard as he can over the last 12 days and in the presidential race, who knows?” longtime Democratic strategist Neil Oxman told DVJournal.

Pennsylvania Republicans remain confident their message is resonating with voters, while admitting the race remains wide open.

“Nothing is ever certain in the state of Pennsylvania,” quipped Albert Eisenberg with BlueStateRed. “But I’d certainly rather be the Trump campaign right now, and frankly I think I’d rather be McCormick as well. That seat is a jump-ball and the momentum is clearly on the GOP side.”

The Casey name will still be hard to beat given the family’s decades-long history in Keystone State politics. Sen. Casey’s father, Democratic Gov. Bob Casey Sr., spent more than 20 years in elected office, and Casey Jr. has lost only one race in his political career – the 2000 Democratic primary for governor against Ed Rendell.

Northeast Pennsylvania may be the biggest question mark for Casey. Oxman said a lot of Republicans in Lackawanna County tend to vote for Casey because they liked his father.

He said, however, that Harris could hurt Casey in the region. “If he is, then it makes the Senate race even closer.”

Eisenberg thinks Trump could pull McCormick to victory if he outpaces the polls by two to four points. Trump won the state by less than 50,000 votes in 2016 and lost it by 80,000 in 2020.

While early voting is surging this year, no one knows exactly how the election will turn out. Particularly with rumors that Harris is underperforming among Black men and Latino voters.

That could spell trouble for Democrats on Election Day.

“Will everybody that they need, that they need to turn out for them – that traditionally support Democrats – do so and vote for [Harris]? Whereas I think Republicans…are more disciplined,” political strategist Jeff Jubelirer of Bellevue Communications told DVJournal.

DVJournal talked to local voters who were all-in on Trump.

Leslie Morgan from Radnor called this year’s election a “change election.”

She said Americans aren’t happy with the direction of the country, particularly with inflation and gas prices. 

“Inflation is a dream killer and they know that it happened in the Harris-Biden administration. The policies hurt all U.S. citizens,” Morgan said.

She also expressed anger over the decision by the White House to reengage with Iran and said it caused chaos in the Middle East and hurt U.S. allies. “The voters of our beloved commonwealth know this and are seemingly making a statement by swinging to a commonsense ticket of Trump-Vance and David McCormick.”

Ridley Park resident Jim S. said he used to be a Democrat until he voted for Trump. 

“This is probably the most important election of my lifetime,” he said.

Jim suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine because Trump was out of office. “War is not the answer. [The election] is about who is going to do something about it.

“Hopefully, in four years we won’t be paying $8 for eggs,” he said. “Things were great under Trump.”

Republican strategist Jeff Bartos said he believes both McCormick and Trump will celebrate a W come November. He added the Harris campaign was born out of desperation.

“While Vice President Harris cannot articulate a message, President Trump has campaigned effectively on what is clear to Pennsylvanians and all Americans, namely that the Harris-Biden administration broke our economy, opened our borders, and set the world on fire,” Bartos told DVJournal. “President Trump will fix it.”

There’s still some confidence within Democratic circles.

Despite the tough polls and apparent voter discontent, Oxman isn’t convinced they accurately reflect the mood of the electorate. He said one Democratic strategist theorized about a hidden Harris vote, mostly among the under-30 voters.

“[They] don’t answer their cell phones, [their] parents scream because they can’t get a hold of them, they’re not getting included survey research…[the strategist] thinks she’s going to clock [Trump],” he said.

Gerow disagreed.

“Campaigns run on momentum and momentum is running strong for Trump and McCormick. That’s great news for both teams. They look like they can run through the tape at this point,” he said.

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Former President Donald Trump had reporters eating out of his hands–literally–as he gave out bags of french fries at a campaign event at a Feasterville McDonald’s restaurant, where he worked as a fry cook and manned the take-out window. Trump is fond of McDonald’s, even bringing food from the fast food joint onto Air Force One when he served as president.

Trump emphasized Sunday that he’s now worked at a McDonald’s  “for 15 minutes more than Kamala,” after his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris claimed she worked at the fast food franchise while in college.

“I’ll never forget this experience,” Trump said while talking to reporters through a drive-up window where he’d just handed out bags of food to six cars full of customers.

Jim, from Bucks County, who was in a Jeep with four others, said he was getting fries and chicken nuggets. He said he’d won a lottery to be one of the people served by Trump that day. Asked if he believes that Harris worked at McDonald’s, he said, “I don’t believe her.”

“It’s an amazing business. It’s an amazing country. And we’re going to make America greater than ever before,” Trump said.

“We’re going to bring jobs back to our country,” Trump added as reporters called out questions.  He said McDonald’s franchise restaurants employ a lot of people.

“Look how happy everybody is. They’re happy because they want hope. They need hope and that’s what we’re doing is, [we’re] going to give much more than hope.”

Asked if he’d accept the election results, he said, “Yeah, sure. If  it’s a fair election, always.”

When someone mentioned Israel, Trump said he’d spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that morning and that it was good that Israel did not listen to the Biden-Harris administration’s advice.

“Israel is safer now,” he said.

Derek Giacomantonia owns the Feasterville McDonald’s, which was closed to the general public during Trump’s visit. “As a small, independent business owner, it is a fundamental value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community. That’s why I accepted former President Trump’s request to observe the transformative working experience that one in eight Americans have had: a job at McDonald’s,” Giacomantonia said.

Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchises provide some 25,000 jobs, he added.

Trump’s supporters began to line Street Road hours before he was scheduled to get there, carrying signs and flags. As they waited, they shouted “U.S.A., Fight, fight, fight,” and “Trump.” Cars and trucks honked their horns.

A crowd waits for Donald Trump near the Feasterville, Pa. McDonald’s on Oct. 20, 2024

Sally Schlotter, of Feasterville, brought a bullhorn.

“It’s not just D.C. that’s messed up. Our local politicians are, as well. I love my country. Donald Trump brought things to light that were hidden for years,” she told DVJournal.

A nurse, Schlotter said she’s pleased that Robert Kennedy Jr. has joined the Trump team.

“Big pharma, big tech and big government are not for we the people,” said Schlotter.  “A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for socialism and communism,” she said. “She wants Medicare for all. That’s socialized medicine.”

Tony Carmen, 88, a Vietnam-era Marine Corps veteran, was also on hand.

“I fought for this country,” said Carmen. “I always supported Trump.”

He even wrote and recorded a song about the former president called “Trouble.”

Trump, Harris, and their surrogates have made repeated trips to the Keystone State. The must-win battleground brings 19 electoral college delegates with it.

After his Oct. 20 foray to McDonald’s, Trump was slated to attend a roundtable at a Black barbershop in Philadelphia. On Monday, Oct. 21, the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania, Harris is expected to visit Chester County.

Told that Sunday was Harris’ birthday, Trump wished her “happy birthday” and said he might send her flowers.

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(For an alternate point of view see, “Point: A Vote for Donald Trump is a Vote for Free Speech”)

Voting is already underway in many places nationwide, and Election Day is only weeks away. While many people have decided whether it’s voting for one candidate or perhaps even against another, some are still deciding whether they will vote.

No matter where you are, I want to share why voting for Vice President Kamala Harris is a great choice.

The overriding reason to vote for Harris is to continue restoring normalcy and protecting democracy. However, even if you put those important goals aside, Harris is clearly the best and most qualified choice.

Harris is knowledgeable. Despite the right-wing punditry questioning the depth of her policy agenda and expertise, Harris has repeatedly delved deep into current policy debates and the specifics of her policy proposals. Whether on the debate stage, at campaign rallies or in interviews, Harris shows the policy know-how necessary to be president.

She is accomplished. Having served the public in various roles for decades, Harris has helped pave the way for justice by prosecuting criminal activity as a district attorney and attorney general, ranging from violent crime to prescription drug price gouging.

As a senator, she sponsored legislation and championed the cause for women’s rights, workers’ rights and mental health. She artfully challenged unqualified presidential nominees. Despite being early in her Senate career, Harris used her expertise and passion to make a difference in an evenly divided chamber.

As vice president, Harris made numerous White House working groups on maternal health, reproductive rights and gun violence prevention topics.

Harris is also mindful. She focuses her work with others in mind. The primary job of being president is to always be thinking of others. Her compassionate approach to governing is a considerable and vital advantage she has over her opponent.

Harris is also accessible. Many Americans can find her life’s experience relatable. That familiarity makes for a natural companion to her compassion and mindfulness. This includes having what many call good “vibes.” That positive and approachable personality opens doors, hearts and minds. The next president will need this to move the nation forward.

The vice president is also lawful. It is crucial to have a president who knows the law and faithfully follows it. We have not always needed to make what seems like a reasonably basic distinction, but sadly, we do. Her experience as a district attorney and as the attorney general of California will help guide Harris in serving everyone and protecting our nation’s laws.

Last, Kamala Harris is authentic. The American people do not need to wonder who she is, her motivations or what she will do to lead. She shows us that with her attributes and experiences.

Of course, we can describe Harris’s qualifying attributes in many ways. Smart, kind, honest, passionate, experienced, approachable, professional and even presidential.

So, what should we be looking for in a president?

Someone who is Knowledgeable, Accomplished, Mindful, Accessible, Lawful, and Authentic. In short, KAMALA.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Trump team responded.

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

Vice President Kamala Harris says she will not ban fracking, she will not confiscate your guns and she will not take away your gas-powered car.

“Contrary to what my opponent is suggesting, I will never tell you what kind of car you have to drive,” the Democratic presidential nominee recently told a Michigan crowd.

However, like her previous promises, Harris has a record that contradicts her current stance. In fact, she co-sponsored the  Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019, which would have ended the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2040. Except the version Harris backed actually moved that date up to 2035.

“Ending sales of new gas-powered cars is part of Kamala Harris’ climate change plan,” as the Sacramento Bee headline said.

“We’re facing a climate crisis that must be met with bold action,” Harris said.

Harris’s defenders argue that her aggressive proposals to end gas-powered cars were part of her 2020 presidential strategy of running in the progressive lane. Now that she’s the vice president, they claim her true colors are on display.

As vice president, Harris has supported “net zero emissions” by 2050 and ending the use of gas-powered cars to achieve that goal.

Harris also included a social justice element in her current arguments, claiming that low-income and minority communities are disproportionately affected by pollution from gas-powered vehicles.

“The pollution from vehicles powered by fossil fuels has long harmed the health of communities around our country — communities overlooked and underserved,” she said in 2021.

“But there is a solution to this problem. … Electric cars, trucks, and buses.”

So, what’s behind Harris’s shift on gas-powered vehicles? Americans don’t want EVs.

“It’s become very clear in the last year or two that there’s a lot of consumers that just don’t really want electric vehicles,” said Kenny Stein, vice president of policy at the Institute for Energy Research.

About 14 million new cars were sold in the United States in 2022, and 1.6 million were EVs. Many of those sales came with generous federal and state tax subsidies. As more Americans become familiar with electric vehicle technology, their interest in owning an EV is fading.

The 2024 Mobility Consumer Index found that only 34 percent of U.S. consumers plan to buy an electric vehicle — fully battery or hybrid —for their next car. That’s down from 48 percent a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration has continued to pursue policies to push Americans into EVs. The Environmental Protection Agency wants tailpipe emissions standards that will make gas-powered cars mpossible to manufacture.

The EPA’s emissions standards mean that gas-powered cars can make up no more than 30 percent of auto sales by 2032.

“Make no mistake: This is a coerced phase-out of gas-powered cars,” the Wall Street Journal wrote.

Meanwhile, taxpayers who don’t drive EVs pay taxes to subsidize their sales.

According to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, direct state and federal subsidies for EVs average $8,984 per vehicle over 10 years.

To achieve the EPA and Harris’s goals, billions more taxpayer subsidies will be required. And most environmentalists concede that, regardless of Harris’s protestations that if you like your car, you can keep your car, regulations that keep gas-powered vehicles off the market will be needed, too.

The costs are already rising. The Inflation Reduction Act was primarily a green subsidy program. The Tax Foundation estimates that, over the next decade, its energy tax credits are likely to cost more than $1 trillion.

“The IRA’s credits for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in particular are proving to be much more costly than anticipated, costing about $180 billion over the next decade,” it reports.

In September, House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., called out the Biden-Harris “radical rush-to-green energy agenda.”

“The EPA’s latest tailpipe emissions rule is not really about reducing air pollution — it’s about forcing Americans to drive electric vehicles.”

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