During a Fox News town hall moderated by Sean Hannity, former President Donald Trump told those in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that there was no way they could or should vote for Kamala Harris.
“Even if you don’t like me,” he said, “you can sit there and say, ‘I can’t stand that guy, but there’s no way I’m voting for her!'”
The statement comes at a crucial time in the election campaign. Pennsylvania is seen by both his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign teams as a must-win state. The Republican candidate attacked Kamala Harris on the issue of fracking, which she said she opposed in 2020 – her campaign team has since retracted that statement, although Harris herself has remained hushed on the issue.
Trump’s message to Pennsylvania voters:
“You can’t take the risk! You have no choice! You have to vote for me! Even if you don’t like me! You can sit there and say, ‘I can’t stand that guy, but there’s NO WAY I’m voting for her!'” pic.twitter.com/LRZIbwzRGj
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) 5 September 2024
“It’s your biggest business,” Trump said of fracking. “And you get a lot of your income from fracking. And you have someone who won’t allow fracking. They won’t allow it. They can’t take the risk. You have no choice! You have to vote for me!”
The audience seemed to be made for the topic of fracking. When Trump mentioned that she wanted to ban fracking, they reacted violently.
TRUMP on Kamala’s FRACKING U-turn:
“She doesn’t want fracking in Pennsylvania!”
*BOO*
“She said it 100 times!” pic.twitter.com/DJ1iu1Tkh2
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) 5 September 2024
It’s just one of several issues surrounding the American economy that the former president plans to hammer home in the weeks leading up to the election. For workers in Pennsylvania who benefit from increased domestic energy production, Trump’s appeal makes sense.
Recent polls show that Pennsylvania’s population is split at best between the two candidates. This is even more surprising when you look at recent elections in the state – where several Democrats have won statewide in recent years. If Harris struggles there, it doesn’t bode well for her in other Midwestern and Rust Belt states.
