Trump reaffirms message of law and order at rally
President Donald Trump delivered a campaign speech to supporters at an airport hangar in Latrobe that reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to law enforcement, accused Democrats of capitulating to radicals and warned the American way of life will change if he loses the White House in November.
Mr. Trump’s speech largely echoed the main pillars of his reelection campaign in recent months, alleging his Democratic opponent Joe Biden wants to “surrender your nation to the radical left- wing mob” that includes rioters and looters who have burned businesses and “attacked law enforcement” during recent protests.
“They both want to cut funding for police. They want to end cash bail. They want to hire far- left prosecutors and judges and let criminals run wild,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Biden and the “rioters” who want him to win.
Mr. Trump suggested “we could end [ rioting and looting], like, immediately,” pointing to the heightened presence of National Guard troops to respond to demonstrations in Kenosha, Wis., which erupted after police shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back on Aug. 23.
“Biden went there today. There was nobody there,” Mr. Trump quipped, referring to Kenosha. “He was a little late.”
Mr. Biden’s visit to Kenosha on Thursday afternoon included a meeting with Mr. Blake’s family and a phone call with Mr. Blake himself, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
In remarks reported by the Sentinel, Mr. Biden said “institutional racism” and “the dark side of human nature” — which he said has been legitimized by Mr. Trump — “cannot be tolerated across the board.”
Mr. Trump, meanwhile, criticized Mr. Biden for only recently coming out in favor of law enforcement because he was facing pressure to do so.
“Biden today came out and said, ‘ No, no, fracking is OK.’ Did you see that? ‘ Fracking’s OK.’ Because he was getting killed,” Mr. Trump said, “and now he came out in favor of law enforcement.”
It is unclear what quotes Mr. Trump was referencing, but Mr. Biden, in Pittsburgh earlier this week, denounced rioting and looting — which he said are not forms of protest but of “lawlessness, plain and simple.” The Democrat also denounced violence by “extremists and opportunists” who have brought weapons to protests, and the violence of “unwarranted police shootings” and “excessive force” by law enforcement — as he described.
Mr. Trump claimed that the radical elements of the Democratic Party are taking over and that they’re ousting politicians who don’t want to “ban guns” and ban fossil fuels.
Mr. Biden, the president claimed, wants to end fracking — which he said would kill 900,000 jobs in Pennsylvania and triple energy bills. It’s a claim that Mr. Biden’s campaign has tried to fight, seeking to clarify the candidate’s proposal as one that would halt new oil and gas permits on federal land, including for fracking — but not existing permits on private land, where the majority of the state’s fracking occurs.
In a nearly 90- minute speech that included several asides about everything from paper straws and Mr. Biden’s mental state to Nancy Pelosi’s salon visit and his own impeachment, Mr. Trump said that if he’s re- elected, the best is yet to come.
The president said that before COVID- 19 hit, his economy resulted in Pennsylvania having “the greatest year you’ve ever had” — partly because of his tax plan and regulation rollbacks.
If the pandemic never happened, he wouldn’t need to hold campaign rallies because his record would have been settled, he said.
“Next year is going to be one the greatest years, not only for Pennsylvania, but for the entire country,” Mr. Trump said.
Of his record, Mr. Trump said his administration has secured the borders, fixed “broken” trade deals, reconstructed the military, “obliterated” ISIS and secured “American energy independence.”
Mr. Trump criticized the state- by- state shutdowns in response to the pandemic — including in Pennsylvania — and hypothesized that on the day after the election, economies will start to reopen again.
“It really is for political reasons,” he claimed.
The crowd for Mr. Trump’s appearance far exceeded the 250- person limit for outdoor gatherings mandated by Pennsylvania.
Lyndsay Kensinger, a spokeswoman for Gov. Tom Wolf, reiterated in a statement — after the rally had begun — that gatherings of more than 250 are prohibited and that masks are required in all public places.
“Masking and social distancing measures, including the limitations on large gatherings, have allowed Pennsylvania to thus far avoid the tragic resurgence of COVID19 that is occurring in many states that have reopened prematurely,” Ms. Kensinger said. “We hope and expect that the president and those attending rallies will abide by these commonsense restrictions to protect the health and safety of the local community.”
Mr. Trump is scheduled to visit Western Pennsylvania again next week to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He will take part in a ceremony at the Flight 93 memorial in Stonycreek, The New York Times reported. Further details haven’t been announced.
The president has visited the eastern part of the state a few times this year, but this was his first visit to Western Pennsylvania in 2020. His running mate, Vice President Mike Pence, has made several campaign visits to the area.