Erie, Pennsylvania — Vice President Kamala Harris focused on former President Donald Trump’s comments that the U.S. military could be used to deal with “enemies from within” as the two presidential candidates fought over the battleground state of Pennsylvania on opposite sides of the state on Monday.
At a rally in northwestern Pennsylvania, Harris called Trump a serious threat to American democracy “in his pursuit of unchecked power.”
“He considers anyone who doesn’t support him or doesn’t do his bidding an enemy of our country,” Harris said after a clip of the comments was played on a large screen at a rally at Erie Stadium. “This is one of the reasons why I strongly believe that a second Trump term would be an enormous risk to America.”
Democrat Harris and Republican Trump have become locks in the nation’s biggest 2024 battleground state. It was Harris’ 10th visit to Pennsylvania this campaign season, and Monday’s town hall with Trump in suburban Philadelphia follows visits to Scranton and Redding last week.
Harris is highlighting what she said are examples of Trump’s increasingly “unstable and unstable” behavior. It’s part of her effort to win over a small universe of undecided voters and carve out even a sliver of the traditionally Republican electorate in the fight for Pennsylvania and six other hotly contested swing states that are expected to determine who wins next month’s election. Here are some.
She argued in an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that Trump’s comments were the latest example of the former president’s threatening rhetoric that has Americans concerned about what a potential second Trump term could look like.
Trump said this in response to a question about “outside agitators” potentially disrupting Election Day.
President Trump said, “I think the bigger problem is the internal enemy.” He continued, “There are very bad people among us. There are sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think that’s a big problem. If necessary, it should be handled very easily by the National Guard, and if truly necessary, it should be handled by the military. Because they can’t let that happen.”
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, defended Trump’s comments during a campaign stop in Minneapolis early Monday.
“Is rioting, looting and burning the city a legitimate use of that property? Of course it is. Right?” Vance told reporters. “I think the question is whether that’s a fair use of the asset depends on what’s actually going on.”
Harris and Trump put their all into the race for Pennsylvania.
Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by more than 40,000 votes in Pennsylvania during his 2016 presidential bid. But Joe Biden, a Scranton native, beat Trump by about 80,000 votes in the state four years ago.
Both sides believe the Penn State race could be closer this time around.
Trump spoke Monday at a town hall in suburban Oaks. In response to a man who said his dream of owning a home was not realistically possible, President Trump said regulations were making construction too expensive in some areas. He reiterated his pledge to increase U.S. oil drilling, which he said would cut costs even as domestic production is already at record highs.
“We’re going to do basic training, we’re going to have so much energy, we’re going to lower the price,” Trump said.
He also called government data, from crime statistics to unemployment numbers, “fake” and claimed the numbers had been manipulated to help incumbent Democrats.
President Trump interrupted his remarks twice due to medical emergencies, turning City Hall into a concert hall. After the second incident, President Trump spoke for a few more minutes and then called for music. He then stood on stage while the music played. Sometimes I even shook my body.
Harris’ campaign called Erie a “hub” district, a majority-Democratic city of about 94,000 bordering suburban and rural areas with significant numbers of Republicans. Erie County is often cited as one of the state’s reliable indicator areas, where the voting record of its voters is decidedly middling. Trump visited Erie on September 29.
Harris also spoke about early voting during the rally. Mail-in voting is actively underway in states where about 7 million people are expected to vote in the presidential election.
“If you’ve already received your ballot in the mail, don’t wait,” Harris urged supporters. “Please fill it out and return it today or tomorrow. But please take it out.”
Earlier, she stopped by a newly opened coffee shop and record store in Erie as she continued to make her case for support for black men.
The visit to LegendErie Records and Coffee House, both black-owned small businesses, comes after her campaign unveiled plans Monday morning to provide more economic and other opportunities for black men. The campaign is trying to boost outreach to black men, a key voting bloc that some Democrats worry is lacking enthusiasm.
Pennsylvania, the largest number of swing states and its 19 electoral votes, has generated far more interest than the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. Including one scheduled for Monday, they will make 46 stops in the state, according to the Associated Press, which tracks the campaign’s public events.
Michigan, with 33 visits, and Wisconsin, with 29, were the next most visited states. It shows how both campaigns are focused on winning states that were part of the Democratic Party’s so-called “blue wall” until Trump emerged as a Republican. Standard bearer.
Democrats have won three consecutive Pennsylvania gubernatorial elections, and all current U.S. senators are Democrats, but the state Legislature is closely divided.
Tom Bonanno, who attends Trump rallies, said he believes there is more enthusiasm for Trump this year than in the former president’s previous two campaigns.
“We’re feeling the change because the economy affects everyone,” Bonanno said. “It’s not just going on, they’re going to feel joy or happiness or whatever it is that they’re running. “Once again, it’s about the economy.”
Luther Manus, a 97-year-old World War II and Vietnam veteran, walked out of Harris’ Monday night rally, impressed with the candidate but wondering how much she could accomplish in polarized Washington if she wins. I was cautious about it.
“I think she’s really great.” Manus spoke as the stadium emptied. But he added, “If they give her a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House, she’ll be able to do a lot of the things she said she would. Without that, she’s going to have problems like Obama and Biden.”
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Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Weissert reported from Erie, Pennsylvania. Tassanee Vejpongsa, an Associated Press journalist in Oaks, Pa.; Carolyn Thompson of Erie, Pennsylvania; Aamer Madhani in Washington and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.
