Former President Donald Trump appeared before a cheering, capacity crowd at the PPL Center in Allentown on Tuesday, promising to return America to a “golden age.”
“I’m here today with a message of hope for all Americans,” he said. “With your vote … we will end inflation, we will stop the invasion of criminals into our country. And we will bring back the American dream. Our country will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before.”
Trump’s roughly 85-minute speech a week before Election Day highlights the importance of Pennsylvania, whose 19 electoral votes are the most of any swing state.
“The fate of our nation is in your hands,” he said. “If we win Pennsylvania, we’re going to win the whole deal.”
Trump took the stage around 7:45 p.m., about 45 minutes later than originally scheduled. He vowed to “end inflation,” “stop the invasion of criminals into our country” and “bring back the American dream.”
After laying out some of his policy proposals — including incentivizing fracking, offering tax credits to caregivers, and ending taxes on tips and on Social Security benefits — Trump claimed that he has created “the greatest movement in the history of mankind.”
Trump touted energy independence and said he would end “Kamala’s war on Pennsylvania energy.”
“We will frack, frack, frack and drill, baby, drill,” he said.
He also hit Harris on her past opposition to fracking, which is a major issue in parts of Pennsylvania. Harris now says she would not support a ban on fracking.
“I’ll never be stopping fracking,” Trump said.
Trump said he will reverse “the green new scam” and reduce energy prices.
Trump also attacked Harris on immigration, saying she has “orchestrated the most egregious betrayal of any leader in American history” by enabling the “invasion” of unauthorized migrants, referring to migration at the southern U.S. border.
He played a campaign video featuring comments from the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old Texas girl who was found dead in a creek not far from her home. Trump also played the video earlier in the day at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago.
Police charged two Venezuelan men who had entered the U.S. illegally with the girl’s murder.
Alexis Nungaray said that her daughter is “six feet in the ground based off of” Harris’ decisions and called for Trump’s reelection.
Trump said the Biden-Harris administration has turned the U.S. into a “dumping ground.”
After a second video that featured footage of violent incidents, Trump repeated his campaign progress to oversee the largest mass deportation of migrants in U.S. history.
He also vowed the death penalty for migrants that kill a U.S. citizen or law enforcement officer, which received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Trump’s speech came two days after a campaign rally in New York sparked outrage when a comedian referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating pile of garbage.”
Trump was joined on stage by Zoraida Buxo, Puerto Rico’s Republican shadow senator, who gave her endorsement.
“I’m so proud were getting support from Latinos like never before,” Trump said. He also says he has “done more for Puerto Rico than any president by far.”
Allentown is a majority minority city, with a 55% Latino population.
“Nov. 5 will be the most important day in the history of our country,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
