WASHINGTON CROSSING — Touting “country over party,” Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to unite the country in an appeal to Republican voters Wednesday afternoon at a campaign rally in Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County.
“We are here today because we share a core belief, that we must put country before party,” said Harris. “We all have so much more in common than what separates us.”
Harris addressed a crowd that included more than 100 Republican supporters at the Bucks County park where Gen. George Washington and his troops famously crossed the Delaware River ahead of a surprise attack on pro-British German troops during the Revolutionary War.
“I am now a registered Republican, and I think this is one of the most important elections of my life,” said Mary Jo Gilsdorf of Edgmont, Delaware County. “I believe Harris is more into building the middle class as opposed to the trickle-down economics. I didn’t see that work in the Reagan years. I think she is the person who cares more about the people.”
Final stretch
The rally marks Harris’ 11th visit to Pennsylvania during the 2024 election campaign and comes two days after former president Donald Trump held a town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks. With less than three weeks until election day, both candidates are working to court voters in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Upon taking the stage, Harris was flanked by nearly 20 Republican officials who back her candidacy, including former U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Jim Greenwood and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan. The officials roundly castigated Trump as unfit for office and a threat to democracy and the Constitution.
“As a military guy, I’ve always respected strength in leadership, and Trump is the opposite of that,” said Kinzinger. “He’s a whiny, weak, small, tiny man who is scared to death.”
Harris commended the Republican officials for their courage in an “extraordinary climate.”
“In a typical election year, you all being here with me might be a bit surprising, dare I say unusual,” Harris said. “But not in this election, because at stake in this race are the democratic ideals that our founders and generations of Americans before us have fought for. At stake in this election is the Constitution itself.”
Historic campaign
Ahead of the rally, attendees expressed excitement at the opportunity to witness a historic campaign.
“It’s a chance to see a history-making candidate in a historical place,” said Elisa Rapaport of Buckingham Township.
“I feel like the wind has filled our sails and I want to be part of it,” said Triste Longcore of Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County. “She’s fabulous, smart, articulate, and the other guy is crazy.”
Rallygoers cited Harris’ stances on abortion, child care, climate change and labor issues as key to their support.
“Abortion rights are key, and we need to stop the assault on women that’s happening all across the country,” said Rapaport. “People want to talk about freedoms and liberty, and Democrats are the party that is holding the line with that.”
“I’m concerned, with grandchildren, about the cost of childcare, and Kamala Harris is more interested in in supporting that, and that’s important to me,” said Bernadette West of Langhorne, Bucks.
“Kamala Harris is supporting the working class. She supports extending the tax cuts for people making under $400,000 a year and going back to the other tax rate for those making over $400,000 a year, which makes a lot more sense,” said Barry Truchil of Langhorne. “I think she will continue the agenda that Joe Biden had, which I wish was more, but at least it’s moving in that direction.”
“I think she thinks about everyone when she’s in government, not just the people who voted for her,” said Stephanie Weisser of Buckingham. “She’s a forward-thinking politician. I think she has great experience. I’m very excited to vote for her.”
Turning the page on Trump
Harris was introduced by farmers Bob and Kristina Lange of Malvern, Chester County, former Trump voters who have endorsed Harris’ candidacy.
“Never in a million years did either of us think that we would be standing here supporting a Democrat, but we’ve had enough,” said Kristina Lange. “It’s time to turn the page on Trump and his chaos and the way he divides us as people in this nation. We’ve got to move forward.”
Throughout her speech, Harris echoed the Republican officials’ anti-Trump sentiments, decrying Trump’s incitement of the January 6 siege on the Capitol, his refusal to accept the 2020 election results and his recent remarks threatening to deploy the military against the “radical left” and describing the biggest enemy of the United States as “the enemy within.” She warned that Trump would use his office to target journalists, election officials and judges with whom he disagrees.
“Let that sink in — use of the American military to go after American citizens,” said Harris. “It is clear that Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged, and he is seeking unchecked power.”
In an appeal to Republican voters, Harris pledged to be a president for “all Americans,” promising to appoint a Republican to her cabinet and establish a council on bipartisan solutions to the country’s most pressing issues. She encouraged people of all political stripes to support her campaign.
“No matter your party, no matter who you voted for last time, there is a place for you in this campaign,” said Harris. “The coalition we have built has room for everyone who is ready to turn the page on the chaos and instability of Donald Trump.
“And in 20 days, we have the power to chart a new way forward,” Harris concluded. “One that is worthy of this magnificent country that we are all blessed to call home.”
