Trump rallies in Pennsylvania, attacks Harris over border security
Former president makes first appearance in battleground state since attempted assassination
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. president Donald Trump held a rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Wednesday, attacking the Democrats' immigration record just a few hours after he questioned the racial identity of Vice-President Kamala Harris.
The rally is being held indoors at the state capital's New Holland Arena. Trump was onstage just after 7 p.m. ET.
"As you know, this is my first return to Pennsylvania since the rally in Butler," he said.
"Eighteen days ago, we had a very terrible day. We had a rough day, I will tell you by all accounts. I should not be with you today. I shouldn't be with you, but I am."
During a tense event with the U.S. National Association of Black Journalists earlier Wednesday, Trump suggested Harris used to identify as South Asian but had adopted her identity as a Black woman for political advantage.
"She was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person," Trump said of Harris, whose father was Black and whose mother was Indian American.
Harris, 59, has long identified as both Black and South Asian. She is the first Black and South Asian American to serve as the nation's vice-president.
Condemnation was swift from both sides of the political aisle. White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said the comments were "repulsive," while former governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, an anti-Trump Republican now running for the Senate, said it was "unacceptable and abhorrent" to attack Harris's racial identity.
Trump threw political attacks at Harris throughout his speech in Harrisburg, hitting out against her record on immigration, crime, bail reform and gun control, but did not reference his earlier comments at the journalists's conference in Chicago.
Trump repeatedly attacked Harris over border security, claiming the her failure as "border czar" — a position she never actually held — had contributed to what he has described as an "invasion" of illegal immigrants and resulting increase in violent crime.
Harris had been tasked by President Joe Biden to deal with the root causes of migration from Central America as illegal border crossings rose in 2021.
Harris responded to Trump's remarks at an event in Houston for Sigma Gamma Rho, a Black sorority.
"It was the same old show — the divisiveness and the disrespect. And let me just say: The American people deserve better," she said.
Thousands line up
Outside the arena ahead of the Pennsylvania event, there were virtually no images of Harris. T-shirts, flags and hats and other merchandise for sale showed photos of Trump, with a few of Biden.
Thousands of people were lined up outside the venue in temperatures upward of 30 C for several hours before the arena doors opened mid-afternoon. Many attendees wore T-shirts and other merchandise with a photo of Trump, 78, raising his fist in the air after the shooting at his last Pennsylvania rally.
"It's amazing [Trump's] here," said Xena Colasante, 35, who drove to the rally with her husband from their home in West Grove, about 100 kilometres southeast of Harrisburg.
"That's why we wanted to make sure we show a really good show of support for him, since he's brave enough to come back."
Trump was on stage in Butler, Pa., when a gunman fired at him from the roof of a nearby warehouse on July 13. Trump's right ear was injured, a rally attendee was killed and two more people were hurt.
The gunman was shot dead at the scene.
Inflation, immigration, war
The indoor event Wednesday was a shift for the Trump campaign, which has previously held most events outside.
The barricaded line to get into the venue wound across the grass lawn in front of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Centre, where the arena sits, down the sidewalk along North Cameron Street and into a large parking lot next door. People without tickets continued to show up into the evening to sit outside the venue.
Rallygoers who spoke with CBC News said inflation, immigration and the wars involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Gaza were their main concerns heading into the election. Several said they could look past Trump's character because they prefer his policies on those portfolios.
"I think he's the right guy for the job. We know he's not perfect. We've all come short, glory of God, but he appears to be the best guy for the job right now," said Ross Willard, 73, who lives roughly two kilometres away from the arena and went to the event with his wife and their 10-year-old granddaughter.
Several voters named the cost of living, the wider economy and border security as key issues.
"The border and our economy. He'll bring back good gas prices, reopen the pipelines, American-source our industries," said William Papavasilion, 17, who registered to vote the day of the rally.
"If he does not get elected, our country is in trouble. We're just hanging on at this point with the mess that things are in. Middle-class people can't live anymore with food and gas prices and we need a change," said William's mother, Tara, who drove the pair from the community of Washington Boro.
'Unkind rhetoric'
Other attendees said they believed Trump was more qualified for the presidency than Harris.
"I wish he would call it on some of the unkind rhetoric, so to speak, but politics is politics," said James, 68, who was born and raised in Johnstown and declined to give his last name.
"As far as I'm concerned... I'm voting for somebody that has the right politics and the right policies."
Pennsylvania will be a critical battleground state when Americans vote in November. Trump won the state back from the Democrats in 2016, only to lose it again to U.S. President Joe Biden four years later.
Leaving the rally, voter Lynn Celleri said she found Trump to be truthful on stage.
"I was a Democrat and I don't like anything that they're doing. They're going too much to the left," said Celleri, 65, who said she hasn't voted blue since President Jimmy Carter was in office, in late 1970s.
Harris is likely to lead the Democratic ticket after Biden took himself out of the running last week. She has not yet chosen a running mate, but Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is rumoured to be among those under consideration.
Pennsylvanians at the rally Wednesday said they were apathetic — including Colasante, who said she didn't vote for Shapiro as governor and wouldn't see "a difference" if he went to Washington.
"If Shapiro is picked, it's because he is the governor of a battleground state," said Willard. "I can't fault them for doing that. That's politics."
Trump recently chose Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a staunch Republican who rose to prominence as the author of Hillbilly Elegy, as his running mate.
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