6 takeaways from Donald Trump’s return to Pennsylvania

The last time former President Donald Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania, he narrowly dodged death when a Pennsylvania man attempted to assassinate him.

But in his first time back in this key battleground state since the deadly July 14 event in Butler County, Trump on Wednesday packed the New Holland Arena at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, where he laid out his goals for a return to the White House, recalled his near-death experience and ripped into his political foes in an hour-plus speech. 

The Republican presidential nominee’s latest visit to Harrisburg coincides with ongoing speculation about whether Gov. Josh Shapiro, who resides just a mile away from the location of Trump’s rally, will be selected as the vice presidential running mate of presumptive Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Below, City & State recaps some of the top takeaways from Trump’s rally in Harrisburg.

Trump returns to PA after assassination attempt 

Trump was quick to refer to what happened the last time he was in the commonwealth. 

“This is my first return to Pennsylvania since our rally in Butler,” Trump said to open his remarks. “Eighteen days ago, we had a very terrrible day … I should not be with you today. I shouldn’t be with you, but I am.” 

Trump also remembered Corey Comperatore – the firefighter who was killed by the gunman – as a “brave man” and a “hero.” Trump also held a moment of silence to remember Comperatore. “We gather tonight more determined than ever,” Trump said, before focusing on the 2024 presidential race.

Trump criticized the changing makeup of the campaign, calling Harris a “puppet candidate” installed by Democrats. “Kamala Harris got zero votes,” he said. He characterized Harris as a radical candidate “trying to pass herself off as a tough-on-crime prosecutor.”

“She wants to open your borders, she wants to have all-electric cars … she destroyed San Francisco,” Trump added. “She’s a failed vice president leading a failed administration.”

“The contrast could not be more stark,” Trump said, framing the race as being between a “radical left puppet candidate” and “a president who will fight, fight, fight” – referencing his own call to “fight” following the Butler shooting. 

“We’re not going to let her turn the United States into a communist San Francisco colony,” he added.

At one point, as Trump was criticizing both President Joe Biden and Harris over immigration, he pointed to a slide showing U.S. immigration statistics that he attempted to highlight during the Butler rally – right as the shooting took place. Trump then welcomed to the stage an unnamed member of his staff who is in charge pulling up slides during his rallies. “This chart saved my life,” he said. “She saved my life.”

VP speculation makes Shapiro a target of speakers

Speculation continues to grow over whether Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will choose Shapiro as her running mate in this year’s presidential election. 

Harris is set to tour several swing states with her yet-to-be-named running mate starting next week, according to Politico, with the first rally set to take place in Philadelphia – a move that has raised expectations that Shapiro will be her pick for a vice presidential nominee.

Opening speakers looked to challenge Shapiro’s record as governor. Republican U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker asked the crowd whether they wanted to see Shapiro in the White House, and was greeted with boos from the crowd. He also took a shot at Shapiro’s “get shit done” mantra. “I don’t know that he’s done diddly squat,” Smucker said. 

However, Trump was largely silent on the Shapiro speculation: He went the entire 85 minutes of his speech without any mention of the Pennsylvania governor.

McCormick makes case for U.S. Senate 

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick was one of several speakers during Wednesday’s programming, and he was quick to point out the stakes of this year’s U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, in which he is trying to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. 

McCormick, who also spoke at this year’s Republican National Convention, called for new leadership in Washington, D.C. during his remarks to attendees. Later in the evening, McCormick was invited onstage by Trump, where McCormick underscored the importance of the 2024 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania.

“Listen, in Pennsylvania, we know, Mr. President, this is the most important election of our lifetime,” he said, adding that if Republicans flip Pennsylvania’s Senate seat it could lead to the GOP winning majority control of the Senate. “This is an incredibly important choice … We need strong leadership, commonsense leadership…”

Trump also weighed in on the Senate race. “You have one chance to get a guy like this in,” he said of McCormick.

Omnipresent security 

With the Wednesday rally being Trump’s first in the commonwealth since the July 14 assassination attempt, there was a noticeable security presence both inside and outside the event. 

As is typical for political rallies and similar events with presidential candidates, the U.S. Secret Service was on hand to sweep the facility and conduct security checks on those entering the New Holland Arena. 

Outside the venue, Pennsylvania State Troopers on horseback surveyed the grounds prior to the event, and members of the Pennsylvania Capitol Police were also present around the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex throughout the day.

GOP elected officials attend

There were elected officials from several different levels of government at the rally. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser was in attendance, as were state Reps. Barb Gleim and David Zimmerman. 

Meuser was the first speaker of the day, and recounted his experience at the Butler rally several weeks ago. “President Donald J. Trump literally took a bullet for our country … but Donald Trump got up,” Meuser said. He recalled Trump pumping his fist in the air following the shooting, when Trump repeated the word “fight” to the crowd. 

“We all need to fight for the America we love,” Meuser said.  

Other elected officials who spoke at the rally included U.S. Reps. Scott Perry and Glenn “GT” Thompson. Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity was also in the crowd. 

Thompson stressed the importance of Trump winning Pennsylvania in 2024. “This is more than making America great again; this is about saving our republic,” he said.

He also took time to criticize Harris and her California roots. “Are you ready to send Kamala Harris back to San Francisco?” Thompson asked the crowd. “I don’t mean any offense to Rice-a-Roni, but she is not a San Francisco treat.” 

Union leaders reiterate support for Harris

At an event held Wednesday morning in Steelton, a borough just southeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania labor leaders looked to hit Trump over his record on labor policy and emphasize their support for Harris.Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Angela Ferritto and Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trades Council President Rob Bair both were in attendance for an event hosted by the Harris campaign. Ferritto looked to draw a stark contrast between Harris and Trump on labor issues, per a press release from the Harris campaign. 

“While Donald Trump gutted labor laws, gave handouts to billionaires and corporations at the expense of workers, and destroyed over 275,000 jobs here in Pennsylvania, President Biden and Vice President [Harris] have stood up for our unions and our workers,” Ferritto said, adding that Trump “believes when Wall Street is strong, so is America. But we in the working communities across Pennsylvania, we know that that’s a damn lie.”

Bair suggested that electing Harris to the White House would lead to a strong economy for Pennsylvania workers. “I want to know that my people are packing lunch boxes, not suitcases. I want to know that we’re giving every young man or woman who wants to get a job in the building trades an opportunity,” Bair said. 

“I can tell you, the Pennsylvania Building Trades are riding with Vice President Harris.”