Trump Tells Pennsylvanians They Have ‘No Choice’ But to Vote for Him: "Even If You Don’t Like Me"

Former President Donald Trump made a bold appeal to Pennsylvania voters at a Fox News event in Harrisburg, on Wednesday. Trump argued that they had "no choice" but to vote for him in the forthcoming election; even if they didn't like him. He used an hour-long broadcast— which was supposed to be a town hall but didn’t include any audience questions— to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris and drum up support for himself. His message was simple— if you don't like him, focus on opposing Harris.

"You can't take the chance! You have no choice! You've got to vote for me!" Trump declared emphatically. He emphasized, "Even if you don't like me! You can sit there and say, 'I can't stand that guy, but there's no way I'm gonna vote for her!'" Fracking is a big deal in Pennsylvania and Trump pointed out Harris' past comments against the same, to argue his case. He argued that Pennsylvania’s economy depends a lot on fracking. "You have 500,000 jobs. Think of that, it's your biggest business, and you get a big majority of your income from fracking," as per Mediaite. However, it is important to note that Harris has now promised not to ban it. Just last week, she stated in an interview, “What I have seen is that we can grow, and we can increase a clean energy economy without banning fracking." Nevertheless, Trump asserted, "If she won, you're not gonna have any fracking in Pennsylvania."

The former president's agenda for the forthcoming discussion became clear as he attacked Harris's record on the economy, immigration, and foreign policy. Trump also questioned the debate's neutrality, accusing the event's sponsor, ABC News, of apparent bias. "It's a sick and angry world for a lot of reasons," Trump subsequently remarked, touching on the heightened security risks surrounding the campaign. He referenced the July assassination attempt and stressed, "Well, it's not easy. I got shot at. You know, I mean, I got hit," as per USA Today. 

Harris currently leads Trump 48%-43%, according to a recent USA Today/Suffolk poll. The race remains tight in critical battleground states. Questioning the numbers, he said, "I hear the polls are very close and we have a little lead. I just find it hard to believe, because first of all, they've been so bad." The former president also emphasized his support for early and mail-in voting, despite having previously opposed it. This form of vote was critical to President Joe Biden's victory in Pennsylvania in 2020, as per IOWA Capital Dispatch.

Addressing Democratic criticisms of his campaign, Trump refuted claims that he and running mate J.D. Vance are 'weird'. "There's something weird with that guy," Trump said of Democratic running mate Tim Walz, defending his own and Vance's reputations as "solid rocks." "You can't take the chance," he reiterated, framing the choice as one of economic necessity rather than personal preference.