Donald Trump gave two speeches on Saturday, encouraging his Christian supporters to vote one last time while also garnering support from black voters in Philadelphia. Speaking at Temple University, Trump promised to address a city he described as “bloodied and devastated,” despite data showing a decline in violent crime. During the rally, Trump denied FBI statistics showing a decline in violent crime and accused President Joe Biden of lying about the data.
In a speech in Philadelphia, Trump pledged to give police “immunity” to do their jobs and “increase” federal resources to cities with violence problems. “Under the administration of a rogue Joe Biden, the City of Brotherly Love is ravaged by blood and crime,” he declared. The audience was more diverse than usual, but still overwhelmingly white.
“Under Trump’s administration, we’re going to bring law and order and safety back to our city,” Trump vowed. Promises to eradicate crime were part of his major appeal to black and Hispanic voters, who make up more than half of Philadelphia’s population. The Trump campaign has been encouraged by polls that suggest he may have the support of these voters.
On immigration, Trump claimed without evidence that illegal immigrants were taking jobs from black and Hispanic workers, calling immigrants in the country a problem. “Joe Biden’s open borders plan is a disaster for our great African-American and Hispanic Americans,” he said.
Trump is unlikely to win Philadelphia, where Biden won handily in 2020. But Trump is looking to narrow Biden’s lead in the area, which is key to the overall outcome in the key battleground state. “Philadelphia was one of the worst places for voter fraud,” Trump, who falsely claimed he lost Pennsylvania’s election in 2020 because of systematic fraud, told the crowd. “We’re not going to let this happen again.”
Democratic state assemblyman Malcolm Kenyatta responded to Trump’s rally by saying, “Donald Trump is in black places, but he doesn’t care about black people at all.” Kenyatta reminded voters of Trump’s record, including bigoted conspiracy theories questioning Barack Obama’s birthplace and policies that hurt the black working class.
On the same day, Trump spoke at an event in Washington hosted by the conservative Christian group Faith and Freedom Coalition, where he called on churchgoers to vote for him in the November presidential election. “Christians go to church, but they don’t vote as much. You see what power you have when you vote,” Trump said. “You have to go vote. Just this once. You don’t have to vote in four years. Okay? You don’t have to vote in four years. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Trump stopped off at a cheesesteak joint during a visit to Philadelphia to tell supporters he had chosen his running mate who will likely appear at Thursday’s presidential debate in Atlanta. A campaign spokesman shared a video of the announcement on social media.
At the Faith and Freedom Coalition event, Trump briefly touched on abortion, a sensitive issue for Republicans, reiterating his position that abortion restrictions should be decided by voters on a state-by-state basis. “Like Ronald Reagan, I believe there should be exceptions for the life of the mother, for rape and incest,” Trump said. “You have to follow your heart, and remember, you also have to win elections.”
Trump’s comments on abortion did not seem well received by the audience, with some shouting, “No dead babies!” Trump drew further applause as he discussed other proposals supported by many conservative Christians who believe the federal government is undermining faith-based education methods, including abolishing the Department of Education.
In summary, Trump’s Saturday speech targeted key voter groups and issues to rally support for the upcoming election. His promises to fight crime and support police, as well as his appeal to Christian voters, reflect Trump’s strategic campaign focus to win the November election.
In a speech in Philadelphia, Trump pledged to give police “immunity” to do their jobs and “increase” federal resources to cities with violence problems. “Under the administration of a rogue Joe Biden, the City of Brotherly Love is ravaged by blood and crime,” he declared. The audience was more diverse than usual, but still overwhelmingly white.
“Under Trump’s administration, we’re going to bring law and order and safety back to our city,” Trump vowed. Promises to eradicate crime were part of his major appeal to black and Hispanic voters, who make up more than half of Philadelphia’s population. The Trump campaign has been encouraged by polls that suggest he may have the support of these voters.
On immigration, Trump claimed without evidence that illegal immigrants were taking jobs from black and Hispanic workers, calling immigrants in the country a problem. “Joe Biden’s open borders plan is a disaster for our great African-American and Hispanic Americans,” he said.
Trump is unlikely to win Philadelphia, where Biden won handily in 2020. But Trump is looking to narrow Biden’s lead in the area, which is key to the overall outcome in the key battleground state. “Philadelphia was one of the worst places for voter fraud,” Trump, who falsely claimed he lost Pennsylvania’s election in 2020 because of systematic fraud, told the crowd. “We’re not going to let this happen again.”
Democratic state assemblyman Malcolm Kenyatta responded to Trump’s rally by saying, “Donald Trump is in black places, but he doesn’t care about black people at all.” Kenyatta reminded voters of Trump’s record, including bigoted conspiracy theories questioning Barack Obama’s birthplace and policies that hurt the black working class.
On the same day, Trump spoke at an event in Washington hosted by the conservative Christian group Faith and Freedom Coalition, where he called on churchgoers to vote for him in the November presidential election. “Christians go to church, but they don’t vote as much. You see what power you have when you vote,” Trump said. “You have to go vote. Just this once. You don’t have to vote in four years. Okay? You don’t have to vote in four years. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Trump stopped off at a cheesesteak joint during a visit to Philadelphia to tell supporters he had chosen his running mate who will likely appear at Thursday’s presidential debate in Atlanta. A campaign spokesman shared a video of the announcement on social media.
At the Faith and Freedom Coalition event, Trump briefly touched on abortion, a sensitive issue for Republicans, reiterating his position that abortion restrictions should be decided by voters on a state-by-state basis. “Like Ronald Reagan, I believe there should be exceptions for the life of the mother, for rape and incest,” Trump said. “You have to follow your heart, and remember, you also have to win elections.”
Trump’s comments on abortion did not seem well received by the audience, with some shouting, “No dead babies!” Trump drew further applause as he discussed other proposals supported by many conservative Christians who believe the federal government is undermining faith-based education methods, including abolishing the Department of Education.
In summary, Trump’s Saturday speech targeted key voter groups and issues to rally support for the upcoming election. His promises to fight crime and support police, as well as his appeal to Christian voters, reflect Trump’s strategic campaign focus to win the November election.
