Four years later, some Pennsylvania Trump fans still fired up

Latrobe (United States) (AFP) – In pro-Donald Trump areas of Pennsylvania, long a state Democrats thought they could rely on, some supporters of the Republican president say they are more enthusiastic than ever, and will work to reelect the incumbent who they say kept his promises.

Tina Bright, 55, was among the crowd that waited for hours Thursday to attend the Republican’s rally organized at the Latrobe airport.

Like hundreds of fellow supporters, Bright wasn’t able to approach her leader: the small tarmac could not accommodate the throng that arrived.

But they were able to see the president’s Air Force One jet from the parking lot where a tailgate party atmosphere reigned, listening together as he railed against his Democratic rival Joe Biden for 90 minutes, while boasting of his own credentials.

Bright, an executive assistant for the local school district, says she’s “definitely more enthusiastic” this time around than for his 2016 White House bid.

“Everything he said he was going to do on the campaign trail, he has done,” she said.

“He is probably the only president in my lifetime and probably in future lifetimes that will ever do what they set out to do.”

– Pandemic in question –

The momentum also is still running high for Victor McGinnis, a 58-year-old who says he admires that the president puts “America first, instead of taking a back seat to other countries that push the United States around.”

McGinnis, a Walmart employee, says other countries and global agencies “took advantage of us,” pointing specifically to the World Health Organization — which he says took “all that money, and look at the pandemic we are in.”

Some Democrats are hoping Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic — the United States has a patchwork policy to combat the infection’s spread, and a dismal record of deaths and cases — will hurt him at the polls in November.

But at this rally in Pennsylvania — where the virus has killed at least 7,700 people — Trump fans said the crisis was overblown, and that Democrats were exaggerating the dangers.

“I have family members and friends that are doctors. This is all to get Trump out,” said Heather Gockel.

“Yes there is a virus, but it is not as bad as they say,” said the owner of a hair salon who holds that a Biden presidency would hurt small businesses.

Her husband, Tony Gockel, 46, agrees, arguing that the coronavirus death toll is artificially inflated.

He applauded Trump for going out to meet Americans despite the infection risks, to show “us that we don’t need to be afraid.”

Biden, in contrast, has held brief outings with a few people in attendance, in line with the public health guidelines of many states.

Tony Gockel identified himself as a lifelong Democrat, but said there’s no way he flips back to them this year.

“Trump has done more for the middle class than the Democrats have, they have totally lost their base,” he said, accusing the party of leaning too far left, though Biden is widely considered near the center of the US political spectrum.

– Conspiracy concerns –

Bright dismissed the stereotype of Trump supporters as “harmful, evil people that are causing havoc,” saying it is misplaced.

“We are the peaceful ones, we are the God-loving people, we are the ones who want this country to succeed,” she said. “That’s the Trump base, period.”

She said she admires Trump for fighting against pedophile cults — appearing to reference the QAnon conspiracy theory that has spread among the Republican’s supporters.

Bright says she’s convinced he will win in a “landslide” if there’s no “corruption” due to mail-in voting, pointing to another conspiracy espoused by the president.

Ahead of the vote one thing is sure: for both Trump and Biden, Pennsylvania — a state home to some 13 million people — is crucial to victory on November 3.

Recent polls in the state tipped Biden, but appear tight and both candidates are increasing their campaign dates there.

Both men are expected to return on September 11, to mark the anniversary of the 2001 attacks at the field in Pennsylvania where one plane crashed as passengers fought with hijackers.