WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA—An anti-Trump activist attends a campaign rally in the nation's most important swing state. George Conway told The Daily Beast why he thinks so Kamala Harris can beat the Republicans.
“She kind of already did it,” he said. “Look at all those people who voted for [Nikki] Haley when she was done. I actually think there is some sort of hidden Harris vote for Republicans who are just tired of Donald Trump“
Turnout is another factor that plays into Democrats' hands, Conway predicted. “I also think that even those people who still support Trump and won't vote for Harris, I don't think the turnout will be good for him.”
With three weeks until the election, Harris is counting on Republicans like Conway to help her win the nation's most important swing state.
“No matter your party, no matter who you voted for last time, there is a place for you in this campaign,” the vice president said at a closed rally Wednesday in front of the site where George Washington once crossed the Delaware River.
The rally drew a slew of anti-Trump Republicans who earned loud applause from the crowd along the Delaware River, including Trump's former national security official Olivia Troy and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Eighteen Republicans stood on stage next to Harris throughout her speech, while Democratic members of Congress watched from the crowd.
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger campaigns for Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, on October 16.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Conway walked through the hay-strewn parking lot with former Rep. Barbara Comstock also sharing her space. “silent majority” theory from the Daily Beast on Tuesday night. The couple stopped to take a photo in front of a sign that read “COP vs. CON”.
Conway said Harris needed to “make a patriotic case” and stressed that “we have to accept whoever wins the election.”
She did just that in a speech Wednesday, where she vowed to defend the Constitution and praised the vice president's “courage and patriotism.” Mike PenceJanuary 6. Meanwhile, she called Trump a serious threat to the country.
“Anyone who called for, quote, 'the termination of the Constitution of the United States,' as Donald Trump did, should never again serve under the seal of the President of the United States,” Harris said with increasing anger in her voice. The crowd applauded furiously.
Harris also mentioned Trump's recent comments saying he would use the military against the “enemy from within.”
“He views any American who does not support him and submit to his will as an enemy of our country,” she said. “Besides, he says that as commander-in-chief he will use our army to pursue them.” Harris stressed: “Trump is becoming increasingly unstable and frustrated.”
Cherise Udell, a Harris volunteer from Utah who is spending six weeks on the campaign trail in Bucks County, told The Daily Beast that many Republicans in the area support Harris but are afraid to admit it.
“Obviously, when you drive around the city, it looks 100 percent like Trump country,” Udell said. “But there are a lot of Harris supporters here, a lot of people who are registered independents, and Republicans who vote for Harris. The reason you don't see a lot of Harris signs is, frankly, what I've heard over and over again is that people are afraid to put up signs because they're afraid of what their neighbors could potentially do to them, unfortunately, for signing up for Harris, depending on outcome of this election.”
Bucks County is definitely Trump country. On the road from the rally, a crowd of Trump supporters waved banners at approaching cars; one purple sign read “Women for Trump.” A biker rode by with a bright yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag.
But there were other signs that the region could harbor Republicans who quietly question the former president. Signs for the local congressman, swing district Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, boasted that he was the number one independent in the country, a congressman “for all of us.”
Supporters dressed up Harris-Walz's denim and camouflage baseball caps, shielding their eyes from the fall sun, drew a standing ovation from Harris Republicans as they simply walked onto the stage. During a break in the program, they began shouting “USA” and then chanted Harris' signature slogan: “We're not going back.”
The rally came as some Pennsylvania Democrats are sounding the alarm about Harris' operation in the Keystone State, particularly among various voting blocs in the Philadelphia area. The politician reported. Bucks County, which borders the city to the north, is the fourth most populous in the state and will be key to winning the key swing state.
Hillary Clinton won the district by fewer than 200 votes in 2016, beating Trump 48.4% to 47.8%. Four years later Joe Biden performed slightly better, winning 51.7 to 47.3. This time, the Harris campaign is counting on Republicans to help them make as much profit as possible.
“Make conservative choices,” Kinzinger urged the crowd Wednesday. “Vote for our core values and vote for Kamala Harris.”
