Last Friday, the Republican candidate for governor Stacy Garrity hosted a fundraiser at The Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida and was warmly welcomed by the club’s owner – President Donald Trump.
Trump greeted Garrity and began telling the assembled guests why he favored the Pennsylvania state treasurer over those in attendance. Governor Josh Shapiro in the 2026 elections
“I gave it [Garrity] support, she should win,” said the 45th and 47th presidents. “Shapiro didn’t make much of an impression on me. I watched him during the interview… he’s stiff.”
Trump gave Garrity his endorsement in tardy January, calling her “a successful businesswoman, a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel… and a true America First patriot who has been with me from the beginning. Stacy Garrity has my complete and total support to be the next governor of Pennsylvania.”
“President Trump is right. After years of practicing his Barack Obama impersonation, you would think Josh Shapiro would be better,” he said Matt BeynonGarrity campaign spokesman.
“But you can’t imitation charisma, and you certainly can’t imitation the results. Under Josh Shapiro’s failed administration, Pennsylvania ranks 38th economically, 39th in education, and 41st overall. We have 3,000 bridges with structural deficiencies, and nearly 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s eighth-graders cannot read at an elementary level. As Governor Stacy Garrity, she will prioritize fighting for hard-working Pennsylvanians, not trying to up for a promotion on Pennsylvania Avenue like Josh Shapiro.
Cliff Maloneywho started The Pennsylvania Chase, a door-to-door voter outreach program focused exclusively on building the Red Wall in Pennsylvania. was present and said his organization plans to knock on 750,000 doors across the commonwealth in 2026 to assist elect Garrity.
Garrity, who raised almost $1.5 million last quarter, hopes for more traffic in the first quarter to compete with $30 million war chest collected by Shapiroincumbent Democrat. She also had to travel to Florida to engage with Trump donors.
Garrity wants the money Shapiro has in the bank to become a campaign issue.
He says that when you follow money, the picture it paints should be of interest to every Pennsylvanian. Garrity says 58% of the governor’s money comes from outside the Commonwealth, and his list of donors includes data center developers, fossil fuel executives and real estate interests – all with interests in state government.
In a fundraising email, Garrity states: “He wonders who he represents. Josh Shapiro thinks he can buy this election.”
Pennsylvania Democrats are choosing this weekend’s scandal as another opportunity to portray Garrity as a MAGA candidate.
“As Donald Trump’s failed agenda sends gas prices skyrocketing and forces more Pennsylvanians to lose their health insurance, Garrity is spending the weekend cozying up to Trump and courting MAGA allies because she is a disastrous candidate pursuing Trump’s disastrous agenda,” she said Ava Pitruzzellospokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. “It becomes clear every day that Garrity will always defend Trump’s agenda of higher costs and less health care as it continues to harm Pennsylvania families.”
