JD Vance Takes a Stand Against Illegal Immigration, Tim Walz Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month in Pennsylvania. Campaign Ends Saturday

LEESPORT — Vice presidential candidates visited Pennsylvania Saturday for two campaign events that took place within an hour of each other, with their messages separated by miles.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz took the stage at the aptly named Freedom High School touting his party’s inclusiveness, while Republican Sen. J.D. Vance appeared at a fairground booth draped in American flags, promising mass deportations to approving cheers.

Walz, at an event to kick off Latino Heritage Month in Bethlehem, called for collective action to protect democracy, protect women’s reproductive rights and build a middle-class economy, a fight he said can be fought with hope and joy.

“You chose to come here, and the reason is simple. You love this country,” Walz said. “Hard work can be good work. Democracy is … a precious privilege and a gift that we must protect. And you can do it with joy, optimism, grace and happiness.”

Vance, in Leesport, Berks County, delivered a speech devoted almost entirely to the threat of illegal immigration, which he said has devastated the economy and raised costs, particularly in Pennsylvania. He promised to continue to press the issue despite criticism that many of his claims are provocative and untrue.

“What really pisses me off about this is not just that they’ve made people’s lives worse with this horrible open border, but that they’re going to call you names if you dare complain about it,” the Ohio senator said. “We’re not bad people because we don’t think we should be flooding this country with millions of illegal immigrants. … Kamala Harris is a bad person for allowing this to happen to our country in the first place.”

The battle for the state’s crucial 19 electoral votes is in full swing, with 44 days left until the election. Both regions of the state could be key to the 2024 election. Bethlehem straddles Lehigh and Northampton counties, and Northampton is one of only two counties in Pennsylvania that voted for Barack Obama, then Trump, then again for President Joe Biden in 2020.

Trump won Berks County by 8 percentage points in 2020, and the campaign is hoping to win even more support there this time.

“Pack your bags”

Speaking at the sprawling Berks County Fairgrounds, Vance slammed Harris and Biden for their high housing costs.

“Her border policy has welcomed 25 million illegal immigrants into this country, people who shouldn’t be here, people who are competing with you and your children to buy homes that should go to American citizens,” Vance said. “So our message to Kamala Harris is: Stop giving American homes to foreigners who shouldn’t be here. Start giving them to American citizens who deserve them.”

Vance and Trump have drawn criticism for attacks intended to incite passions with false claims that Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, steal and eat pets.

“Our message to anyone who comes into this country illegally is this: In six months, pack your bags because Donald Trump is coming back,” Vance said.

Vance took questions Saturday, immediately after his speech. There were still many supporters at the rally, who loudly booed any reporter who asked a question.

Asked about Republicans Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s New York Times Op-Ed condemning Vance and Trump for their comments about Springfield, his hometown. Vance noted that DeWine endorsed their ticket. “We are a big tent party, and we are going to have people who disagree, and that’s OK.”

Vance said recent polls that showed Harris ahead in Pennsylvania left him without a choice.

“It’s about sharing our values”

About 50 miles to the east Walz joined Bear actress and recent Emmy winner Liza Colón-Zayas and Hamilton actor Anthony Ramos. Attendees waved “FREEDOM” signs, Taylor Swift songs were played and some made friendship bracelets.

The Minnesota governor noted the historical connection between his home state and the Lehigh Valley — Minnesota ore was used in Pennsylvania steel mills during World War II — and turned it into a dig at Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina, who recently came under fire for allegedly offensive comments on a pornography site. One comment read:I am a black NAZI!“according to CNN.

“Together, our people built the tanks that won World War II and freed the world from Nazi oppression,” Walz said. “We have people running as Republicans for governor who proudly call themselves Nazis. Let’s not pretend that there’s a degree of difference between the people who are running here. They’re running together.”

He highlighted major policy differences between the two campaigns, such as Democrats’ opposition to restrictions on abortion rights and tax cuts for the wealthy and their support for unions. But, Walz said, the election has as much to do with big-picture issues as any other policy.

“Not everyone is going to see the world the same way, but there is a set of core values ​​that we share, the things that animate our service, the things that lift us up together,” Walz said. “It’s pretty obvious to us that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance do not share our values ​​in any way.”

Although the event was held in part to celebrate Latino support for Harris, the crowd of about 3,000 was mostly white.

Ana Gallardo, a retired federal employee from Pottstown, said she was concerned about the lack of activity she saw in her community, though she was happy to attend the rally. Latino votes could be crucial to the outcome of the Pennsylvania election.

“I think they need to reach out to people more,” Gallardo said. “I didn’t see any signs. I didn’t get any postcards or phone calls.”

The vice presidents’ debate is ahead of us

The meeting occurred just 10 days before Vance and Walz were scheduled to appear onstage during the vice presidential debate.

Vance said he would “love to have a second debate,” and Walz will be 10 days away from the Oct. 1 showdown. “I think you really have to earn that job,” he said.

That contrasts with Trump, who has said he will not participate in a second debate with Harris, whose campaign on Saturday challenged Trump to host a second debate to be held on CNN on Oct. 23.

Robbie McArdle, a 20-year-old who will be voting for the first time this year, supports Trump and believes Vance’s story resonates in places like Berks County.

“It’s funny when Walz attacks Vance for going to Yale,” he said. “Look what it took Vance to get into Yale. You’re attacking him for the American dream.”

Iris Alanyaly, a Bethlehem Harris supporter who called Walz “the father we all had before we lost our fathers to MAGA,” waited for him to speak at her high school.

“He’s the solid, reliable, supportive father that we all had, at least my generation, and then suddenly our fathers became Trump supporters.”