Location, times, tickets and road closures

Former President Donald Trump will return to Pennsylvania on Saturday for a rally that comes just two days before Democrats gather in Chicago for the Democratic convention.

It will be Trump’s seventh visit to Pennsylvania this year and at least the fifth time he has gathered in Wilkes-Barre since 2016. It comes as Trump appears to have lost ground in Pennsylvania following Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the nomination. In two recent polls – one by Quinnipiac AND one by the New York Times and Siena College – Harris rose three and four percentage points, respectively, among candidates in Pennsylvania.

“The Trump campaign thinks there’s still some juice in the orange for them in the heart of northeastern Pennsylvania,” Pennsylvania GOP consultant Chris Nicholas told The Inquirer this week. “When you go to western Pennsylvania or north-central Pennsylvania, they’re maximizing their vote. There’s still room to grow in the heart of northeastern Pennsylvania.”

The community is so crucial to Trump’s chances in the election that he has proposed two debates in Pennsylvania. At least one will happen — Trump and Harris will face off on ABC on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center.

» READ MORE: Donald Trump Hopes Wilkes-Barre Will Give Him Pennsylvania and the Presidency

Where in Pennsylvania will Trump rally be held?

Trump’s rally Saturday will be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, about two hours north of Philadelphia in Luzerne County. The arena can seat about 8,000 people.

It is Trump’s second rally in Pennsylvania since a potential assassin shot and wounded the former president at an outdoor event in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month. Trump held a rally in Harrisburg on July 31 and has said he plans to return to Butler in October, but his campaign has not announced any specifics.

What time does the Trump rally start in Wilkes-Barre?

The arena parking lot will open at 9 a.m., and doors are scheduled to open at noon. Event programming will begin at 2 p.m., with Trump’s speech scheduled for 4 p.m.

There’s no telling how long Trump’s speech will be, but his typical campaign speeches average about an hour and 20 minutes. The speech Trump gave at a rally in Asheville, North Carolina, earlier this week lasted an hour and 13 minutes, and the news conference he gave at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday lasted an hour and 23 minutes.

How to get tickets to a Trump rally?

Tickets are available on the Trump campaign website The “first come, first served” principle applies throughout the campaign.

As part of the campaign, the number of ticket requests will be confined to two per person.

Will the roads be closed?

There may be traffic delays on Interstate 81 as Trump makes his way back and forth from Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, Pennsylvania State Police said Friday.

Starting at 2 p.m., both I-81 Exit 168 and Highland Park Boulevard from Schechter Drive to Mundy Street will be closed to traffic, according to Wilkes-Barre Township Police. Both will reopen after the rally.

How can I watch the rally at home?

C-Span to broadcast Trump’s speech live at 4 p.m. You can also find a live stream of Trump’s Saturday rally on YouTube, but it’s better to follow the coverage in mainstream media outlets like the Washington Post and Associated Press.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to be in Pennsylvania on Sunday

Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, hit the road Sunday, the day before the Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago.

Earlier this week, Harris and Walz announced they were kicking off a Pittsburgh bus tour on Sunday that will include several stops in western Pennsylvania.

Walz is tentatively scheduled to speak on Wednesday at next week’s Democratic National Convention (DNC), while Harris will deliver hers on Thursday evening.