Republican candidate for U.S. vice president, Sen. J.D. Vance, made a final appeal to Bucks County voters on Monday evening, hours before the polls opened.
Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha, was greeted by 3,000 supporters at the Newtown Athletic Club in Newtown Township, the last stop of his cross-country election campaign.
Vance criticized Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. He criticized their policies on government spending, energy and illegal immigration – major topics of former President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“Tomorrow you will have one opportunity to tell Kamala Harris: you are fired, get out of Washington and go back to San Francisco,” he said.
The Ohio senator praised Trump’s presidency for his handling of the economy, crime and border security, prompting crowds to chant “send them back,” a reference to deportation.
The Republican candidate highlighted the issues of inflation and border security, criticizing the current administration and Harris.
“Stop talking about doing your job and actually doing your job,” he said of Harris.
Vance lashed out at Harris, calling her a “disaster” and suggesting that Walz’s main task is to repair Harris’ image.
“Our message to the leadership, to the elites of the Democratic Party, is this: No, Pennsylvanians are not trash because they are fighting under your leadership. But tomorrow, Pennsylvanians are going to take out the trash in Washington, D.C.,” Vance said.
Republican congressman Dan Meuser and Lloyd Smucker warmed up the audience and encouraged them to vote for Trump. Local GOP congressman Brian Fitzpatrick was not at the rally.
Jim Worthington, owner of the Newtown Athletic Club and a prominent fundraiser for Trump, stressed the importance of Tuesday’s voter turnout and reminded people to vote by mail.
“We thought you were only patriots when you went to the polls on election day,” he said of previous elections. “It was a bull.”
Lower Bucks County resident Diane Kirschner praised Vance’s performance.
“I thought the speech was great,” she said. “He hit all the key points.”
As the campaign draws to a close, the significance of Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes becomes clear as both campaigns span the entire state.
Earlier in the day, Trump made a last-minute speech in Pennsylvania, and Harris wrapped up her campaign with a star-studded rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, after stops in Scranton, Allentown and Pittsburgh.
