Former President Donald Trump is set to take the stage in Indiana, Pennsylvania on Monday night, in an effort to stir up support in one of this year’s most critical swing states.
Now 43 days out from the 2024 Presidential election, it is clear the winner will be crowned based on their ability to win the battlegrounds of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
The former president was given a boost by the latest poll from the New York Times and Siena College, which showed him holding a slight edge over Kamala Harris in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina.
However, in Pennsylvania – the most prized swing states in this year’s election worth 19 electoral college votes – the latest FiveThirtyEight update has the vice president leading 48.1 percent to 46.8, making tonight’s rally a critical event for the Trump campaign.
Where Is Tonight’s Rally?
The rally will be held in Indiana County, in the west central region of Pennsylvania.
According to the announcement on the former president’s website, the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, located on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), will host the event.
The rally itself will take place in the complex’s Ed Fry Arena, a 5,000-seat auditorium usually home to the IUP men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, speaks during a rally, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Uniondale, New York. The candidate is set to appear at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Indiana, Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. tonight.
Frank Franklin II/AP Photo
What Time Is the Rally?
Doors will open at 3 p.m. E.D.T., with the event set to begin around two hours later, and the former president scheduled to appear at 7 p.m.
Traffic and parking are expected to be a major concern during the event, according to IUP, and those not attending the event are advised to avoid areas surrounding the Kovalchick Complex.
Where Will the Rally Be Aired?
While no major networks have the rally on their scheduled programming, the event will be available for live streaming on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter.
Right Side Broadcasting Network, a channel dedicated to livestreaming Trump rallies, will host the rally on YouTube.
Why Does This Rally Matter?
Pennsylvania represents a crucial battleground in this year’s race, and has been a focus of both campaigns going into the homestretch of the election.
While Trump has performed well in national polls of favorability and those conducted in several swing states, he has so far failed to close the gap on Harris in Pennsylvania since she became the Democratic nominee, according to FiveThirtyEight.
This is in spite of the former president making several stop offs in Pennsylvania, including the July 13 rally in Butler where he narrowly avoided an assassination attempt.
However, a recent poll by The Washington Post found that the two candidates are virtually tied in the state – both at 48 percent among likely voters, and Harris at 48 percent to Trump’s 47 percent among registered voters – meaning there is still everything to play for in the Keystone State.
What Are the Issues To Look Out For?
Based on Trump’s announcement of the event, tonight’s rally is expected to concentrate on three centerpiece issues of the former president’s campaign: inflation, immigration, and energy.
“Pennsylvania communities are being decimated by the disastrous Harris-Biden administration,” the announcement reads. “Families, retirees, and young people are being squeezed by the rising costs of groceries, gas, utilities, and housing.”
It also claims that “‘Border Czar’ Kamala’s disastrous handling of our southern border” has led to lethal drugs like fentanyl “flowing right into Pennsylvania, ruining families and entire communities.”
Trump will also focus on the energy industry in Pennsylvania, which has become a keystone in the state’s economy thanks to its’s plentiful natural gas reserves.
“Cumbersome regulations, drilling restrictions, and a devastating ban on Liquified Natural Gas exports” imposed by the Biden-Harris administration “are strangling Pennsylvania’s energy industry and workers,” the announcement read.
According to The Indiana County Center for Economic Operations, the region’s economy is based around its extractive industries, which have seen a “rebound” thanks to new opportunities in resource exploration.
“Harris and her sidekick, Tim Walz, would further cripple Pennsylvania communities that have experienced an economic renaissance thanks to the opportunities provided by fracking and energy production,” Trump’s announcement continued.
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