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Local Republicans urged to push for Trump votes

By William Kibler 3 min read

At a rally for former President Donald Trump in Duncansville Thursday, former California lieutenant governor Abel Maldonado talked about casting his early vote recently for the Republican presidential candidate in Maldonado's California hometown.

After he and his wife emerged from the polling place, they commiserated about their ballots being virtually meaningless, given that Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is a shoo-in to win all of California's electoral votes.

Republicans here in swing state Pennsylvania, however, are firmly in the game, which is currently tied, based on most polls -- which led Maldonado to urge the approximately 200 attendees outside Republican headquarters in Hollidaysburg Plaza to "make my vote count."

They actually need to do more than cast their own vote, according to Blair County Republican Committee Chairman Jim Foreman, who spoke before the campaign bus arrived carrying Maldonado, U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Blair, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, among others.

To put their candidate over the top here, attendees must try to locate the less than 5% of voters who are still undecided, must find out where their indecision lies and must persuade them to vote for Trump, Foreman said.

"It feels like 2016 all over," Joyce said, referring to the unexpected victory that launched Trump's first term.

Blair County voted more overwhelmingly for Trump than any Congressional district in the state in 2016 and 2020, reaching 71% in 2020, Joyce said.

He relayed those percentages recently to Trump, who asked him to get to 75% this time.

"I said, 'Sir, we will,'" Joyce told the crowd.

Trump is his preferred candidate, but he's hardly perfect, said former state Rep. John McGinnis, R-Altoona, who attended the rally with his Russian wolfhound on a leash.

McGinnis isn't a fan of Trump's proposed tariffs or his plans for "big spending," he said.

Asked about former Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly's labeling Trump a "fascist," McGinnis demurred.

"Clearly, he's no fascist," McGinnis said.

Trump's "sins" are those of many politicians, who often lie, cheat and exaggerate their accomplishments, McGinnis said.

Half the voters love him and half hate him, McGinnis said.

Asked about the frequent "character" slams against Trump, attendee Barbara Webb of Hollidaysburg conceded "he's a little bullish."

But that doesn't concern her as a voter.

The sexual issues that have dogged Trump are his "personal life" and don't concern her as a voter, she said.

Further, the reports that Trump has urged people to "beat the crap" out of a protester at a rally for him don't jibe with the friendly enthusiastic vibes she's experienced at multiple Trump rallies, she said.

Conversely, Harris supporters have been intimidating and hostile to her and others when they came to support Trump at a Harris rally in Johnstown, she said.

Webb values the "freedom of religion" and "freedom of speech" that Trump stands for, she said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.

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