Rust Belt town embraces Donald Trump despite unfulfilled promises | US News

August 31, 2024 TruthUSA

People were lining up at dawn for a rally that wasn’t scheduled to start for hours. The magnetic pull of Donald Trump is evident in places like this.

I find myself back in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a town I have visited several times over the past eight years.

My first visit was in 2016, the night Donald Trump triumphed over Hillary Clinton – the victory that propelled him to the White House. I returned four years later when Trump lost to Joe Biden.

Johnstown is a town built on the once-thriving steel industry but now appears to be fading away.

It’s a neglected place in America, bypassed by highways and forgotten by those who seek a better life elsewhere.

The once-thriving steel plant that dominated the town center now employs only a fraction of its former workers. Young people seeking opportunities leave as soon as they can.

Main Street is now a mix of vape shops, fast food chains, a few stores, and boarded-up businesses. One independent restaurant that had recently opened on my last visit is still operating but empty.

This region of Pennsylvania is known as Trump country. And today, there is excitement in the air as their leader passes through.

With 10 weeks until the critical elections, Donald Trump and his opponent, Kamala Harris, are crisscrossing the country, focusing on the swing states that will determine the nation’s future.

In Pennsylvania and a few other states, the margins are so narrow that the outcome could swing in either direction.

Just as he did in 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump visited Johnstown to reiterate to the people that he will enhance their lives.

“We’re going to win back the White House,” he declared to the enthusiastic crowd in a packed arena.

“We’re going to make this country greater than ever before… We’re going to bring in numerous factories.

“Together, we will achieve low taxes, regulations, energy costs, interest rates, inflation, so that everyone can afford necessities like groceries, a car, and a home.”

He touched on every topic, and the loyal attendees at these rallies believe in his promises.

However, despite his assurances, he failed to reopen the factories outside the arena during his previous term as president.

Various factors contribute to Trump’s enduring popularity.

Part of it stems from deep-rooted conservative Christian values that align well with Trumpian Republicanism – a longing for the ‘good old days’.

Another factor is the significant inflation in recent years, driven by the sharp post-pandemic rise in global commodity prices and disruptions in supply chains and energy delivery due to the Ukraine conflict. Joe Biden is blamed for this here, as he is the current president. No argument.

It is also evident that a portion of America feels marginalized and neglected as progressive liberals push forward with policies and lifestyles that are perceived as not in line with the needs of places like Johnstown.

In simple terms, people in this arena felt life was better during the first Trump term, despite unmet promises, as they have experienced a decline in the past four years under Joe Biden.

Donald Trump, the master salesman, has tapped into this anger with compelling rhetoric. He acknowledges their disillusionment and builds on it as he looks to the future.

“Comrade Kamala launched an extreme leftist attack on Pennsylvania’s energy that will devastate your state’s economy,” he claimed in a speech rife with groundless assertions.

“Can you believe that Kamala Harris wants to ban your car and truck and make you buy electric vehicles, regardless of your preferences or budget? When we win, from day one, I will encourage Pennsylvania to drill, baby, drill.”

His speech touched on various subjects, eliciting cheers and theatrical boos.

“She has no concern for struggling families and has taken no action to address it. She’s the vice president, but she is indifferent.

“She shows no regard for women’s rights as she supported the destruction of women’s sports and athletic scholarships. She advocates for men to participate in women’s sports.”

He continuously referred to her as “Comrade Kamala”. She not only represents a continuation from Biden but is also, according to him, a radical-left communist.