BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — On Monday, 141 people showed up at a local restaurant to hear speeches from and show support to allies of former President Donald Trump.
The stop at Valley Family Restaurant was among two in the Lehigh Valley as part of the Team Trump tour organized by his 2024 presidential campaign.
The crowd size, which was hand-counted by campaign staff on-site, was the topic of conversation from the start of the speeches.
"I am so excited to see everybody come out here today, on a Monday afternoon, on short notice. And you know what? I guarantee you, Kamala Harris couldn't get this many people with two years notice unless they paid them to come."Northampton County Republican Committee Chairman Glenn Geissinger
"I am so excited to see everybody come out here today, on a Monday afternoon, on short notice," Northampton County Republican Committee Chairman Glenn Geissinger said in opening the event.
"And you know what? I guarantee you, Kamala Harris couldn't get this many people with two years notice unless they paid them to come."
Other speakers Monday included former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldlin, who represented New York's District 1;Kash Patel, former chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller;Monica Crowley, former assistant for public affairs to the treasury secretary;and former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado.
Tax-free tips and other topics
Topics of the speeches centered on Trump's support for excluding tips earned by serving staff from being taxed.
Vice President Harris's platform contains a similar item,for which Zeldin accused the Harris campaign of plagiarism.
"Such a great proposal that has gotten so much immediate support from all across the country that all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Kamala Harris says that she supports no tax on tips," Zeldin said.
Crowley, also a former Fox News commentator, called the no-tax-on-tips proposition "creative."
She said Trump's "got all these creative new policies now, no tax on tips. Can I get an amen on that?"
"No tax on Social Security benefits, no tax on overtime. And he's going to allow car loans to be tax deductible, putting more Americans into American cars."
After that, Crowley said she believes Trump "has the hand of God on him."
"So it's not just Texas or the border states. Again, if, let's say, if you're gonna ... rob somebody, you're not gonna go to a police station, you're gonna go somewhere else where they don't expect — in this case, PA."Dan Cannon of Bethlehem Township
Polls say Pennsylvania could go either way in the upcoming election, which is just two weeks away on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting already has started.
Polls also show about half the region — slightly more or slightly less, depending on the poll — plans to vote for Trump.
And they apparently included the 141 people who showed up on short notice at mid-day Monday to an event in Bethlehem that featured neither Trump nor vice presidential candidate JD Vance.
Many supporters said their motivations for voting for Trump were the economy, socially conservative ideals and immigration concerns.
Dan Cannon, of Bethlehem Township, said he is concerned about illegal immigration — despite Pennsylvania not being a border state.
"So it's not just Texas or the border states," Cannon said.
"Again, if, let's say, if you're gonna ... rob somebody, you're not gonna go to a police station, you're gonna go somewhere else where they don't expect — in this case, P-A."
