Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is working to help Kamala Harris win the Keystone State's 19 electoral votes, but can't help but marvel at the intense, highly-visible support for Donald Trump he sees across the pivotal battleground.
Agreeing "one hundred percent" with the idea that Trump has a special connection with Pennsylvanians, Fetterman told the New York Times that while Democrats may have trouble grasping it, the phenomenon is undeniable:
“There’s a difference between not understanding, but also acknowledging that it exists. And anybody who spends time driving around, and you can see the intensity. It’s astonishing.
I was doing an event in Indiana County. Very, very red. And there was a superstore of Trump stuff, and it was a hundred feet long, and it was dozens of T-shirts and hats and bumper stickers and all kinds of, I mean, it’s like, Where does this all come from? It’s the kind of thing that has taken on its own life. And it’s like something very special exists there. And that doesn’t mean that I admire it. It’s just — it’s real."
Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,292 votes in 2016 and lost it by 80,555 in 2020. While the 2024 race appears to be another close one, six of the last seven Pennsylvania polls tracked by RealClear Polling put Trump in the lead, by margins ranging from one point to three points. Polymarket bettors are bullish on a Trump win: As this is written, the prediction market gives Trump a 63% chance of winning the state. As for his odds of winning the nationwide contest, Trump has edged up to a 2024-campaign-high of 66.5%, while Harris has fallen to 33.7%.
Fetterman also acknowledged the formidable campaign power of Elon Musk, who's been sharing rally stages with Trump, holding his own town halls, and handing out million-dollar random prizes to registered swing-state voters who sign a petition:
"Now Musk is joining him. I mean, to a lot of people, that’s [Marvel Comics Iron Man billionaire alter-ego] Tony Stark. That’s the world’s richest guy. And he’s obviously and undeniably a brilliant guy, and he’s saying, 'Hey, that’s my guy for president.' That’s going to really matter."
Addressing a key election issue, Fetterman distinguished himself from many in his party by reiterating the importance of having a secure border so American communities aren't overwhelmed by people needing support.
Fetterman, who no longer identifies as a Progressive, chided fellow Democrats for being in a state of denial about the negative impact of a large and uncontrolled flow of destitute third-worlders. "[They're] trying to tell people, 'well, don’t believe your eyes, it’s going to be OK, it’s all working out.' It’s not," said the ever-slovenly Fetterman, who showed up for his video-recorded interview with the Times dressed something like a destitute third-worlder himself -- in a black hoodie and gym shorts.
Fetterman added:
"I’m the most pro-immigration guy there is. But that has to be compatible with a secure border, and I will never listen to anyone’s other side until you can explain, like, how? How do we take care of them? Where did those resources come from? And where do they go? Nobody could provide a serious answer to that."
Fetterman concluded the interview by predicting that Trump will lose an election that he says is more "visceral" than issue-driven: "I do believe enough people will choose Harris. But it’s going to be much, much closer than anyone would want."