GOP leaders give thumbs up
PENN TWP — President Donald Trump delivered a hearty serving of red meat to the masses gathered Saturday for a campaign rally at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport.
It had a lot of the boilerplate lines for which the Republican president has become known. And his adoring fans ate it up.
Butler County GOP officials liked it, too.
“For that type of occasion, it was exactly the right speech,” said Al Lindsay, chairman of the county's Republican committee. “It got the audience worked up.”
Revving up — not reverence — was the theme.
“This was not a Gettysburg Address,” Lindsay said. “You're trying to get people pumped up and get them to vote. That's part of it.”
Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe offered a ringing endorsement of the speech.
“Once again,” he said, “the president hit a home run with articulated facts, spun with humor. The crowd reacted to him very enthusiastically.”
He believed Trump bonded with his Butler audience, remarking on the huge crowd that the sheriff estimated at around 15,000.
“(Trump) made a statement that he tried to see how far back he could see but he couldn't,” Slupe said, “there were so many people there.”
A Trump rally is like no other, Lindsay said. Part of that, he noted, is the wait to see the president, from the time the doors open to the event to when he makes his appearance — which was delayed by about an hour Saturday.
“There was a lot excitement,” he said. “It's an experience.”
The famed Trump energy was another talking point of those at the rally. It also was not lost on the Republican officials, who noted the Butler stop was the third of four for the commander-in-chief that day.
The barnstorming of the state began in Newtown Bucks County, then Reading, Berks County, and ended in Montoursville, Lycoming County.
“It doesn't seem to bother him,” Kelly said. “Usually, presidents from the time they get elected through their first term, that second term they look haggard. He looks younger. He thrives on this stuff.”
Slupe, who knows a little about campaigning, marveled over Trump's stamina.
“This guy's got more energy than anyone I know,” he said. “Anyone who's run a political campaign knows how daunting, tiresome and on and on and on. This guy just goes and goes and goes.”
During his speech, the president proclaimed the importance of Pennsylvania in winning re-election.
“If we win Pennsylvania,” he predicted, “we win it all.”
Lindsay said he believes Trump has the momentum and will win the state.
Citing statewide voters registration rolls, which show Republican have added 174,000 voters since 2016, while Democrats have lost 31,000, Kelly said he likes Trump's chances of taking the commonwealth in Tuesday's election. But it'll be close.
“With all my heart,” Slupe said, “he's going to win Pennsylvania.”
