Former President Donald Trump has a “special” connection with the people of Pennsylvania, Democratic Senator John Fetterman warns.
Fetterman made the observation during a conversation with The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg during the 2024 Atlantic Festival on Thursday.
“Trump has created a special kind of influence within the crown that he's remade — the party — and he has a special place in Pennsylvania, and I think that only deepened after the first assassination attempt,” Fetterman said.
FETTERMAN CRITICIZES THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR SUPPORTING TERRORIST PROPAGANDA AFTER AN INTERVIEW WITH A SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL
Jeffrey Goldberg and John Fetterman speak onstage during the 2024 Atlantic Festival's “In Conversation with John Fetterman” panel in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for The Atlantic)
In July, a deranged gunman attempted to assassinate Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooting, which Trump miraculously survived with only a wound to the side of his head, boosted support among his die-hard base.
“I also want people to understand that this isn't about science, but there is energy and there is some anger in Pennsylvania, and people are very engaged and very strong,” Fetterman said Thursday. “And I joked that their signs became the state flower, and you see that everywhere.”
However, with President Biden's withdrawal from the race and Vice President Kamala Harris' rapid rise as the Democratic presidential nominee, polls indicate she holds a slim lead over Trump in the key state.
FETTERMAN PUTS POLITICS ASIDE AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, SAYS US MUST 'COLUMN DOWN'
Former President Trump was injured during an assassination attempt at a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
A Washington Post poll Thursday gave Harris 48% support among likely and registered voters, while Trump sits at 47%. A New York Times poll gave Harris a slightly larger lead, with the vice president at 50% compared to Trump's 46%.
Fetterman on Thursday expressed skepticism about Harris' reported lead in Pennsylvania, comparing the situation to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's seven-point lead in Pennsylvania that ultimately collapsed on Election Day during her failed 2016 presidential bid.
“Everyone thought it was all under control, but it's not the energy or the other factors that really match what I'm witnessing,” Fetterman recalled. “And then, unfortunately, we saw what happened.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Harris, right, and Trump during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“People understand who he is and what he does, and there are enough people who believe that that is his characteristic and not a flaw,” he added.
