Former President Donald Trump’s wide ranging speech in Wilkes-Barre Twp. touched on familiar themes from his campaigns in 2016 and 2020 as well as new issues facing the country.
His almost two-hour long address during his Save America Rally Saturday was sprinkled with endorsements for Republican candidates for Pennsylvania governor and U.S. senate and representative.
Trump brought some of those candidates on stage with him.
“This November we're going to stand up for this rising tyranny, for sickness, for lawlessness and death and we're going to take back our country,” he said.
Trump also teased a run for president in 2024, saying “we might just have to do it again.”
The 45th president wrapped up his rally at Mohegan Sun Arena just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Doug Mastriano is the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor. Earlier in the night, he also addressed the large, excited and boisterous crowd who filled up the upper and lower levels of the arena. Jim Bognet, the Republican candidate for U.S. representative in the 8th congressional district, also spoke as well as Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is running against John Fetterman for senate.
Trump ripped Fetterman as well as Josh Shapiro, the current Attorney General and Democratic nominee for governor.
He first brought Oz on stage with him.
“This country has dramatically turned in the wrong direction. I’m the person for change,” said Oz, a television personality and retired cardiothoracic surgeon.
Trump called Mastriano, a current state Senator and Army veteran, an “incredible patriot and fearless warrior” who has been with him since the beginning.
Late into his speech, Trump also brought Mastriano on stage with him.
“On 8 November we’re taking our state back by storm,” Mastriano said.
Mastriano reiterated his “day one” goals that he spoke about earlier in the rally.
“We’re going to walk like free people like never before,” he said.
Mastriano promised voter integrity including requiring voters to show identification, a theme Trump picked up on calling to get rid of mail-in ballots.
The former president also addressed what he called the rigged 2020 election and rising crime in the country. He also commented on the recent FBI raid at his Florida home, Mar-a-largo.
He says Biden and his administration have weaponized the FBI and the justice department.
“It was not just my home that was raided … it was the hopes and dreams of every citizen that I've been fighting for,” he said.
Familiar themes from Trump’s 2016 run were present, including restoring law and order in the country. He reiterated his now-famous slogan "Make America Great Again."
Speaking of President Joe Biden, Trump said: “He thinks making America great again is a threat to our country. No, making America great again is great for our country.”
Trump talked about what the country would be like if he was still president and called for the death penalty for drug dealers.
The speakers throughout the night touched on an array of conservative issues including transgender women playing sports on women’s teams, inflation and the Mexico/United States boarder. Their speeches referenced God and family values.
They slammed Biden’s recent comments in Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia this week about “MAGA Republicans.”
Trump said the president’s speech in Philly was the “most vicious hateful and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president.”
Bognet is a Hazle Twp. resident running against incumbent and Democrat Matt Cartwright. He held a senior position in the Trump Administration.
“Biden put America in the ditch,” said Bognet, who called the region the greatest place in the world. "Joe Biden and Matt Cartwright don’t represent our values in Northeast Pennsylvania."
Earlier in the night, Mastriano slammed Shapiro for what he said is rising crime in Pennsylvania over the attorney general’s term.
Trump ended the rally by encouraging the crowd to vote in what he called one of the most important elections in their lifetime.
“This is the year we’re going to take back the house, we’re going to take back the senate, we’re going to take back America," he said. "And in 2024 most importantly we are going to take back our magnificent
White House.”
