Former President Donald Trump walked out onto the stage at Riverfront Sports at 3:17 p.m. Wednesday to the strains of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."
Trump, the Republican candidate for president, swayed along with the song, hitting some familiar dance moves as the crowd roared and chanted “USA! USA!”
He waited until the music finished to start speaking, and wanted the mic turned up.
“If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole thing. It’s very simple,” he said.
Trump ran through multiple issues for more than an hour often going off the prepared remarks being shown on a teleprompter.
He touched first on poll numbers, then immigration – a topic he frequently returned to – and shared insight into the July 13 assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pa.
Trump also called on his female supporters in the audience, seeking to reassure them he would protect them — citing his fight against human trafficking, though he was silent on the issue of abortion rights.
And Trump talked at length about the energy industry in Pennsylvania, including fracking.
If reelected, Trump said he will deliver "the greatest economy in the world," promising to lower taxes and "save Democracy."
Trump made several attacks on his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, and President Joe Biden. He called the past four years a “horror show.”
'I love being around all these Republicans'
The sectioned-off area of the sports complex featured a mostly seated crowd with some standing room near the back. The supporters wore red “Make America Great Again” hats and patriotic t-shirts featuring Trump. The stage was draped in an American flag motif.
The Trump campaign said attendance was 4,000. Scranton Fire Chief John Judge did not give a crowd estimate, but said that the city had cleared the event for 3,400. There appeared to be about 1,500 seats with more people standing behind.
Before Trump spoke, a movie-like trailer played on the screen behind the stage. It included video from the assassination attempt in Western Pennsylvania.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak spoke before Trump took the stage.
“I love being around all these Republicans,” said Chermak, the county's lone GOP commissioner.
He asked for a big round of applause for Trump coming to Scranton and if there was “anyone here who is better off now then they were four years ago?”
The crowd yelled “no.”
Rob Bresnahan spoke next. He is the Republican candidate for the 8th congressional district. He’s running against Democrat Matt Cartwright. Bresnahan was followed by Dave McCormick, who is running to replace longtime Democratic Senator Bob Casey. McCormick took selfies with supporters after his speech as he walked towards the back of Riverfront. Trump brought McCormick up on stage about an hour into his speech.
Vivek Ramaswamy was the rally’s surprise guest. He called this election “a 1776 moment” and compared Trump to George Washington. Ramaswamy, founder of Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company, ran for the Republican nomination for president.
Trump promised that the country would be better off if he was president, often talking about cutting taxes.
'Seal the border on Day 1'
Just before wrapping up his speech around 4:42 p.m., Trump promised to “seal the border on Day 1” in office to protect Americans from illegal migrants. Trump also said he would end “transgender insanity” in schools by banning men from playing women’s sports.
“Every day will be filled with opportunity and hope. But for that to happen we must defeat Kamala Harris,” he said. “November 5 will be the most important date in the history of our country … we will make America strong, we will make America Great again.”
The “YMCA” played as the former president danced off stage. Trump was headed to Reading for his next event, where he was expected to take the stage at 7 p.m.
Crowd reaction
Kelly Babinski is a nurse practitioner offering home Medicare visits in Scranton. She said Trump’s speech resonated with her. In her opinion, Babinski said the Biden-Harris administration allowed rampant migration that has overwhelmed elder care. She offered no evidence.
“I'm all for allowing people to immigrate to this country, but it needs to be responsibly. As a healthcare provider, I see many people, many elderly people, living horribly like living in very poor conditions, with the state of our economy right now, with the cost of our utility bills, these elderly folks can't afford it,” she said.
Andrew Dovin, a freshman at Marywood University, worked with his professors to miss class Wednesday, because, for him, seeing Trump is an “unreal” experience.
He loves the 45th president’s energy and is excited to go to the polls for the first time in November.
“I've been supporting Trump since fourth grade,” he said. “I've been totally backing him the entire way. So, now that I can actually get to vote for him, it’s gonna be awesome,” said Dovin.