It’s not every day you hear a Democrat like Senator John Fetterman giving President Trump credit for anything, but when someone survives an assassination attempt, I guess even Fetterman can’t ignore the obvious: Trump has a “special connection” with Pennsylvania. The media hardly gave it the coverage it deserved (surprise, surprise), but let’s talk about what really matters here: the deep bond between Trump and the people of Pennsylvania.
First off, Fetterman’s comment is kind of shocking. Here’s a guy who’s basically the poster child for the far-left wing of the Democratic Party acknowledging that Trump has a serious grip on the people of the Keystone State. Fetterman told The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg that Trump has “remade” the Republican Party into a “coronet,” which is an interesting way of admitting that Trump owns the GOP. But what’s even more striking is Fetterman’s acknowledgment that Trump’s near-death experience in July has only solidified his popularity in Pennsylvania.
Imagine it: Trump’s on stage, rallying the crowd as usual, when some deranged 20-year-old decides to take him out from 150 yards away. A retired firefighter, Corey Comperatore, tragically loses his life, and two others were critically wounded. Meanwhile, Trump gets grazed by a bullet, barely missing what could’ve been a much darker day in American history. But, of course, Trump being Trump, he shakes it off, connects with the families, and promises to head back to Butler in October. If that doesn’t scream resilience, I don’t know what does.
Fetterman even had to admit the truth: Trump’s signs are everywhere. He joked they’re like the state flower of Pennsylvania. Funny thing is, he’s not wrong. Drive through rural Pennsylvania, and you’re more likely to see a Trump flag than you are to see an actual American flag. The enthusiasm hasn’t faded since 2016, and Fetterman, of all people, sees it.
Sure, some pollsters are trying to tell us that Kamala Harris is leading Trump right now, but we’ve seen this movie before. Hillary was supposedly a shoo-in back in 2016, and we all know how that ended. Fetterman sees it, too—he’s not convinced the Democrats have it in the bag this time around.
So here we are, in 2024, and Trump is still the man to beat in Pennsylvania. The bond he’s built with Pennsylvanians—especially after what he just survived—isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.