"That's the first time Sleepy Joe has ever beaten Crooked Joe!" he said with surprise after asking the crowd to make noise for each contender.
That, however, is not the branding exercise the former US president cares about most right now. On Saturday night he wanted his followers to go home with three words: Biden. Migrant. Crime.
A month after his audacious campaign stop in the Bronx, New York, Trump held his first-ever campaign rally in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy and another Democratic stronghold, where Joe Biden won 81.4% of the vote in 2020. Trump had come with a sledgehammer message: Biden's open borders have allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to pour into America, leading to a surge of violent crime in its major cities, hurting Black and Hispanic populations the most. And in the grand tradition of "law and order" Republicans, only Trump could fix it.
"Few communities have suffered more under the Biden regime than Philadelphia," he told thousands of supporters, many wearing "Make America great again" caps, at the event in a sports arena. "Under Crooked Joe, the City of Brotherly Love is being ravaged by bloodshed and crime."
The rally was staged at Temple University, in a historically Black area. Trump won just 5% of the vote in precincts within a half-mile radius of Temple's main campus in the last election, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.
But encouraged by opinion polls, his campaign has made wooing Black and Hispanic voters a priority this time. Even small gains could make all the difference in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Several African American supporters were positioned behind Trump's lectern in the Liacouras Center. Attendees brandished signs with Trump's police mugshot and the words "Never surrender". An electronic sign flashed optimistically: "Philadelphia is Trump country."
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 24, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 24, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Is waxwork target man Ronaldo really Portugal's best hope?
Pandering to their talisman, however watchable heis, hasbecomea hindrance tothe team’s chances
Demiral's double delight as Turkey seal last-eight place
A tie that had promised noise, tempo and a rattling intensity delivered emphatically.
Bellingham's alpha energy is part of England's problem
While Uefa looks at player's crotch-grabbing celebration, Gareth Southgate must harness his winning instincts
Inflation in the eurozone eases but ECB likely to keep interest rates on hold
Inflation across the eurozone slowed to 2.5% in June despite lingering pressure on households from price increases in the service sector, leaving the European Central Bank on track to keep interest rates on hold this month.
Khan Younis IDF bombards ruined city and orders residents to evacuate
Thousands of Palestinians were fleeing Khan Younis in southern Gaza after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) once again bombarded the largely ruined city and ordered a mass evacuation of residents.
Orbán holds talks with Zelenskiy in first visit to Ukraine in a decade
Hungary's prime minister, an outspoken critic of western aid to Ukraine, has held talks with Volodomyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, during a surprise visit by Europe's most pro-Russia leader to the Ukrainian capital.
Manchester graduate who sold Viagra-style drugs online is jailed
A University of Manchester graduate has been jailed for three and a half years for importing and selling illegal medicines on eBay and Amazon.
Labour donor sues Guido Fawkes blog owner for libel over Hamas claim
The Labour donor Dale Vince has employed a new legal approach to sue the political blog Guido Fawkes for libel, despite the website being hosted overseas.
Public asked to monitor decline in blackbirds
Beloved of Shakespeare and the Beatles, the blackbird and its sweet song have captured the imagination of Britons for centuries.
Chess prodigy, nine, is youngest player to be picked for England
She is a nine-year-old prodigy who has already caused a commotion in the chess world with her fearless play and spectacular victories.
