Trump rallies in Philadelphia, courts Black voters, seeks support from Christians

Former President Donald Trump made a bold bid for votes on Saturday, addressing two distinct audiences with targeted messages in a city where his support has traditionally been weak.

Trump delivered speeches aimed at Christian supporters and Black voters, promising to restore order in Philadelphia and calling for one last push at the polls.

At a rally held at Temple University, Trump pledged to combat crime by giving police “immunity” to perform their duties and promising a “surge” of federal resources to cities grappling with violence.

“Under crooked Joe Biden, the City of Brotherly Love is being ravaged by bloodshed and crime,” Trump declared, dismissing FBI statistics showing a decline in violent crime as “fake.”

In Al-Shati, one of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, the attack was particularly devastating, resulting in the deaths of 24 people. Another 18 Palestinians lost their lives in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood.

Trump’s promise to restore law and order was part of a broader strategy to win over Black and Hispanic voters, who make up more than half of Philadelphia’s population. Despite his efforts, Trump faces an uphill battle in a city that President Joe Biden easily won in 2020.

Addressing a more diverse audience than usual, Trump criticized Biden’s immigration policies, claiming without evidence that illegal migrants were taking jobs from Black and Hispanic workers. “Joe Biden’s open border has been a disaster for our great African-American and Hispanic-American populations,” he said.

Trump reiterated his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, specifically targeting Philadelphia. “Philadelphia was one of the most egregious places anywhere for voter fraud,” he said, promising, “We are not going to let it happen again.”

State lawmaker Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democrat, dismissed Trump’s outreach to Black voters, citing Trump’s history of promoting the birther conspiracy theory against Barack Obama and policies that have negatively impacted the Black working class. “Donald Trump is in a Black place, but Donald Trump does not give a damn about Black people,” Kenyatta said.

Earlier in the day, Trump addressed the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Washington, a conservative Christian group, urging churchgoers to vote for him in November.

“Christians go to church, but they don’t vote that much. You know the power you have if you would vote,” Trump said. “You gotta get out and vote. Just this time. In four years you don’t have to vote, OK? In four years don’t vote, I don’t care.”

Trump briefly touched on the contentious issue of abortion, advocating for state-level decisions on the matter, a position that diverges from many conservative Christians’ views. He warned that Republicans risk electoral defeat if they adopt too rigid a stance on abortion rights, pointing to the party’s poor performance in the 2022 midterms following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling.

Looking ahead to the first presidential debate of the 2024 race in Atlanta on Thursday, Trump hinted at his choice for running mate during a pre-rally stop at a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop. He suggested that his vice-presidential pick might be present at the debate, a detail captured in a video posted by a campaign spokesperson.

Trump’s comments on education, proposing the elimination of the Department of Education, resonated strongly with the conservative Christian audience, drawing significant applause.

This stance aligns with many conservative Christians’ belief that the federal government undermines faith-based teaching methods.