Voters in one Pennsylvania working-class town expressed disappointment that Vice President Kamala Harris chose to hold an invitation-only event instead of speaking to a larger crowd.
Harris, the Democrat presidential nominee, on Friday visited Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where hundreds of supporters chanted "Ka-ma-la" when she arrived at the local airport.
She then spoke for 30 minutes at local bookstore in attempt to show her support for small businesses.
Attendance at both the airport and bookstore was by invitation only. In contrast, more than 6,000 supporters attended a rally with former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, in Johnstown on Sept. 4.
For some voters, Harris' visit was not enough.
"She’s hiding from most of the people," Ed Luce, 63, told the New York Post. "She needs to convince a lot of the working poor people."
A.J. Hasley, a veteran and cook, told the Post he felt insulted by Harris’s invite-only events.
"Knowing it’s MAGA land, she had some balls coming," Hasley said, the outlet reported.
"If you’re campaigning, your job is to get your word out to as many people as possible."
Johnstown, a former Democrat stronghold, began flipping red after a 1977 flood destroyed the mines and mills, and high-paying union jobs disappeared.
Trump won the surrounding county with more than 67% of the vote in 2016 and 2020.
Following their debate on Tuesday night, Harris and Trump both made beelines for swing states that they hope to flip in their favor this year. Both of them are trying to expand their narrow paths to victory in a closely fought presidential campaign.
On Friday, Harris visited Pennsylvania — arguably the most crucial of the swing states that decide the winner in close U.S. presidential elections. A taped interview with the vice president was set to air on an ABC television affiliate in Philadelphia, the state's largest city.
Luce, who said he has voted for former Presidents Barack Obama and Trump, added he’s still undecided about who to vote for in November.
"I wasn’t persuaded," he said of Harris’ debate performance.
"Harris needs to show more of what her policies are. I still don’t know what she’s gonna do."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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