HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former President Donald Trump’s return to Harrisburg drew thousands to the Farm Show Complex as long lines formed hours ahead of the event.
The former president appeared at the town hall-style event with FOX News Channel Host Sean Hannity. The prerecorded segment aired in its entirety on the cable network.
The ticketed event was intentionally smaller than previous visits and saw the former president take questions from the host and his supporters.
Greeted with cheers, the former president wasted no time expressing his admiration for the Commonwealth and his confidence in his chances at another term.
"I think we’re going to be very well set up to do a great job and do we love Pennsylvania," Trump said.
The evening addressed issues on the minds of many voters.
Trump referenced Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent interview in which she expressed support for fracking, despite previous remarks to the contrary.
"There’s no chance that she’s going to allow it," Trump said. "The election will take place, if she won you’re not going to have any fracking in Pennsylvania."
In response, Democratic State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta said Harris is focused on addressing the impacts of climate change.
"She believes that America can lead the future in energy across the board, but particularly in renewables," Kenyatta said. "Pennsylvania has the distinction of being the place that won two hydrogen hubs."
The former president repeatedly addressed the situation at the nation’s southern border, vowing to close it if elected.
"We have to stop it and we have to do the largest deportation in the history of the country," Trump said.
"Again, and again and again what you see from Donald Trump are a bunch of sound bites and a bunch of failed promises," Kenyatta said in response to the former president's comments. "He had a chance to fix many of these problems, he didn’t do it. He doesn’t know how to lead."
Due to the Secret Service’s capacity restrictions, the bowl was less than half full, but Trump was still full-throated when speaking about his presidency.
"I gave you the biggest tax cuts in the history of our country," Trump said. "If you let the Trump tax cuts expire, which she wants to do, she wants to terminate them, if you do that you will suffer the biggest tax increase in history."
"This time he’s running with a record and that record is piss poor," Kenyatta retorted.
Kenyatta rejects the former president’s assertions.
"Donald Trump’s only economic plan and the only thing he actually accomplished as president, was cutting taxes for people who can afford memberships to his club," Kenyatta said.
Speaking with Hannity, former President Trump discussed the weight of inflation.
"Can’t buy a home, they can’t do anything, your business is stopped up, you can’t borrow money," Trump said. "By the way, I had interest rates at 2%, now they’re 10% but you can’t get the money. You can’t get the money."
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris addressed a crowd in New Hampshire on Wednesday, laying out her plan for economic success.
"She’s talking about helping people buy their first home and expanding our housing stock in the first place, so building more but also helping people with that down payment," Kenyatta said.
Days ahead of the first debate between the major party candidates, Trump spoke confidently.
"You might give her the questions and give her the answers with the questions, I’m not sure it’s going to help her," he said.
Kenyatta said he expects Vice President Harris to speak on progress and her vision for the future in the upcoming face-off.
The taping lasted about an hour and 15 minutes.
What aired on FOX News Channel Wednesday night was the portion with questions from the host.
On Thursday night, FOX News Channel will air the questions from the audience, including one from Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick.
The former president and Vice President Harris will return to Pennsylvania next week for their first debate, happening Tuesday night in Philadelphia.