Charlotte and Jim Pensyl say Trump was a great president (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
“I hate him. I hope he gets shot again!” The harsh words were uttered in a thick New Jersey accent by a man who had spotted us looking at the Trump flag hanging from his neighbour’s house.
Emotions were running high across the political divide in eastern Pennsylvania – one of seven swing states that could decide the outcome of the US election.
As campaigning for both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris entered the home stretch this weekend, the Express visited Northampton County, 80 miles north of Philadelphia.
Among the idyllic autumnal suburbs, we found a battleground where volunteers were fighting for every last vote, conspiracy theories thrived, and locals told of their hopes and fears for the future.
Northampton is considered to be a key bellwether after voting for the winner of the presidential election all but three times since 1920. It is one of only two counties in Pennsylvania – alongside Erie – that flipped from Obama to Trump to Biden.
Democrat campaigners in Bethlehem were preparing for more canvassing (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
At a Democrat campaign base in the city of Bethlehem, volunteer Kathy Harrington, 63, was preparing literature for canvassing in a determined effort to keep the area blue.
The grandmother-of-two said she feared “democracy is over” if Trump returns to the White House. “I’ll be very depressed. They’re going to deport people, my daughter-in-law is Filipino,” she said.
“Anybody who opposed him is going to be in trouble. I might be in some concentration camp somewhere after this. And actually the thing that bothers me the most is the women’s issue. Women are going to die in massive amounts from stuff that is so medically preventable. I’m really worried about that.”
Abortion has become a key issue in the election, with Trump’s opponents warning that he could bring forward a national ban – something he has denied. Kathy added: “Women are pissed. When he says, ‘I’m going to protect women, whether they like it or not’, that’s such a creepy thing to say.
“Women over the years have been getting more and more powerful and vocal, and we’re not going to take it anymore. I believe that’s what’s going to push us over to the win.”
Kathy Harrington fears ‘democracy is over’ if Trump wins (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Election campaigning began in August but “exploded through the roof” when President Biden announced he was dropping out and endorsing Vice President Harris, Kathy said.
But she warned against complacency, stressing the importance of a final push to get out the vote. “Trump has a smaller base than us but they are fanatics, so they will definitely come out and vote.
“Our people are very positive and excited about Kamala, but it’s not like their life depends on voting as much as the Republicans feel that way.”
Signs endorsing Harris far outnumber those supporting Trump on Bethlehem’s manicured lawns. The Democrats gained strong support in the state’s largest cities – including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown – in 2020, but there is still much to play for in the suburbs and more conservative towns.
Democrat campaigners Jason and Vanessa Beattie live in the nearby borough of Wind Gap, which has a higher proportion of Republican voters.
Jason and Vanessa Beattie are trying to turn their area blue (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
The area sits in the Slate Belt, where a declining industry and resulting job losses have galvanised support for Trump, Jason said.
The 43-year-old added: “Trump is very successful at telling people that they have been forgotten and he will hear them and do what they want. He doesn’t actually do that. If you look at his term in office, he made promises to people that he never delivered on.”
The couple, who have a 12-year-old son, said women’s healthcare, social security and Harris’s economic plans were among the policies that influenced their voting intention.
But for Jason, Trump’s character was also a serious concern. He said: “The last time we voted Donald Trump out of office, he tried to stage a coup to stay in power.
“Even if I agreed with him on every other policy, which I don’t, that is a red line. Our democracy is fundamental to what this country is. If we don’t have the ability to choose our leaders through fair elections then we don’t have any rights.”
For fellow Wind Gap couple Charlotte and Jim Pensyl, however, it is Trump’s character and his tougher stance on abortion that earned him their votes.
Lumber yard worker Jim, 67, said: “He’s just got to watch what he says to women and stuff. He has a big mouth but he’s a great president.”
Households in Bethlehem share their voting intentions with lawn signs (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
The pair firmly believe that Trump won the last election but the result was rigged. Jim added: “When I voted last time, the machine – I don’t know what happened but it jammed up and they said I had to go out.
“I think it’s corrupt, the way they do things. They want you to mail stuff in – you don’t know what they’re throwing away and what they’re not.”
Charlotte and Jim, who declined the Covid vaccine and think it was another way Democrats tried to control people, were also concerned about the possibility of tighter gun controls if Harris claims victory.
Grandfather-of-five Jim said: “I hunt off and on and I don’t want my guns taken away. I believe that’s one of my rights, I want to have guns because you have to protect yourself.”
Back in Bethlehem, Republican voter Jeanie also brushed off concerns about Trump’s character, saying simply: “I know he can be a little rough around the edges.”
The 76-year-old self-described “Trumpster” added: “I think Trump will secure the border again, we’ll have a good economy. I feel safe with Trump, I always have.”
State legislator Steve Samuelson says the race for the county is neck and neck (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Salesman and dad-of-one Brian Hamedl, 40, similarly planned to vote for Trump over issues including border control and the economy.
“Times were better when Trump was here,” he said. “I’ve been on the Republican side my whole life. I feel like on Kamala’s side she’s not standing on anything. It’s just causing more division.”
Campaigners will continue to pound the streets in the final days before the nation goes to the polls on Tuesday, in the hope of securing Pennsylvania’s coveted 19 electoral votes.
Steve Samuelson, a Pennsylvania State Representative, has handed out more than 500 signs to be displayed outside the homes of Harris supporters.
He told the Express she was expected to win Bethlehem 2-1, but across the county, “it’s neck and neck”.
Steve, 64, added: “Pennsylvania will be a closely watched state on election day. I’m feeling pretty confident. I think Harris is going to win Pennsylvania but you never know. She could win or lose by 1,000.”
