WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pennsylvania—At a campaign rally in the most important swing state in the country, anti-Trump activist George Conway told the Daily Beast why he thinks Kamala Harris can win over Republicans.
“She’s kind of done it already,” he said. “Look at all those people who voted for [Nikki] Haley when she was already done. I actually think there’s kind of a hidden Harris vote for Republicans who are just exhausted by Donald Trump.”
Turnout is another factor that plays to Democrat’s advantage, Conway predicted. “I also think that even the people who are still for Trump and won’t vote for Harris, I don’t think the turnout’s going to be great for him.”
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Three weeks before the election, Harris is counting on Republicans like Conway to help her win the most important swing state in the country.
“No matter your party, no matter who you voted for last time, there is a place for you in this campaign,” the vice president said at an intimate rally on Wednesday in front of the spot where George Washington once crossed the Delaware River.
The rally drew a bevy of anti-Trump Republicans who earned loud cheers from the crowd on the bank of the Delaware River, including former Trump national security official Olivia Troye and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Eighteen Republicans stood on the stage alongside Harris throughout her entire speech, while Democratic members of Congress looked on from the crowd.
Former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger campaigns for Vice President Kamala Harris at Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 16.
Evelyn Hockstein /ReutersConway walked across the hay-strewn parking lot with former Rep. Barbara Comstock, who also shared her “silent majority” theory with the Daily Beast on Tuesday night. The pair stopped for a photo in front of a sign that read, “COP vs. CON.”
Conway said Harris needs to “make the patriotic case,” and emphasize that “we have to accept who wins elections.”
That’s exactly what she did in her speech Wednesday, where she promised to defend the Constitution and praised the “the courage and patriotism of Vice President Mike Pence” on Jan. 6. Meanwhile, she painted Trump as a dire threat to the country.
“Anyone who has called for the, quote, ‘termination of the Constitution of the United States,’ as Donald Trump has, must never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States,” Harris said, anger rising in her voice. The crowd applauded furiously.
Harris also called out Trump’s recent comments suggesting he would use the military against “the enemy from within.”
"He considers any American who doesn't support him or bend to his will to be an enemy to our country,” she said. “Further, he says that as commander in chief, he would use our military to go after them.” Harris emphasized: “Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged.”
Cherise Udell, a Harris volunteer from Utah who is spending six weeks canvassing in Bucks County, told the Daily Beast that many Republicans in the area support Harris but are scared to admit it.
“Obviously when you drive around, it looks 100 percent like Trump country,” Udell said. “But there are a lot of Harris supporters out here, a lot of people that are registered independents and Republicans that are voting Harris. The reason why you don’t see a lot of Harris signs is, honestly, I’ve heard over and over again: People are afraid to put up signs, because they’re afraid of what, potentially, their neighbors, unfortunately, might do to them for having a Harris sign up, depending on the outcome of this election.”
Bucks County is definitely Trump country. Up the road from the rally, a crowd of Trump supporters waved banners at the cars filing in; one magenta sign read “Women for Trump.” A biker rode past carrying a bright yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag.
But there were other signs the region may be sheltering Republicans who quietly doubt the former president. Signs for the local congressman, swing-district Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, boasted that he is the country’s number one independent, a congressman “for us all.”
Supporters decked out in denim and camo Harris-Walz baseball caps to shield their eyes from the autumn sun gave Harris' Republicans a standing ovation when they simply walked onstage. During a pause in programming, they started shouting, “USA” before chanting Harris’ signature slogan: “Not going back.”
The rally comes as some Pennsylvania Democrats sound the alarm about Harris’ Keystone State operation, especially among diverse voting blocs in the Philadelphia area, Politico reported. Bucks County, which borders the city to the north, is the state’s fourth most populous and will be key to winning the key swing state.
Hillary Clinton won the county by less than 200 votes in 2016, beating Trump there 48.4 percent to 47.8 percent. Four years later, Joe Biden performed slightly better, winning 51.7 to 47.3. This time, the Harris campaign is counting on Republicans to help them earn the best margin they can.
“Make the conservative choice,” Kinzinger urged the crowd on Wednesday. “Vote for our bedrock values, and vote for Kamala Harris.”
