On Oct. 26, a cold, rainy Monday morning, Trump supporters came by the thousands. Wearing MAGA hats and MAGA masks, and carrying Trump 2020 signs and banners, they came to a Northampton County rally to see the president and demonstrate their support for his re-election.

“We win Pennsylvania, we win the whole thing,” said President Trump who spoke to a crowd of approximately 10,000 supporters at HoverTech International, a medical equipment maker in Hanover Township.

Northampton County is considered an important bellwether for how the rest of the state and country votes.

Pennsylvania is a critical swing state in the presidential race and is considered the most likely tipping-point state in the Electoral College. President Trump was the first Republican candidate to carry Pennsylvania since 1988. He won the Electoral College in 2016 with 306 votes to Hillary Clinton’s 223 votes.

“This is going to be the most important election in our country’s history, so get out and vote,” said Trump who spoke for about 80 minutes.

The president’s remarks were punctuated by cheers from supporters who chanted, “Four more years” and “God bless Trump.”

Last week’s rally marked the president’s second visit to the Lehigh Valley during his 2020 presidential campaign, following a visit to Owens & Minor Inc. in Upper Macungie Township on May 14.

The president detailed many of his accomplishments and outlined plans for his next term

if re-elected. Trump said he would continue to fight for American workers, negotiate lower drug costs, support the police and Second Amendment rights, defend America’s borders, and ensure the production of more products that carry a “Made in the U.S.A” label.

“We’re going to deliver epic prosperity,” said Trump citing the increase in 11.4 million jobs over the last four months. “There’s never been a time in our history where we put that many people to work that quickly.”

Trump anticipated even more good news: “Wait until you see the GDP (gross domestic product),” Trump said. “You’re going to see car sales through the roof and housing starts through the roof,”

On an annualized basis, GDP increased 33 percent in the third quarter, making it the largest jump in GDP in U.S. history.

Trump talked about COVID-19 and the need to return to “normal” life even though the coronavirus is not yet under control. Trump pointed to vaccines that are in the works and that may be available early next year.

The vaccines are going to be “very quick,” Trump said. “If somebody else were president, you’d get a vaccine in about four years from now.”

The president criticized his opponent Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris for energy policies that he said would hurt Pennsylvania’s economy and destroy jobs. President Trump played video recordings of both Biden and Harris stating that they would end fracking, a process that injects liquids into the ground at high pressure to extract gas and oil from rock formations. Fracking supports 20,000 to 50,000 jobs in the Keystone State, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

Trump also criticized Governor Wolf for implementing covid-19 restrictions on gatherings of more than 750 people, which may have prevented officials at Lehigh Valley International Airport from permitting the rally to take place on airport property as originally planned.

Trump urged supporters to watch for fraud during ballot counting at polling places on Nov. 3. “Be very vigilant and watch,” Trump said. “Be poll watchers.”

Lee Snover, chairman of the Northampton County Republican Committee, shares Trumps concerns regarding possible voter fraud. She noted during a telephone interview that ballot signatures are not being checked against the individual signatures of registered voters.

The rally included brief appearances by Republican candidates Lisa Scheller and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser. Scheller is running for Congress in the 7th Congressional District against incumbent Democrat Susan Wild. Meuser is running for reelection in the 9th District against Democrat Gary Wegman.

Patrick H. Foose of Whitehall Township said that he goes to rallies to see candidates in person and hear what they actually have to say. Over the years, Foose said that he has seen Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

“Trump is the furthest thing from all the other presidential candidates,” Foose said. “He is not politically correct when he talks . . . He tells it like he sees it.”

As a rally volunteer, Carole Tellini of Bethlehem Township passed out hand sanitizer, masks, and bottles of water to attendees. She said that masks were readily and widely available at the rally.

“Mask wearing was required for volunteers,” Tellini said. “The people in charge made it very clear that they wanted to encourage mask wearing.”

Tellini said that she has been to about 12 pro-Trump flag rallies in the Lehigh Valley. Tellini recently drove her car in a pro-Trump caravan rally on Sunday, Oct. 25. Hosted by the Lehigh Valley Tea Party, the caravan rally started out at the Park & Ride on William Penn Highway in Bethlehem Township. The caravan included about 400 vehicles decorated with Trump flags, signs, and memorabilia.

“There’s been a lot of positive public reaction to the Pro-Trump flag rallies,” said Tellini who sometimes brings along her dog, Elvis. “There’s nonstop honking, and people waving and shouting, ‘Four More Years!’”

“President Trump needs to be our president for four more years because Pennsylvania will not survive a Biden presidency,” Tellini said. “Biden wants to get rid of fossil fuels and fracking. Think of the repercussions of ending fracking in Pennsylvania. It’s not just the jobs that are lost, but what losing these jobs does to a community.”