Trump fans flock to Westmoreland Fairgrounds to see former president, hear more about why to vote for Dr. Oz

Thousands of ardent Donald Trump supporters braved the rain and mud Friday for their chance to see the former president, who was returning to Westmoreland County to promote his endorsement of Republican senatorial candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.

The rally, which officially was to start at 8 p.m., transformed the Westmoreland Fairgrounds in Mt. Pleasant Township into a pro-Trump field covered with cardboard cutouts of the former president and flags reading “Trump Nation” and “Trump 2024.” Several also promoted key conservative values and suggested the 2020 election was stolen, despite evidence to the contrary.

“I think he’s so energizing,” said Lynetta Villano of Luzerne County. “I think he gets people to come out and vote. He reminds us of how well our country was doing when he was in office. I think we’re just at a point where we’re really longing for that. … Especially with the economics — I think that’s the hardest thing that people are dealing with.”

Several attendees were decked out in Trump-related outfits, wearing either the red “Make America Great Again” hat or T-shirts showing their support.

Few donned Oz-related gear, with many suggesting they were still on the fence about the candidate, whom Trump endorsed last month for the May 17 primary. At the time, Trump said his decision was “all about winning elections” and noted that Oz is well-known because of his role as host of daytime TV’s “The Dr. Oz Show.”

Oz, a former heart surgeon, is among a pool of 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats seeking to replace U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey. The Lehigh Valley Republican is not seeking reelection.

“We’re here to see Trump just to see what he has to say, just to see what he has to say about Oz, because a lot of us are on the fence about him,” said Nadia Lowe, 59, of Oakmont. “I just want to kind of get an idea as to why he’s endorsing him.”

When Trump took the stage, he mentioned they were there to rally for Oz. However, it took almost an hour for him to bring up Oz again.

“I think he is going to win. He is a great gentleman,” Trump said, noting that he doesn’t just endorse conventional candidates.

The praise garnered some boos from the crowd, mixed in with some cheers.

Related:

• Trump looks to advance his GOP takeover, sway support for Oz at Westmoreland stop

Throughout his speech, Trump took the time to tout victories of other endorsed candidates including J.D. Vance, who won the Ohio Senate Republican primary on Tuesday, and Greg Pence — former Vice President Mike Pence’s brother — who won the Republican nomination to defend his seat representing Indiana’s 6th Congressional District.

“Our movement has a series of blockbuster victories in Ohio and Indiana,” Trump said.

During his campaign, Oz has centered himself among Republican values, stating he is pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. Oz, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Turkey, also has taken a conservative stance on the border and illegal immigration.

On Friday, when he was given about five minutes to speak, Oz focused on energy and The Green New Deal, which calls for replacing fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil with renewable energy.

“The Green New Deal, it’s not real, and it can’t be done,” Oz said. “I am telling you as a scientist.”

Despite his stance, many people have continued to question whether his campaign promises are truthful.

“He’s not a true conservative that believes in our values,” said Jeremy Garris, 40, of Mt. Pleasant. “He’s going to go with whatever the establishment says.”

Others who attended the event were hopeful for some clarity on his position among certain topics.

“The debate didn’t go real well,” said Ken Baker, 42, of Natrona Heights, who attended the event with his 8-year-old daughter, Angelia. “Most of his answers were Trump endorses him, so maybe he can answer a little bit more in depth. … Hopefully that clears it up.”

Throughout the event, Oz, who has been hit by tons of attack ads, mostly accusing him of being a phony conservative, portrayed himself and the Trump wing of the GOP as victims.

“Insiders, the establishment, they hate us,” Oz said. “That is why they go after us.”

Despite being an event to promote Oz’s candidacy, many people, some local people and some who traveled from afar, trekked through the muddy fields for their chance to see Trump, who has been hosting rallies across the country as elections loom.

Hundreds of people lined up hours before the gates opened for their chance to nab a close seat.

As the afternoon dragged on, the line continued to grow. Despite saying gates would open at 3 p.m., people weren’t allowed into the fairgrounds until 4:20 p.m., prompting several people to start chanting “Let us in.”

Rain fell in sheets, with only intermittent breaks.

The rain caused some people, like Jim Crawford, 66, of Bloomsburg, to leave before the rally began.

“It’s a mess in there,” Crawford said. “We’re Trumpsters, we’re ultra MAGA, but it’s a mess in there.”

Still, others remained excited about their chance to attend the rally.

James and Kim Krupinski drove four hours from Buffalo, N.Y. The couple planned to drive back home Friday night.

“It’s historic,” said James Krupinski, 53. “We’re living in a historic time.”

Others, like Pam Olthof and Bill Bailey, look at rallies as an opportunity to make money while promoting the conservative cause. The Michigan couple has spent the past two months traveling to Trump rallies across the country selling merchandise. They plan to head to Wyoming on Saturday for another event.

“We got started by accident, by carrying a few flags in the store. And there was such a high demand we brought more and more stuff in,” said Bailey, noting he also runs a pawn shop in Michigan. “After we did that, people asked us to go to some local rallies, and it just kept growing from there.”

For Ted and Laura Bruner of Mt. Pleasant, Friday’s event was their first time seeing Trump.

The couple expressed hope that he would run for office again in 2024.

“I hope Trump does, because I feel like he has a good skill set, and I think that people don’t always like his personality but I feel he can do the job,” said Laura Bruner, 61. “I think you have to remember sometimes people fit the job and can get things accomplished for the good of most people — even if you don’t like what he says or how he says it. You’ve got to overlook that sometimes.”