Kamala Harris arrives in Pittsburgh, Tim Walz visits Pamela's Diner

Vice President Kamala Harris might soon be sporting black and gold with how much time she’s spending in Pittsburgh lately.

Harris returned to the city Thursday afternoon, having left hardly 72 hours earlier following a quick Labor Day visit.

This time, she’s expected to stay in town until her debate next week in Philadelphia with former President Donald Trump.

The vice president touched down at Pittsburgh International Airport before 1 p.m. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, was on hand to greet her and posted a photo on X of him and his wife, Gisele Fetterman, with Harris shortly after.

The Democratic nominee for president will be staying in Downtown Pittsburgh at the Omni William Penn hotel for five nights, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Philadelphia for the debate, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. and expected to last 90 minutes. It will air on ABC.

Wheels down in Pixburgh with our NEXT PRESIDENT, @KamalaHarris! ???????? pic.twitter.com/6d4TklxOKN

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) September 5, 2024

It is unclear whether Harris will make any public appearances while in Pittsburgh or whether she has any meetings arranged. No official schedule of her time in the region has been released, but it is presumed she will be busy preparing for the critical prime-time showdown with Trump.

Security was heavy at the hotel, where a motorcade made up of police motorcycles, vans and black SUVs pulled up around 1:15 p.m. Several Secret Service agents wearing marked vests were on hand, as were uniformed Pittsburgh police officers.

One motorist flagged down a police officer to ask if it was safe for her to be Downtown in light of the obvious security around the hotel.

On Monday, Harris rallied with union members on the city’s South Side and announced her opposition to the proposed $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese company Nippon Steel.

Reporters gathered outside the hotel were not able to spot the vice president, who made her way inside without addressing the media.

Authorities blocked the hotel’s entrance on William Penn Place to traffic between Oliver and Sixth avenues. Oliver was closed to traffic but not pedestrians, and a temporary closure on Grant Street has been lifted.

People were able to enter the hotel through the William Penn Place entrance after passing through a Secret Service metal detector and having bags checked.

“We’re very happy and excited she feels comfortable enough and welcomed enough she’s set up shop,” said Danielle Crumrine, 46, of Regent Square, who visited the hotel lobby’s coffee shop shortly after Harris arrived.

A hotel manager said he could not comment on the vice president’s stay because he and other hotel staff signed confidentiality waivers ahead of her visit.

He asked a TribLive reporter interviewing people in the hotel to leave.

Outside the hotel, a handful of Trump supporters gathered, waving Trump flags.

Mike Bulebush, 50, of Coraopolis said he works Downtown and wanted to make it clear he didn’t approve of Harris staying in the Steel City.

“We don’t want her here,” he said, holding a large blue Trump flag. “She can go back to D.C. where they love her, or California.”

Dan Savage, 52, of Scott said he wants the Harris team to know Trump has strong support in the region.

Wearing a shirt depicting Trump moments after his ear was grazed by a bullet at a July rally in Butler, Savage criticized the way Harris took the Democratic nomination without winning the primary after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race.

“We want to let her know we stand for Donald Trump,” Savage said. “We stand for America first.”

Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also was in Pittsburgh Thursday. He visited Pamela’s Diner in the Strip District in the morning and spent about an hour there before heading to Erie for a rally.

The diner often is a favorite of visiting politicians. Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have stopped by on occasion.

Jason Zmenkowski, 38 of Shaler is a manager at Pamela’s. He met Walz and his family at the end of their breakfast. He said Walz ordered chocolate chip banana pancakes and a side of kielbasa.

“He seems like a wonderful guy. He had a big smile on his face,” Zmenkowski said. “He was very thankful.”

The meeting was brief, and Zmenkowski said the meal was really just a family moment rather than a campaign opportunity.

Regardless, Zmenkowski said it always is exciting for him and his staff to meet dignitaries and celebrities.

“The excitement and feeling of honor is not something that fades,” said Zmenkowski, adding that the staff had a nice surprise when Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara visited in July. “Just to be known in their circle as a staple in Pittsburgh is wonderful.”

Walz visited Fayette County on Wednesday, where he chatted with dairy farmers and fed a calf at the Maple Bottom Farm in Lower Tyrone Township.