- The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 13, 2020

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — President Trump’s flame is still burning bright in western Pennsylvania.

An estimated 10,000 people showed up Tuesday for an outdoor rally at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport.

Mr. Trump’s fans — decked out in MAGA hats, MAGA face masks and Trump T-shirts and hoodies — said they were thrilled to see Mr. Trump back on the campaign trail after he was sidelined for nearly two weeks after catching coronavirus.

“Why would we not support Trump? Everything he’s about, we’re about — about law and order, about pro-life, about Second Amendment. It’s a laundry list of things that Trump supports that are right on key with us,” said A.J. Urban, 37, a corrections officer.

The massive rally was Mr. Trump’s second outing since emerging from quarantine Monday.

Johnstown and surrounding Cambria County is a crucial bastion of support for Mr. Trump in southwest Pennsylvania. He captured 67% of the vote in the county, massively outperforming 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s 58% to help put Pennsylvania in the GOP column for the first time since 1988.

Mr. Trump needs a repeat performance Nov. 3 to hold on to the White House.

In 2016, Mr. Trump tapped into longtime dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual in Johnstown and other communities across the Rust Belt.

Recent polls show Democratic challenger Joseph R. Biden leading in Pennsylvania but the race tightening. The Real Clear Politics average of recent polls in the state gave Mr. Biden a 7-point advantage.

• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.

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