WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump made a stop Monday at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Flanked by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, Alabama senator Jeff Sessions and several other local lawmakers, Trump made his passionate plea to have the packed arena get out and vote come Nov. 8.
Over 9,000 of Trump’s biggest fans filled the arena for the “great movement.” And he thanked them profusely.
“We’ve broke the attendance record,” Trump said as he opened his speech, over 30 minutes late, mentioning there were still people filtering in from the outside and asking if he should wait another hour for them. “Is there anymore fun than a Trump rally?”
It didn’t take Trump long in his speech to get the crowd amp’d up; all he needed to do was mention Hillary Clinton.
“She’s as crooked as a $3 bill,” Trump said about Clinton’s deleted e-mails.
Over the weekend, Wikileaks distributed Clinton’s Wall Street speeches.
“I love Wikileaks,” Trump declared.
From immigration to natural gas, jobs to Obamacare, the arena cheered (and boo’d when necessary) as Trump presented his policies during a nearly-hour long speech to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Trump encouraged those in attendance to go home to their wives, husbands and children and remind them to vote for him on Election Day.
“We have to make sure this election isn’t stolen from us,” he rallied.
Before he came on stage with local Congressmen Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, and Thomas A. Marino, R-Lycoming Township, named ‘Thunder and Lightening’ in the campaign, Trump said he read a poll where he was three points behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania.
“Even the polls are crooked,” he said, getting a loud cheer from the crowd.
Trump, who is a self-proclaimed anti-politician, said he doesn’t like politicians, but he makes exceptions for some, especially Barletta and Marino.
But the people in the crowd responded the most when Trump talked about how bad the media is. Chants claiming “CNN sucks” and “drop dead media” permeated the air.
“Without the media, Hillary Clinton couldn’t be elected dog catcher,” Trump said.
During the speech, Trump spotted a toddler, Hunter Tirpak, dressed in his likeness. He stopped the speech and brought the toddler from mother, Jessica’s arms.
“Do you want to go back to them (parents), or stay with Donald Trump,” Trump asked the kid.
“Trump!” Hunter yelled into the microphone. The crowd roared before Trump was able to continue his speech again.
The New York businessman said he’s put up $100 million of his own money for the campaign but said after the election is over, it would amount to more.
“If we don’t win, it will be the biggest waste of time, energy and money,” Trump said.
His speech touched on the Middle East, especially Syria. He wants to make safe zones for residents of the war-torn country and wants to make the Gulf States — Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — pay for the zones.
Also paying for items, Trump wants to make Mexico pay for a wall. He had a shout and response with the crowd over “the wall.”
“What are we going to build,” he asked.
“A wall!” The crowd told him.
“And who is going to pay for it,” Trump asked.
“Mexico,” the crowd said before cheering.
“The wall is going to stop the people from coming in completely,” Trump said mentioning the wall will also stop “the poison (heroin)” epidemic.
Before the speech, Barletta, Marino, and State Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Township, took the stage.
Toohill said she doesn’t mind having a woman president one day, as long as it’s not Clinton.
“The only thing growing is the Clinton foundation bank account,” Toohill said of Clinton’s time as a New York Congresswoman and U.S. Secretary of State.
The visit was his third in 2016, the second at the arena, visiting first in April, before primary day. Trump visited Lackawanna College in June, with running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
The Republican nominee spent the afternoon in Ambridge, northwest of Pittsburgh.
