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Watching The First Debate With Hundreds Of Trump Supporters In Pennsylvania

Fans of President Donald Trump in Lititz, Pennsylvania, watch a stream of the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland. (Rachel Wisniewski / Reuters)
Fans of President Donald Trump in Lititz, Pennsylvania, watch a stream of the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland. (Rachel Wisniewski / Reuters)

LITITZ, Pennsylvania — Joel and Heidi Shoemaker were among the last to leave a debate watch party sponsored by President Donald Trump’s campaign Tuesday night in rural Pennsylvania. Both wore “Trump 2020” baseball caps — his camouflage, hers pink — as they helped fold and stack chairs inside a giant tent on a dairy farm in Lancaster County.

“Awesome, definitely awesome” was Joel’s review of one of the most chaotic debates in modern American history. “We think Trump did pretty well against Biden.”

The Shoemakers, who’d driven an hour here from Mechanicsburg, seemed unbothered that the president had declined during the debate to denounce white supremacy; or that he had insinuated any election he loses this November might be illegitimate; or that he’d downplayed the importance of wearing a mask during a pandemic that’s already killed over 200,000 Americans.

The couple, who have five children and have struggled to earn money during this year’s economic shutdowns — he’s a handyman and she’s a homemaker — also were satisfied with Trump’s response to questions about a recent blockbuster report showing that he, despite being a billionaire, has paid little to no federal income taxes for years. (“Even if that is true,” Joel said, “I really don’t care.”)

No, the Shoemakers were all smiles, happy to have the opportunity to laugh along with fellow Trump supporters as the president interrupted and insulted his Democratic opponent on TV.

They were among about a thousand people who came to Meadow Spring Farm in Lititz on Tuesday to watch the first presidential debate of 2020, and to see Vice President Mike Pence speak in a key battleground state that Trump won in 2016 but where polls now show him trailing.

At a security screening checkpoint before the event, Trump supporters swatted away spotted lantern flies — an invasive species native to China that’s threatening crops in this part of Pennsylvania. (“Everything bad...

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