Inflation, immigration and fracking on the minds of attendees at Erie Trump rally

The first people to arrive at Donald Trump's rally on Sunday in Erie showed up at 1:30 a.m., more than 12 hours before the former president was scheduled to speak.

"Front Row Joes," as they call themselves, said they've been traveling the country, attending dozens of Trump rallies, before making their way to Erie — a city pivotal in the upcoming presidential election.

Throughout the dreary morning, thousands lined up behind them — descending upon the shore of the Lake Erie bay to see the former president speak at the Bayfront Convention Center. Trump was scheduled to get on stage at 2 p.m.

The appearance marks the former president's second visit to Western Pennsylvania in a week, as the candidate blitz of the swing state continues. Trump was in Indiana and Westmoreland counties on Monday. Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris went to Carnegie Mellon University on Wednesday to talk economics and GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance was in Monroeville Saturday for an event tied to the topics of addiction and religion.

Pollsters and number-crunchers see the path to the White House as coming directly through the electoral college votes held by the Keystone state.

And, in a critical state, Erie holds special status. In the past two elections, the candidate who went on to win the presidency did so after declaring victory in Erie County; Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, albeit by a less than 2% margin in each of those years.

Those in line on Sunday for the former president's latest event were a mix of hard-core fans who've been with him for years and some who said more recent issues have convinced them he's the right candidate this time around.

Topics ranging from the economy to immigration and even the issue of allowing fracking to tap oil and gas in the state were on the minds of those at the Erie venue.

Jared Petri, a 24-year-old from Cleveland, was part of the group at the front of the line. "Some of us travel all over the country to follow [Trump] all over," said Mr. Petri, who has attended over 30 Trump rallies.

He was joined by Greg Cari, 61, from Lakewood, New York, who cast his first presidential ballot in 2016 when he voted for Trump.

"He piqued my interest and I liked what he had to say, and he wasn't a politician, so I'm like, 'I like this guy,'" Mr. Cari said. "When I listened to what he had to say and the things that were going on in this country that we didn't pay attention to before he got into office."

The consensus among the group at the front of the line, aside from the need for coffee, was that immigration and the economy were the primary issues on this year's presidential ballot.

That sentiment was echoed by others in the crowd.

"I'm looking at immigration and inflation," said Jason Dunkle, a 43-year-old from Franklin. "Now you go to a store, you get three bags of groceries and it cost you as much as a half a [shopping] cart used to. Everything seems to be going down hill right now."

Mr. Dunkle, who works in heavy equipment repair, said he is voting for Trump because life had been better for him four or five years ago.

Inflation has been a persistent problem in recent years, hitting a peak in 2022. It wasn't until this month that the Federal Reserve policymakers saw inflation indicators fall to levels that would justify cutting benchmark interest rates.

Mr. Dunkle was not the only one at Sunday's rally who said their vote will be heavily influenced by the state of their wallet. Gracie Smith, 43, who lives in Erie, said she has been frequenting the local food bank to make ends meet and she hopes a Trump presidency will provide a boost to the economy.

"I should not be crying every time I go to the grocery store trying to figure out what can last me the longest," she said.

Immigration, another key campaign issue, was top of mind among those in line, as it has been for the candidates. Ms. Harris went to the border last week to call for further tightening of asylum restrictions, with Trump using a rally in Wisconsin a day later to blame her for migrants committing crimes after entering the U.S. illegally.

Ms. Smith, who said her mother is Mexican and moved to the United States after meeting her American father, lamented the state of immigration in the country.

"Being a resident alien, she did not have the same rights ... we understood that," Ms. Smith said. "Now she's a citizen and does have certain rights now. So to see people come in illegally and get food stamps, housing alotment. I can't even get food."

Dennis Gore, 59, from nearby Buffalo, New York, hopes the former president can curtail illegal immigration, worrying that people with criminal records are getting in. "It's ridiculous common sense to make sure they're vetted and safe to come here ... It's a very common sense thing, but the Democrats don't care. They just want power."

Up until a few weeks ago, Anthony McGowan, 50, had been a lifelong Democrat. He said he changed his mind after seeing Ms. Harris speak on television. He wasn't convinced. "She never answers a direct question. You can see right through her."

In his opinion, "Trump says it like it is. You know what you're getting from Trump."

Fracking — a controversial drilling method used to extract petroleum or natural gas from deep in the earth — has routinely been a point of contention between Republicans and Democrats, especially in Pennsylvania.

Ms. Harris has said repeatedly that she will not ban fracking — an issue that has dogged her campaign in the must-win battleground of Pennsylvania.

For the Millers, who travelled to Erie on Sunday from just outside of Marienville in Forest County, a downturn in the energy industry can be felt throughout their community.

"In our area you either have oil and gas or you have timber, that's it," said Jake Miller, 66, who attended the rally with his wife Sherry and 38-year-old daughter Sarah. "That whole [fracking] industry, I've been around it my whole life, and it's almost completely stopped. It was booming."