This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
Published on October 7, 2019, a time when America was more divided than ever, according to many residents of Erie County, Pennsylvania.
Ms. Daniels, a supporter of Mr. Trump, praised his use of Twitter, calling it a 'brilliant' diversionary tactic. 'He plays you, the press, like a fiddle, and you fall for it every time,' she said. 'He gets everybody talking and it sucks up airtime for days. Meanwhile over in the corner, we're working on this thing nobody knows about.'
When asked about Mr. Trump's thousands of documented falsehoods in office, Ms. Daniels pushed back, questioning the credibility of news sources. 'Based on whose sources?' she demanded. 'Just because the news tells me that his claims are false is a little hypocritical because we had to listen about Russia, Russia, Russia for two years, and they were wrong. Who are they to say what's coming out of his mouth is wrong?'
Despite Mr. Trump's efforts to flip Pennsylvania counties, Democrats did well in the 2018 midterms, carrying Erie, Luzerne, and Northampton counties. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, won all three counties, while Ron DiNicola, a Democrat running for Congress, won Erie County by 20 points.
However, the divisiveness of America under Mr. Trump has taken a toll on local communities. Stephanie Johnson, a substitute teacher and registered Libertarian in Erie County, worries that a decline in attendance at her family's church is related to the coarseness and lack of compassion spread by the president. 'Like, it's just gotten to the point where nobody has any compassion for each other,' she said.
Despite these concerns, Ryan Bizzarro, a Democratic state representative from Erie County, remains optimistic about Mr. Trump's chances in 2020. 'If this economy holds on,' he said, 'he's going to be tough to beat.'
