Free Republic

Wilmington, N.C. — Melania Trump is campaigning once again for her husband, this time during a Saturday afternoon rally at the Wilmington International Airport. "I have known this man for 18 years. Donald is a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He's strong, determined, bold and decisive," she said, reiterating the campaign slogan by telling voters her husband would make America great again. When Donald Trump began speaking, he quickly pulled Gov. Pat McCrory on stage, saying he has been "loyal to Trump from day one." "I want to thank your incredible governor. Get out and vote for him. He's a...

Darren Rutledge missed his opportunity to vote for the first African-American president. He was in prison. Today, Rutledge, his smile flecked with gold, works trimming beards at Incredible Creations Beauty and Barber shop here in downtown Cincinnati. With Hillary Clinton on the presidential ballot in Ohio, Rutledge is eager to have his chance to make a statement with his vote. Rutledge is African-American, part of a demographic coalition that flocked to Obama but has been somewhat less enthralled with Clinton. Crucially, his very participation in the election process is owed to a black woman: His sister, an employee at Cincinnati City...

Donald Trump’s campaign got another shakeup this morning, part of a reset that includes the first TV advertising in Florida and other battlegrounds. Trump has brought on Breitbart News’ Stephen Bannon as CEO, a man the campaign heralded for his combative style, and elevated Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager. Paul Manafort will remain as chairman. Conway is a former pollster for the Tampa Bay Times. “I have known Steve and Kellyanne both for many years. They are extremely capable, highly qualified people who love to win and know how to win,” Trump said in a statement. “I believe we’re adding...

Amish PAC endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump and launched billboards in Lancaster, Pennsylvania — west of Philadelphia where the Democratic National Convention is being held this week. "Pennsylvania has a good shot of going Republican in November and these billboards will certainly help by getting people registered and to the polls," said Ben King, the outreach director for Amish PAC. The goal of the billboards is to educate Amish and Mennonite voters about Trump.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell on Tuesday declared Pennsylvania "in play" for president, two days before his friend Hillary Clinton is slated to accept the Democratic nomination in Philadelphia. The reason? Republican nominee Donald Trump's rhetoric is resonating with "white, blue-collar workers," Rendell said at breakfast sponsored by Politico. "People have to understand, not withstanding presidential elections, Pennsylvania is not a blue state," Rendell said. "We have a Republican legislature." Rendell noted that Pennsylvania has more than 900,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, but his party's voters "don't turn out nearly as well" unless the presidency is on the ballot. Pennsylvania...

When most people think of battleground America, they think of Florida and Ohio, two of only three states (along with Nevada) that have voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1996. They tend not to think of Pennsylvania as a classic “swing state” — it has voted for the Democrat in every election since 1992, and it didn’t even crack the top 10 in 2012 campaign ad spending. But in 2016, Pennsylvania could be the keystone of the Electoral College and the ultimate arbiter of whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.