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Trump opens a rally in Pennsylvania by talking about Arnold Palmer's genitals


Trump opens a rally in Pennsylvania by talking about Arnold Palmer's genitals

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump's campaign indicated he would begin previewing his closing arguments Saturday evening, barely two weeks before Election Day. But the former president opened his rally with a detailed story about Arnold Palmer, even praising the late, legendary golfer's genitals at one point.

Trump campaigned in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where Palmer was born in 1929 and learned golf from his father, who suffered from polio and was head pro and greenskeeper at the local country club.

Politicians greeting Palmer in his hometown is nothing new. But Trump spent a full 12 minutes at the start of his speech, even suggesting how much more fun the evening would be if Palmer, who died in 2016, could join him on stage.

“Arnold Palmer was very much a man, and I say that with all due respect to women,” Trump said. “This is a guy who was completely a man.”

Then he went even further.

“When he was showering with other professionals, they came out of there. They said, ‘Oh my God.’ That’s unbelievable,” Trump said, laughing. “I had to say that. We have women here who are very cultured, but they used to think of Arnold as a man.”

Trump senior adviser Jason Miller told reporters before the speech that Trump planned to preview and “start dealing with” his closing argument against Vice President Kamala Harris. Traditionally, candidates use their final days on the campaign trail to tell voters why they deserve to win the White House.

Trump ultimately touched on many of his favorite campaign themes, but didn't provide much in the way of reframing the race or why he should win it. Instead, he boasted about creating strong tax policies and a strong military during his first term.

He called Harris “crazy” and added an obscenity.

“You need to tell Kamala Harris that you've had enough, that you just can't take it anymore, we can't stand you anymore, you're as – vice president,” Trump said to cheers from the crowd. “The worst. You are the worst vice president. Kamala, you're fired. Get out of here.”

He also criticized Harris for suggesting during her unsuccessful presidential run in 2020 that she would support a ban on hydraulic fracturing, which is important to Pennsylvania's economy and a position Harris' campaign said she no longer supports.

Trump invited members of a local steel workers union to the stage who supported him. He put on a construction hat with his name on it.

He also said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza.

“He said, 'It's unbelievable what happened,'” Trump said of Netanyahu's call, before moving on to criticize President Joe Biden, saying the Israeli prime minister “wouldn't listen to Biden.”

Trump praised the rowdy crowd outside and at an airport, but also made it clear that there was more conspicuous security around him after two assassination attempts, saying: “They give you a little more security these days, have you noticed?”

“I’ve got more machine guns than I’ve ever seen – look at these guys,” he said, referring to security. He was interrupted by shouts from the crowd of “USA!” USA!” Before we continue: “We have more people, and every one of them is also a central cast, holy shit.”

Then he attributed it back to Latrobe's native son and added, “You look like Arnold.” It doesn’t get any better than Arnold.”

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Weissert reported from Washington.

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