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‘Losing by Less’: Can Democrats Really Make Inroads in This Pennsylvania GOP Stronghold?

Trump is set to win traditionally conservative Lancaster County, an area essential to his path to victory in Pennsylvania. But the shift in population represents a much greater battle over the county’s identity and future.

Trump arrives for a town hall at Lancaster County Convention Center.
Former President Donald Trump arrives for a town hall at Lancaster County Convention Center. Evan Vucci/AP

LITITZ, PA — The stakes couldn’t have been higher Sunday ahead of Donald Trump’s rally in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where Republican surrogates have laid the groundwork to turn out new voters on a message focused on the economy and immigration.

But that’s not the message Trump delivered Sunday morning. Not even close.

Instead, Trump did what he normally does: He went off script, rambling about the integrity of the upcoming election in what has unarguably become the most crucial state to win in 2024.