Donald Trump repeats false claims about Lancaster County and immigration at senior roundtable in Delaware County

Just one week before Election Day, former President Donald Trump schmoozed with supporters at a Delaware County roundtable as the candidates zero in on the crucial collar counties.

The Drexel Hill event, hosted by conservative nonprofit called Building America’s Future, was billed as focusing on senior citizens. But Trump darted between a wide range of topics, including immigration, the issue that has defined his political career.

“I’m a person who says it like it is,” Trump said to light applause from the room.

The suburban visit was sandwiched between a Tuesday morning news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and a rally in Allentown in the evening. He was also set to appear on Fox News that night for an interview with Sean Hannity.

Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have made frequent visits to Pennsylvania, where the race is virtually tied. Harris will be in Harrisburg on Wednesday.

Trump arrived at the Drexelbrook Event Center an hour and a half later than advertised and sat between Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.) on a stage.

Before taking questions, Trump spent 15 minutes making remarks, largely rambling about immigration, his political opponents, and even building a gym in his basement. He also falsely claimed that Lancaster County found 2,600 fake voter registrations after claiming earlier that day the county encountered “fake ballots.” He also briefly mentioned York County.

Both counties reported encountering voter registration applications with signs of potential fraud, and Lancaster County officials announced they were reviewing two batches of voter registration applications, totaling 2,500 registrations, that had been turned in right before the registration deadline.

“We have a very good DA, and he’s probably going to do his thing, and I hope he will, but it’s, it’s, all written by the same hand,” Trump said, misgendering Lancaster District Attorney Heather Adams. “OK, maybe that’s just coincidence. Maybe everybody has exactly the same handwriting there.”

He then mentioned York County before segueing to talk about a brief stint lifting weights. “And then we have in York, I remember York, easy to remember because I used to lift weights for about a week,” he said. He said he used to order weights manufactured there.

The closest topic to senior issues he touched on before taking questions was touting the “Right to Try” policy that he signed into law as president in 2018, which allows terminally ill patients to use certain drugs that have not yet been approved by the FDA. The FDA previously offered clinical trials to access unapproved drugs. He repeated a past claim that the policy has saved thousands of lives, which is not supported by evidence.

Attendees then asked Trump about a range of issues, including crime and Medicare.

Maribel Valdez, a stroke survivor who said she is originally from Puerto Rico, told Trump that “Puerto Rico stands behind you” as the former president’s campaign deals with heavy backlash from pundits and Democrats over comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s comments about Puerto Rico — which he called a “floating pile of garbage” — at Trump’s rally Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Joe Rooney, a retired Marine pilot who then flew for Delta Airlines and lives in Abington, asked Donald Trump if he had seen the John Wayne movie True Grit.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you have true grit,” Rooney said to Trump.

Rooney pointed out how Minnesota — the state where Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, is governor — is one of 10 states that tax Social Security at the state level, a practice he called “anti-senior.”

“She chose him,” Rooney said of Harris and Walz. He then asked Trump if undocumented immigrants are receiving Social Security benefits and Medicare.

Trump jumped on the question about illegal immigration, claiming that “the reason they come” is because the government says “we’re going to give you health care,” Social Security, and education.

Noncitizens with proof of being in the United States legally can receive Social Security benefits if they are eligible, but undocumented immigrants without any provable legal status cannot just receive these benefits. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally funded health care.

Maryann Brink, 77, and her husband, Alan Brink, 76, of Radnor, sat underneath two chandeliers toward the back of the room as they waited for Trump to arrive.

Maryann Brink said she wants one thing from the former president: “Don’t tax my Social Security.”

Trump has publicly pledged to not cut Social Security and Medicare, but experts warn his policy platform, which includes tax cuts on Social Security, could deplete the program’s cash reserves in six years, which would be sooner than previous projections showing the program insolvent by 2034, Forbes reported.

The Brinks said they own a Spring City manufacturing plant that produced green lampposts seen in Philadelphia. Alan Brink said the company’s suppliers are “adversely affected” by imports from China and Mexico, so he’s in favor of Trump’s proposed tariffs.

Trump has indicated his intent to implement significant, widespread tariffs to raise enough government revenue to make up for significant deficits caused by policies like corporate tax cuts, but economists say it’s highly unlikely to work.

Building America’s Future, the group that hosted the event, has raised and spent more than $100 million over the last four years in support of Trump, the New York Times reported.

The organization is also the lone backer for two super PACS: Duty to America PAC, which has targeted young male and Black voters to cast their ballots for Trump, and Future Coalition PAC, which has aired ads in Michigan looking to highlight Harris’ pro-Israel status and the Jewish faith of her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.