Campaign

Trump Jr. campaigns in Pa.: Republicans ‘can’t take winning for granted’

by Ben Kamisar - 03/12/18 2:38 PM ET

CANONSBURG, Pa. — Donald Trump Jr. delivered a call to action to Republicans one day before the special House election, appearing alongside Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone at a tour of a local candy store as new polls show Saccone is at risk of losing the deep-red seat for the GOP.

“We don’t need people who are pretending to be conservative but will follow the mainstream and vote with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer,” Trump Jr. said, as he sat and ate ice cream with Saccone at Sarris Candies.

“I want someone in that office who will fight for America.”

{mosads}Trump Jr. touched down in the district Monday as part of the administration’s aggressive final push to keep the seat in GOP hands. President Trump and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway have also traveled to the district recently, as Republicans look to hold onto a deep-red district that may be slipping away.

Here at the candy shop, @DonaldJTrumpJr has a message for the employees: “Like Tony Montana, don’t get high on your own supply.” pic.twitter.com/MV29AKLuvt

— Ben Kamisar (@bkamisar) March 12, 2018

President Trump won the district by 20 points in 2016, but Democrats appear to be surging here ahead of the Tuesday election.

A new poll from Monmouth University released Monday showed Saccone 6 points behind Democrat Conor Lamb, with the Republican trailing in every turnout model.

Seated amid a scrum of reporters, Trump Jr. implored Republicans not to get complacent.

“Our guys just can’t take winning for granted. They have to get out there, they have to continue this fight — now, for the rest of ’18, in ’20,” he said, referring to his father’s reelection campaign.

“In eight years, we can make a real difference. We just can’t be lazy.”

When asked about the latest polling numbers that showed Saccone lagging, the candidate brushed the figures aside.

Sarris candy is @DonaldJTrumpJr approved it seems pic.twitter.com/mhj3TivlRz

— Ben Kamisar (@bkamisar) March 12, 2018

“I’m a walking poll — my wife and I meet thousands of people a day,” Saccone said. “I won my first House race in a 76 percent Democratic district where they said it couldn’t be done.”

The two men joined employees at the almost 70-year-old candy store for a tour through the shop and the sprawling assembly plant.

Donning hair nets, they traversed the back room where employees helped load pretzels and other candies into machines waiting to bathe them in chocolate. As they emerged past a row of chocolate bunnies, each more than two feet tall, Trump Jr. had a message for the employees.

“Like Tony Montana, don’t get high on your own supply,” Trump Jr. said, referring to the title character from the movie “Scarface.”