President Donald Trump stopped in Erie Tuesday for a campaign rally exactly two weeks before Election Day. 

He arrived at Erie International Airport just before 7:30 p.m. to address thousands of supporters that had gathered throughout the day at North Coast Air. 

It was announced late Monday that President Trump would be accompanied to Erie by First Lady Melania Trump. However, a spokeswoman for the First Lady announced Tuesday morning that Mrs. Trump would not be coming to Erie after all, citing a 'lingering cough' from her bout with COVID-19. 

The president's speech, which clocked in at just over 54 minutes, was wide-ranging. It covered many of President Trump's traditional campaign issues including border security, health care, the economy and his administration's response to COVID-19. 

Trump criticized Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, saying he has imposed pandemic restrictions that are too harsh, and Pennsylvania needs to open up. 

"Pennsylvania has been shut down long enough," said Trump. "Get your governor to open it up." 

In an apparent nod to an issue about which many Pennsylvanians are passionate, the president also aired a video of Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris making disparaging comments about fracking.

Speaking on the economy, Trump said if Vice President Joe Biden is elected, "there will be a depression the likes of which no one has ever seen." He said 10,000 factories across the country closed while Biden was Vice President and claimed a Biden-Harris administration would slash a typical American income by $6,500. 

Trump brought up the Hunter Biden laptop issue, calling it a massive scandal Democrats are trying to suppress. 

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-16th), who had spoken earlier in the evening prior to President Trump's arrival, was called to the stage by the president to speak again. Trump called Kelly a "warrior" and "tough as hell" as he reintroduced Kelly to the crowd.

Kelly said President Trump is the "best president we will ever have in our lifetimes." He urged the crowd to "make America great again again by re-electing Donald Trump on Nov. 3." 

The president defended his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying he saved millions of lives by implementing a travel ban at the beginning of the pandemic. He also declared there would be 100 million vaccine doses by the end of the year.

He also blamed the pandemic for changes in his re-election campaign. Trump said before the pandemic hit, he had no plans to visit Erie. 

"Before the plague came in, I had it made," said Trump. "I wasn’t coming to Erie. I mean, I have to be honest, there was no way I was coming. I didn’t have to. I would’ve called you and said, 'Hey, Erie. You know, if you have a chance, get out and vote.' We had this thing won."

President Trump also said he will always support America's law enforcement. One of the most vocal moments of the rally was in response to that when the crowd began chanting, "Back the Blue."

Shortly before 8:45 p.m., the president wrapped up his speech by saying that in him, "You have a president that is standing up for the great people of Pennsylvania." He then called this election "the most important election in the history of our country". 

"If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole thing," Trump said. 

When he finished the speech, he spent a few minutes waving to and thanking supporters before he made his way back to Air Force One, which left just before 9 p.m. to return to Washington. 

No major problems were reported during the rally, although a small protest had to be broken up outside the airport when tensions escalated between protesters and supporters.

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