Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick sits down with Fox Digital following RNC speech
Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick spoke with Fox News Digital from Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention is being held through Thursday, July 18, 2024.
MILWAUKEE – Political woes stacking up against the Biden administration will "absolutely" injure the campaign of longtime Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, according to his Republican Senate competitor, Dave McCormick.
"I think right now, what's becoming clear is that this is an election that's a choice between strength and weakness at the top of the ticket, and strength and weakness between myself and Sen. Casey," McCormick said, saying that Biden's record in office will "absolutely" hurt Casey's campaign.
"The fact remains that 80% of Pennsylvanians think the country is going in the wrong direction. These pocketbook issues, like sky-high inflation, 20% rise in prices, 60% of Pennsylvanians live paycheck to paycheck. And it's because of the bad decisions and policies of Casey and Biden – spending, the war on energy, the wide open border, 4,000 fentanyl deaths last year for Pennsylvanians," McCormick said.
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McCormick is an Army combat veteran and former CEO of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, who served as the Commerce Department's Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security as well as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs under former President George W. Bush’s administration. He is competing in one of the most highly anticipated Senate elections in the nation.
Businessman and politician Dave McCormick speaks during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
Democrats have increasingly called on Biden to drop out of the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance last month, which included the president tripping over his words, losing his train of thought at times and delivering responses with a raspy voice. California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff was the latest member of his party on Wednesday to call on Biden to bow out.
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"While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch," Schiff said. "And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election."
McCormick is running to serve Biden's childhood home state as a senator, working to defeat Casey, who has held onto his seat since 2007. At the federal level, Pennsylvania is also a key battleground state this election cycle, which narrowly voted for Trump in 2016, and elected Biden in 2020 by a 1.17% margin.
McCormick took the RNC's stage on Tuesday evening, where he said the election is a "choice between America’s greatness or its sad, disgraceful decline," while taking a jab at his competition.
Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and President Biden (Getty Images)
"My opponent’s name is Bob Casey, but you probably don’t know him, ’cause he does nothing," McCormick said. "For 18 years, Bob Casey has been warming a chair and drawing a paycheck. He is a do-nothing, out-of-touch, liberal, career politician."
"It feels like a privilege to be here, to be the nominee, to be able to do this. The energy in the room is electric. You can feel it. I think you can feel a sense of unity. I think Saturday's shooting was even further unifying of our party. It was also sobering. We realized we were an inch away from losing the president, and what a catastrophic thing that would have been for the country. So I'm excited to be here, and I think we've got a clear vision for the future," he said.
McCormick underscored that the RNC and Trump's messaging has been one of unity, especially following the assassination attempt on Trump's life in Butler, Pa., on Saturday evening during a rally. Trump was hit in the ear during the attack, while two other attendees were injured, and another man, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was shot and killed protecting his wife and family.
Former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance applaud during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Callaghan O'hare)
McCormick said that Trump's selection of Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate will further the message of unity and will also likely help down ballot Senate races across the nation, most notably for McCormick in Pennsylvania.
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"I'm excited about it. He's a veteran, that's a big deal in Pennsylvania – we have a huge, huge veterans community. He understands Appalachia. He understands the plight of working families, which is a huge deal in Western Pennsylvania, where I live. He understands the importance of natural gas, and the energy industry is a huge part of Pennsylvania's future," McCormick said, calling Vance a "young, energetic leader."
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