Trump Parade, Women's March Converge In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Two dueling political rallies converged at the intersection of Main and State streets in Doylestown Borough Saturday afternoon.

Despite a few tense moments between the groups, the demonstrations remained peaceful throughout the day, with supporters of the Biden/Harris ticket lining the sidewalks as a pro-Trump parade drove through the center of town.

More than 100 people began to gather at each corner of the busy intersection shortly before 12 p.m. for the women's march, which was organized in response to President Trump's decision to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court.

By 1 p.m., the pro-Trump parade from Newtown had arrived, with hundreds of cars, trucks and motorcycles driving down Main Street outfitted with pro-Trump signs, flags and decals. Drivers honked their horns and revved their engines as they passed through the intersection, sometimes stopping to engage with Biden supporters on the street.

More than 6,000 vehicles registered for the parade, according to People 4 Trump Founder Jim Worthington.

Several members of the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, Buckingham Township Police Department and Doylestown Fire Department maintained a regular presence at the intersection, directing traffic and generally keeping the peace between the groups.

Colleen Finnegan Gross, of Doylestown, was there with her daughter, Ella, to show support for women's rights.

"We want the community to flourish and thrive," Gross said. "One thing we all have in common is we love this town."

One block away, Newtown man Howard Silvers was standing with a small group of fellow Trump supporters to greet the parade, which was organized by the People 4 Trump political organization. It was his first time ever participating in a political rally.

"What breaks my heart is that we're so divided," Silvers said. "I wanted to come out here on a beautiful day and meet some fellow Trump supporters."

While he won't be voting for Joe Biden, Silvers said he supports everyone's right to protest.

"This is what America is," he said. "I think we can all agree this is a really neat town."

Pennsylvania is once again a key battleground state in the 2020 election. While most polls show Biden enjoying leads over Trump in Pennsylvania, Republicans have registered twice as many new voters as Democrats in the state since June.

Trump likely needs to win Pennsylvania to win a second term.

The Keystone State's 20 electoral votes are tied for fifth-most, and Pennsylvania was one of three traditionally blue states that propelled Trump to victory in 2016. Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to win Pennsylvania since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

But Trump's margin of victory over Hillary Clinton was razor thin. More than 6 million votes were cast in Pennsylvania, and Trump won by 44,000 — less than 1 percent. Even a minuscule voter shift could tip the state to Biden.

In the 2016 presidential election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton captured slightly more voters in Bucks County than Donald Trump.

A Monmouth University poll released last week had Biden leading over Trump by a 54 percent to 42 percent margin. That's a significant jump over last month's Monmouth survey that had Biden leading by just 4 percentage points in the Keystone State with a 49-45 percent edge.