A county Republican Party in Philadelphia on Thursday stated that four protesters entered its headquarters, walked up its stairs to the part of the facility being used by the Trump campaign, and then cornered two women who were volunteering for former President Donald Trump.
The intimidation reportedly occurred in Delaware County, part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, at the Media, Pennsylvania headquarters of the Delaware County Republican Party (Delco GOP).
A press release published by the Delco GOP revealed the incident reportedly happened on the morning of October 10.
Calling the behavior “disturbing,” the party said four protesters “entered the building and proceeded to harass and intimidate two volunteers who were working in the Trump campaign office on the second floor.”
The party said there were two female protesters and two male protesters and that the women volunteering in the Trump campaign office felt trapped in the building by the protesters’ presence as they chanted.
“Outnumbered two to four, the women were cornered,” wrote the Delco GOP, adding the protesters “aggressively chanted in their faces and refused to leave despite being told to do so.”
A statement from the DelcoGOP on this morning's incident. pic.twitter.com/xImnngtxn2
— DELCOGOP (@DELCOGOPpa) October 10, 2024
The volunteers were reportedly “shaken and in tears,” and felt trapped until Upper Chichester GOP leader David Bartholf heard the chanting and was successful in persuading the protesters to leave the premises.
Delco GOP stated that police were called, but they did not arrive to the party headquarters until after the incident concluded.
“This type of harassment – a descent into threats or intimidation – ought to have no place in our community,” the party stated, adding that it is “committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its volunteers and staff and will work with local authorities to ensure incidents like this do not happen again.”
The party claimed it has already taken steps to improve security for its volunteers and employees in the wake of the incident.
It maintained it would, “not be deterred from its mission to uphold a free, fair, and civil democratic process,” and declared, “Victory will be our answer to these despicable tactics.”
Gabriella Mendez, who is running for State Representative in the 162nd Legislative District, expressed gratitude to those who contacted her team after the incident in a post to the social media platform X published on Friday.
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone who reached out to check in with my team after the incident yesterday,” wrote Mendez. “Such behavior is unacceptable [and] will not be tolerated.”
Statement from the Delco GOP Regarding Yesterday's Incident:
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who reached out to check in with my team after the incident yesterday.
Such behavior is unacceptable & will not be tolerated. https://t.co/G7StXPFGWF
— Gabriella Mendez for PA (@GabMendezforPA) October 11, 2024
The Pennsylvania Daily Star contacted Delco GOP for additional details about the incident, but did not receive an immediate response.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Crime Scene Tape” by Tony Webster. CC BY-SA 4.0.
