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NEWTOWN, Pa. — Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump — wife of Eric Trump and daughter-in-law to the former president — and other officials stumped for election integrity in Pennsylvania Tuesday afternoon, with even attendees telling The Post they plan to vote by mail.

“We want to have an army of people across this country — 100,000 people strong — to ensure integrity in our elections,” Trump told the standing-room-only crowd in Newtown, Bucks County.

Trump stopped in Pennsylvania as part of the RNC’s “Protect The Vote Tour,” which opened in Michigan Friday and will continue as the party seeks to train poll watchers and legal experts to monitor key polling locations across the country.


  RNC co-chair Lara Trump — the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump — speaks at her organization’s “Protect The Vote” tour in Newtown, Pa., Tuesday, June 18, 2024. AP Photo/Derik Hamilton RNC co-chair Lara Trump — the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump — speaks at her organization’s “Protect The Vote” tour in Newtown, Pa., Tuesday, June 18, 2024. AP Photo/Derik Hamilton

  Trump told volunteers she wants to build a 100,000 person “army” to help “ensure integrity in our elections.” AP Photo/Derik Hamilton Trump told volunteers she wants to build a 100,000 person “army” to help “ensure integrity in our elections.” AP Photo/Derik Hamilton

She says it’s part of an effort to ensure “every legal vote” is counted in November’s election, as the rise of mail-in ballots has raised new procedural questions.

“This is unlike anything we’ve ever done before,” Trump said. “Not only are we training people to be poll watchers, we can train people to be poll workers, to actually work in . . . the tabulation centers where the mail-in ballots come in.” 

Trump was joined by RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi — a key member of the defense team in Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. All speakers delivered brief remarks and were well-received by attendees.

In outlining his vision for the RNC’s election-integrity tour, Whatley said his organization has previously tried to focus on too many things.

The chairman said two main priorities should be get-out-the-vote efforts and “protecting” the vote — which he defined as ensuring state election laws are followed while supporting “common sense” measures, such as voter-ID requirements and periodically wiping voter rolls in future elections.


  Trump said the RNC is training people to work in tabulation centers for mail-in voting.
 Trump said the RNC is training people to work in tabulation centers for mail-in voting.

  Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), RNC chairman Michael Whatley co-chair Lara Trump and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi take questions outside the event in Newtown, Pa., on Tuesday. AP Photo/Derik Hamilton Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), RNC chairman Michael Whatley co-chair Lara Trump and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi take questions outside the event in Newtown, Pa., on Tuesday. AP Photo/Derik Hamilton

Whatley also highlighted the importance of being “in the room” to uphold the electoral process — drawing upon his experience as an attorney working on the infamous 2000 Bush-Gore recount in Broward County, Florida.

“If we had not had the 400+ attorneys that we had down there, we would be talking about President Gore, not President Bush,” Whatley said. “It has absolutely stuck with me since that day how important it is for us to be in the room.”


  RNC-branded “Protect The Vote” signs line a table with further information that greeted aspiring poll workers at the election integrity event Tuesday in Newtown, Pa.
 RNC-branded “Protect The Vote” signs line a table with further information that greeted aspiring poll workers at the election integrity event Tuesday in Newtown, Pa.

Those attending the event — which included a closed-to-press training session for aspiring poll watchers — expressed concerns with election integrity but offered various plans for their civic engagement this fall as the party’s switched its stance and embraced mail-in voting.

“I’m gonna [vote] by mail, just in case at the last moment I get sick, dog-sitting duty or grandmother-sitting duty,” said Kathy Kopp. “I’m making sure my vote gets in there.”

“I’m concerned with in-person voting as well as mail-in voting,” said Lucy Betzler, a supporter of ID requirements who also plans to vote by mail. “If someone wants to cheat, they’ll find a way.”


  Kathy Kopp (left) and Lucy Betzler (right) attended the RNC’s “Protect The Vote Tour” in Newtown, Pa., Tuesday.
 Kathy Kopp (left) and Lucy Betzler (right) attended the RNC’s “Protect The Vote Tour” in Newtown, Pa., Tuesday.

Another woman told The Post she plans to vote in person and was most excited to hear Lara Trump speak Tuesday.

“I want to meet a strong woman who is going to make a difference in the RNC,” said the woman, who did not give her name because of a commitment to her insurance job. “She is absolutely amazing, and they did an excellent job in putting her in that position.”

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