WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump recognized on Wednesday that many voters have a negative view of him, and he needs to convince them to also disapprove of Vice President Kamala Harris.

“”You can’t risk it! You have to support me!” Trump exclaimed while talking about fracking during a discussion with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Trump further stated: “Even if you have reservations about me! You might say ‘I can’t stand him, but there’s no way I’m voting for her!'”

This entreaty to voters who are not his fans took place during what Fox News described as a Trump “town hall” in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where there were no audience questions during the hour-long session.

At one moment, Trump seemed unsure about his opponent, expressing confusion over how New Hampshire voters could support President Joe Biden, despite Biden having exited the race in July.

Other noteworthy points include:

Preparing for the upcoming debate

Trump previewed a key element of his strategy ahead of the debate scheduled for Tuesday: criticize Harris and aim to lower her approval ratings.

In his dialogue concerning Harris, Trump targeted her performance on economic issues, immigration, and foreign relations.

His appeal for votes “even if you don’t like me” emerged amid a discussion about Harris’ historical opposition to fracking, an important industry in Pennsylvania. Last week, in a CNN interview, Harris stated she would not impose a ban on fracking.

Trump also took the opportunity to raise concerns about the debate’s sponsor, ABC News, questioning its impartiality.

He insinuated that ABC might provide advance questions to the Harris campaign, even though such practices are against the rules. Trump had previously made similar claims about CNN before his June 27 debate with Biden.

Fox is set to air audience questions directed at Trump later in the week.

Focus on early voting

Trump emphasized the importance of early voting, which begins this month in several states, including Pennsylvania.

This includes mail-in voting, which he has opposed in the past, but which played a significant role in Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania and other states.

The Fox News event occurred as Harris continues to maintain a lead in national polls, such as having 48%-43% advantage over Trump in a new YSL News/Suffolk Poll.

Surveys still indicate close races in seven crucial states likely to determine the presidential election: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina.

‘We’re not unusual’

Trump expressed his irritation regarding a common Democratic remark: that he and his running mate JD Vance are simply “odd” individuals.

Referring to Democratic running mate Tim Walz, Trump stated: “There’s something peculiar about that guy. He’s definitely odd. JD is not odd. He’s a solid person. I consider myself to be a very solid person. We’re not unusual. Maybe we are other things, but we’re not unusual.”

Increased security measures

The risk of violence continues to shadow the campaign, especially following a recent school shooting in Georgia and the enhanced security protocols at political events since the attempted assassination of Trump in July.

“It’s a troubled and angry world for many reasons,” Trump commented.

He later said the campaign “is not an easy task. I was shot at. You know, I mean, I was hit. I was hit.”