Updated 11:48 p.m. Oct. 21
A “Team Trump” bus tour stop featuring three surrogates for the Trump-Vance campaign originally scheduled for a fraternity house in State College will now be held on Tuesday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, according to an event listing on the campaign website.
Abel Maldonado, former lieutenant governor of California; Kash Patel, former Department of Defense chief of staff under Trump; and Monica Crowley, former assistant secretary of the Treasury for public affairs, are scheduled to speak at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Those interested in attending can request tickets online.
Acacia Fraternity, 234 Locust Lane, had been scheduled to host the event, according to a campaign email sent on Sunday night. But on Monday, a representative for the fraternity said the house could not meet the logistical needs of the event and that the campaign was considering other venues.
“Acacia supports freedom of speech and political discourse and is grateful a presidential campaign would want to visit,” Craig Riedinger, property manager for the house and vice president of facilities for the fraternity’s alumni association, said in a statement. “However, we are not appropriately staffed to meet the security and logistical requirements for such a visit.
“Acacia Fraternity is a non-partisan organization dedicated to fostering personal development, leadership, and brotherhood among our members. As an international fraternity, we do not endorse, support, or align ourselves with any political party, candidate, or ideology. Our focus remains on creating an environment where individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs feel welcome and respected.”
The tour is criss-crossing Pennsylvania this week with varied groups of speakers, starting Monday in southeastern Pa. and the Lehigh Valley and wrapping up in Hershey on Friday evening with Trump advisor Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa and Maldonado.
In State College, it will be the latest in a recent swell of political events. Trump supporter and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswany spoke at Penn State on Thursday and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stumped for the Kamala Harris campaign at The State Theatre on Friday. On Sunday, the “Blue Wall” swing state bus tour brought five Democratic governors, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, to the University Park campus for a rally in support of Harris across the street from Beaver Stadium.
Onward State’s Joe Lister contributed to this report.
