Summer Lee absent from Obama’s Pittsburgh rally for Harris
Former president's appearance at Harris rally sparked political intrigue
With more than $1 billion in political advertising already spent this year, it’s no secret that Pittsburgh is at the epicenter of the 2024 general election.
Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as their surrogates, have spent the last several months crisscrossing the state, attempting to curry favor and win votes.
Now it appears that in the lead-up to one of those visits, there was enough political intrigue for a sweeps season episode of “The West Wing.”
If showrunner Aaron Sorkin had penned a script based on last week’s events, he might have started the drama on the morning of Oct. 7. As Pittsburgh’s Jewish community prepared to commemorate the 1,200 murdered by Hamas, as well as the hostages captured by the internationally-recognized terror organization, a joint statement was released by three local politicians: Rep. Summer Lee, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.
The statement created false moral equivalencies and failed to mention Hamas or antisemitism. It called for a cease-fire and claimed that the United States couldn’t afford to both support Israel and pay for America’s healthcare and infrastructure needs. It failed to mention that the war was initiated by the terrorist organization and instead alleged that the “violence didn’t start on Oct. 7,” laying the blame on Israel.
The message, released on social media, was immediately condemned by several local politicians and members of the Jewish community, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
State Rep. Dan Frankel condemned the statement, saying it lashed out against Israel on “the anniversary of a universally condemned terrorist attack on civilians.” Sen. Bob Casey said he “could not disagree more with the statement.”
As the commemoration ceremony began, Gainey released a new statement, hoping to tamp down the criticism against him for signing onto the missive. It didn’t work.
After a short commercial break, Sorkin might have jumped ahead to a seemingly unconnected story line — former President Barack Obama stumping for Harris in Pittsburgh on Oct. 10. The event would have been written to appear as a success, the type of rally political operatives hope for: well attended, garnering good press and drawing local dignitaries.
As the cameras panned across the stage and through the audience, though, the absence of one person would be noted.
Lee was not at the event — an odd situation for a politician who has worked hard to raise her profile, endeavoring to become a leading voice in her party’s progressive wing.
Almost immediately the rumors began to spread.
The next morning, Jewish Insider published the story “Rep. Summer Lee absent from Kamala Harris’ Pittsburgh rally,”
writing that the politician was denied a speaking spot at the event.
The Chronicle spoke with several local Jewish insiders who confirmed the tale, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
According to several sources, the Harris campaign was contacted by members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, voicing their outrage at Lee’s Oct. 7 statement and cautioning of the optics of having the congresswoman on stage with a surrogate as large as Obama.
Lee may have caught wind of the dissent. She altered her online statement to include the word “Hamas” and changed some of the more objectionable language.
The gambit didn’t pay off.
“Long story short, they pulled Summer,” a source told the Chronicle. “Summer was supposed to speak, and they pulled her.”
Realizing the importance of every vote, the Harris campaign’s political calculus understood that Lee would offend more than assuage. Despite the controversy, Gainey appears to have been given a pass and spoke at the event.
Apparently, even Obama had heard about the Lee/Gainey/Innamorato statement and was upset.
“He knows Pennsylvania is a swing state and every vote counts,” the source said. “Someone who decide to p— off an entire community for their own self-righteousness is not a team player.”
According to Jewish Insider, Obama did not mention Lee from the stage, even though she spoke before him at a Pennsylvania rally in 2022.
Lee did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for comment.
The list of political winners and losers won’t be known until after the November election, but one thing is clear: Sorkin’s Pittsburgh ratings would have rivaled a Steelers’ game. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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