Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh for several days, preparing for debate (2024)

HARRIS WILL DO WHILE SHE’S HERE. REPORTER SOME STREET CLOSINGS, NO PARKING SIGNS FLASHING LIGHTS, SECRET SERVICE, LOTS OF ACTIVITY IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH AS VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS SETS UP A SORT OF DEBATE CAMP IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA. LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR CAUGHT VIDEO OF THE HARRIS MOTORCADE COMING INTO DOWNTOWN. VIEWER VIDEO SHARED WITH US SHOWS THOSE MOTORCADE VEHICLES PULLING UP OUTSIDE THE OMNI WILLIAM PENN HOTEL AND INTO A SECURITY TENT. WOW. IT’S LIKE A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE. I MEAN, I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I THINK IT’S PRETTY COOL. WELL, IT BRINGS EXCITEMENT, THAT’S FOR SURE. IT’S NOT YOUR TYPICAL THURSDAY. EVEN WITHOUT GETTING A GLIMPSE OF THE VP. ALL OF THIS IS GETTING THE ATTENTION OF PITTSBURGHERS ON THE STREET. YEAH, IT’S EXCITING FOR PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN. GET A LITTLE POLITICAL BUZZ. UP COMING THE ELECTION, THEN OFF TO PHILADELPHIA. PITTSBURGH WILL BE HARRIS’S BASE TO PREP FOR THE DEBATE IN PHILADELPHIA NEXT WEEK FOR SOME DAYS AHEAD. THIS PROTECTION WILL SURROUND THE WILLIAM PENN HOTEL. YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL THIS SORT OF SECURITY BEING IN PLACE DOWNTOWN FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS? YEAH, IT DOESN’T BOTHER ME. IT HAS TO BE DONE. THEIR VP IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT WALLS.

Advertisem*nt

Vice President Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh for several days, preparing for presidential debate next week

Bob Mayo

Reporter

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Pittsburgh Thursday and will spend the next several days here as the Democratic presidential nominee prepares for a debate next week against the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.All around the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, the area is clearly secured and it's clear the hotel is where the vice president and her team have set up base.There was no announcement that Harris had checked in, but Pittsburghers were picking up on the visual clues."It brings excitement, that's for sure. It's not your typical Thursday," said Adeola Ogunro, who works downtown. "I was just on my way back from lunch, and now the sidewalk's blocked off, so I have something to tell my manager, like, 'Hey, I was running a little behind schedule.'"There are plenty of Secret Service agents, state police and Pittsburgh police on site. There are also street closings and areas marked with "no parking" signs."It's like a Hollywood movie. I mean, I've never seen anything like this," said Rose Defide of the North Side. "I think it's pretty cool, the Secret Service, how they're all over the place. Yeah. I think it's good."Concerning the impact of securing the area, Defide said, "It doesn't bother me. It has to be done. The VP, she's running for president. You've got Tim Walz (in the area too.) So yeah, you have to have it. It protects us, too, right?"Downtown worker William Mihalow said, "I've been here about an hour and a half. I just came down for lunch at work and realized Kamala will be here, so just been hanging out. (I) see more people start hanging out on the corner, so it's starting to get pretty exciting down here."Ogunro said, "Pretty impressive, Pittsburgh being the focal point with all this political activity happening, and it's a big race coming up."Some Trump supporters were also attracted by the activity. They took up position nearby, waving banners marked with Trump's name.

PITTSBURGH —