At a recent Trump rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Democratic Mayor Matt Tuerk found himself embroiled in a heated exchange with a Trump campaign worker, igniting a stir on social media.

As reported by The Daily Caller, the rally, hosted at the PPL Center, was located near the Lehigh County Governing Center, where a handful of voters had arrived to collect absentee ballot applications. Tensions rose when the Trump campaign worker accused Tuerk of interfering with the rally’s logistics.

Former U.S. President and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks to more than 2,000 supporters inside the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie on Sept. 29, 2024.

Caught on camera, the fiery exchange centered around the placement and movement of barricades intended to block traffic near the rally site.

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The Trump staffer alleged that Tuerk had caused traffic chaos by removing barricades without warning, which, in turn, had him scrambling to reset them while dodging cars.

“You said it three times, and then all of a sudden you let the traffic come through and I’m trying to put out barricades while dodging cars at the same time,” the campaign worker asserted. He didn’t hold back, pressing Tuerk on his reasoning behind the risky maneuver.

Tuerk attempted to downplay the incident, claiming he wanted to avoid potential hazards and that he didn’t want him to get hurt, seemingly in an attempt to de-escalate.

But the Trump employee wasn’t buying it. He fired back, “We got cars coming in from all four intersections while I’m in the middle of it!”

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Tuerk’s comments drew swift criticism from Trump’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who accused the Allentown mayor of “trying to disrupt the buildout” of the rally, even though Trump’s team had obtained proper permits and city-approved road closures.

Leavitt praised local law enforcement for keeping the event on track despite Tuerk’s alleged antics.

The incident followed Tuerk’s post, where he labeled Trump an “unwelcome guest” in Allentown.

In an interview, he even went as far as to blame Trump for a comedian’s Puerto Rican joke—a blatant attempt to smear him while rallying support for a counter-event led by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The rally, however, proceeded without further disruption, with Trump delivering a spirited speech targeting President Joe Biden’s recent “garbage” comment about his supporters—a remark that Trump compared to Hillary Clinton’s notorious “basket of deplorables” insult.

Meanwhile, polling shows Trump with a slight edge over Harris in Pennsylvania, leading by 0.6% in recent averages. His position remains strong, with leads or ties in four of the last five statewide polls, even with independent candidates in the mix.

Following the exchange, Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign official, voiced his support for the embattled campaign worker, posting on social media, “I’m going to give this kid a raise.”

The message resonated with Trump’s base, framing the exchange as another chapter in the battle between the former president and his critics.