HERSHEY, Pa. _ Donald Trump returned Thursday to Pennsylvania to thank a state that helped deliver him the presidency.
The event at the Giant Center, near the roller coasters of Hersheypark, could have been mistaken for a campaign rally, after crowds braved the bitter cold to welcome their president-elect.
"This is the first time the Republican Party has won the state of Pennsylvania in almost 30 years," Trump said to a cheer from the crowd. "We made history together. You propelled to victory a grassroots movement the likes of which the world has never, ever seen."
In November, Trump emphasized the importance of winning the Keystone State, and predicted he would do so at a time when the polls suggested he was behind.
But he went on to win Pennsylvania by more than 45,000 votes _ less than a percentage point more than Democrat Hillary Clinton, but enough to deliver the state's 20 electoral votes to the GOP for the first time since George H.W. Bush won the presidency in 1988.
Trump performed especially well in Central Pennsylvania, winning a higher percentage of the vote than did 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney or 2008 nominee John McCain.
Inside the arena Thursday, a blue banner reading "Make America Great Again" circled the crowd, which was dotted with the red baseball caps Trump made famous. Many female attendees held pink signs that read "Women for Trump."
Trump told the crowd that he observed a difference in their demeanor since he claimed victory.
"Before the election, you people are like wild beasts," he said. "We're going to win, we're going to win, Mr. Trump. We're going to win. They're screaming, jail, jail prison."
As if on cue, a man began to shout: "Lock her up, lock her up."
Trump continued, saying that before the election, "you're like crazed people _ and that's good, I like that _ and now, you're laid-back.
"In other words, you won, and you feel great about it, and you don't have to go totally wild, right?" he said, to a roar and then a cheer of "USA, USA."
"This is not really exactly laid back," he conceded.
Trump delivered a play-by-play account of election night and its news coverage, concluding: "It was an amazing evening, and the people on ESPN, sports people, they said it was the single greatest event they've ever seen."
He also spoke about jobs, promising that "the era of economic surrender is over," and that business taxes will be lowered and regulations eliminated. He said he would ask Congress to support the construction of roads, bridges, airports, tunnels and railways across the United States.
And he pledged to protect the nation from terrorism by suspending immigration and refugee admissions from "regions where they cannot be safely processed and vetted."
Vice President-elect Mike Pence introduced Trump, saying that Americans will have a president who will rebuild the military, stand with law enforcement, fight to put people back to work and replace Obamacare with free-market changes.
Denette and Bill Groff, residents of Lancaster County, arrived early to get spots near the front. Denette Groff said she thinks Trump's victory will mean big changes for the United States, and she likes the choices he is making for his Cabinet.
"He's picking people that are going to stand up for us," she said. "Not just people that are going to follow the regular politics."
