close
close

Trump-supporting 13-year-old Pennsylvania teen who shot viral video of Biden in MAGA attire met both presidents

A Pennsylvania teenager had a “once in a lifetime opportunity” when she met President Biden and Donald Trump within minutes of each other on Wednesday – and shot the viral clip showing the commander in chief wearing a “Trump 2024” hat.

In Shanksville, classes were closed on Wednesday as roads were closed for Biden and Trump's visit to the memorial for United Airlines Flight 93, one of the hijacked planes that crashed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

When 13-year-old Ryleigh and her friend heard rumors that 78-year-old Trump or 81-year-old Biden might stop at the Shanksville fire station during their trip, they decided to investigate.

“Of course, all the Trump-supporting kids put on their MAGA gear anyway and decided to go to the fire station, hoping it was Trump – but then it was Biden,” Ryleigh's mother, Jana Musser, told The Post on Thursday night.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, were both first to arrive with beer and pizza, but there was “no applause or anything” from Democrats, Ryleigh said.

Biden poses for a photo with several children – including 13-year-old Ryleigh (in circle) – dressed in Donald Trump attire during his visit to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. X / Jana Musser
Trump passed by the fire station just 15 minutes after Biden. AP
Trump visits the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Company in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, September 11, 2024. AP

Although Biden was not the conservative star guest the crowd had expected, Ryleigh and the other children in attendance took an incredible photo with the incumbent president.

Biden appeared uncomfortable as he was surrounded by about 16 young people, many of whom wore shirts supporting his Republican rival.

But even though he was obviously in enemy territory in a deep red county, Biden managed to crack a few jokes.

One boy wore a pro-Trump shirt that read “Dumb, Dumb and Dumber” over the faces of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Harris and Biden.

“I guess I’m dumber,” Biden joked, Ryleigh said.

The teenager also shot the now-viral video showing Biden putting on a man's “Trump 2024” hat in a bizarre interaction. The footage was shared by the Trump-Vance campaign and the White House later confirmed that the president had put on the hat as a gesture of bipartisanship.

“It’s actually pretty crazy because a lot of people posted it on TikTok and I’m the one who made the video, 1726229401 “I watched the video,” Ryleigh said of the now viral clip.

Biden and Harris left the event shortly afterward, but about 15 minutes later Trump and his entourage arrived to cheers – a stark contrast to Biden's appearance, the teenager said.

13-year-old Ryleigh Musser took photos with Biden and Trump within minutes on Wednesday. AP
Biden and Trump visited the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville on Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of September 11. AFP via Getty Images

Like his Democratic opponent, Trump shook hands with voters and posed for a photo with all the children. Ryleigh even got to take a selfie with the 45th president.

“[Ryleigh] “She texted me a picture of her visit and I couldn't believe it was her and Trump… I wasn't expecting that,” said Jana, a Trump supporter who was not in attendance on Wednesday.

“We really wanted the kids to meet Trump or have a photo taken with him. Now, after all these years, we've finally brought them together,” added the mother of four.

Shanksville, in Somerset County in central Pennsylvania, is a deeply conservative part of the swing state where more than 77% of voters supported Trump in the 2020 election.

Ryleigh called it a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to see two presidents and take photos with them within minutes.

Although she supports Trump, Jana said it was “pretty nice to see that [Biden’s] willing to stand there with the kids and take a photo with them – even in their Trump shirts.”