BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania — Hundreds of thousands of new and formerly Democrat Pennsylvania voters have registered Republican in the past eleven months and, following Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence’s visit to the state on Thursday, a senior campaign official told Breitbart News that the trend is part of the “movement” seen at Trump-Pence rallies across the country, of Americans that see the “world spinning out of control” under President Obama’s foreign policy.

The Pennsylvania GOP has registered over 240,000 new voters in the past eleven months according to the state party. In even less time, over the course of 2016 nearly 100,000 Democrats switched their party preference to Republican.

When asked about this shift in registration and the flood of new Republican voters, the senior official told Breitbart News, “I think it’s indicative of what we’re seeing with [Republican presidential nominee] Donald Trump and Mike Pence, the response at their rallies. You had DT getting 21,000 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pence’s rallies are growing in attendance, the Pensacola rally today in Florida has close to 1,000 registered. We’re seeing Democrats, Republicans and Independents coming together and you’ve heard Gov. Pence say it before, this movement is not about a party, it’s about the future of our country and I think that’s what you’re starting to see and I think these numbers are indicative of that.”

Pence made two campaign stops at GOP events in Pennsylvania on Thursday evening as news was breaking of the surge in Republican registrations. Those stops were in Orefield for a Lehigh County GOP event followed by a dinner at the historic Bethlehem Hotel for the Northampton County GOP Dinner. Both were packed events.

“People are being drawn to Donald Trump,” said the official. “They’re interested in fixing the rigged system that’s holding our economy back, rebuilding our military, our nation. You can see the world spinning out of control. In Yemen people are firing on warships. These events are the direct result of President Obama’s foreign policy and that’s why I think you are seeing so many come out to the rallies and register to vote.”

“What we started to see with Donald Trump’s campaign in the primary election, now we’re seeing it take shape through the general election,” the official said.

Hotel Bethlehem managing partner Bruce Haines said of Pence:

Gov. Pence’s visit assures that our future VP will be included in our Gallery of former distinguished guests in our Tap Room since Sen. Kaine was also here in September. That gallery includes 4 former U.S. Presidents, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford & his holiness The Dalai Lama.

Gov Pence understands the dilemma that small businesses like ours have faced since Obamacare was implemented. I had the opportunity to discuss that issue during our short visit together before his speech here tonight. He understands the unintended consequences of reduced work hours for employees.

We were honored to have hosted Gov. Pence tonight & hope he returns in the future as perhaps our 5th President some day.

At the Lehigh County GOP event, Congressman Mike Kelly introduced Pence, telling the crowd that if anyone ever had any doubt as to Trump’s judgement, to look at his choice of Gov. Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana