President Donald Trump on Tuesday, stopped in the Lehigh Valley at the Mack Truck plant in Macungie.
While the president talked about many things and introduced many people, one major figure from the state of Pennsylvania was left out. The one he supported.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
The Republican candidate for governor had the opportunity to speak before Trump arrived. But at the same time, the president recognized Republican congressmen Dan Meuser (R-09), Lloyd Smucker (R-11), John Joyce (R-13), as well as Lehigh Valley union officials and UFC brawlers, made no mention of Garrity pursuing the incumbent Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro by 22 points in a recent Franklin & Marshall College poll.
“We need a governor in Harrisburg who will be President Trump’s partner in Washington, not an adversary in the courtrooms,” she said before Trump took the stage. “We need a governor who will fight for jobs in Pennsylvania, just like he did here at Mack Trucks.”
Trump has avoided candidates who haven’t shown positive momentum in the past. In South Carolina, he supported the lieutenant governor. Pamela Evette on the GOP nomination for governor. Evette, who finished first in a crowded primary two weeks ago, saw her support decline before the second roundprompting Trump to issue a infrequent double endorsement of the Attorney General Alan Wilson also.
Wilson is projected to win Tuesday’s runoff.
It took Trump nearly an hour into his 83-minute speech to formally recognize the 7th Congressional District Representative Ryan Mackenzie. Although the president occasionally mentioned the importance of re-electing a “congressman,” Mackenzie was one of the last guests invited to the stage to speak.
“I’m not here for them,” Trump said, referring to the other three Keystone State representatives. “I’m here for him,” telling Mackenzie to “come over here (to the stage).”
Of course, Trump asked him to summarize his remarks.
Mackenzie is trying to keep the seat he won in 2024, displacing the previous one Rep. Susan Wildbut it faces a tough challenge Bob Brookspresident of the Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association. Brooks also has the support of the People’s State Governor Josh Shapiro in search of him.
Trump urged the crowd to support Mackenzie, saying of his trip: “I’m not doing this for my health.” But he has devoted more energy to issues like the U.S.-Mexico border, opposing transgender rights and denouncing “Marxist” judges while referring to his administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug prices.
“Career politician Ryan Mackenzie is no friend of working people,” Brooks said in a statement. “He’s a liar who campaigned on promises to cut costs, but instead voted with his boss, Donald Trump, to raise prices, destroy health care and spend billions of dollars on an unnecessary war abroad. No speech by Mackenzie will change the fact that his time in Congress has been an absolute disaster for the hardworking residents of the Lehigh Valley.”
The president tried to reassure voters that costs were falling and that they were in a better situation than two years ago. He said the administration has added 32,000 fresh jobs in Pennsylvania, and pharmaceutical, medical device and other companies are building manufacturing plants in the area. He cited his tax cuts and efforts to lower prescription drug prices, saying it’s up to everyone “to make sure we get to vote in the midterm elections.”
Trump listed long-standing political grievances and made only passing mention of promoting Republicans ahead of Election Day, spending more time bragging about the UFC fight he held on the White House lawn to celebrate his 80th birthday than on the economics.
“We all appreciate that the President joined us to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary on the same land in Pennsylvania where our nation was founded,” Meuser said in a social media post. “With his leadership, we can look to an even brighter future for our economy and national security.”
“By electing Democrats on every ballot, we have the power to send Donald Trump a clear message and put an end to his chaos, cruelty and corruption,” Pennsylvania said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. “So today, as Donald Trump tries to sugarcoat and downplay the realities that Pennsylvanians face every day, let us not forget that Stacy Garrity will always be the rubber stamp of his disastrous policies, no matter the cost to Pennsylvanians.”
While Trump essentially came to the Lehigh Valley to facilitate Mackenzie in his closely watched race, it was notable that Pennsylvania’s other three GOP congressmen faced a tough re-election race – Brian Fitzpatrick reps (R-01), Rob Bresnahan (R-08) i Scott Perry (R-10) – were absent. Senator Dave McCormick was also present and received numerous tributes from the president.
