Trump urges Lehigh Valley residents to vote Republican during visit to Mack Trucks in Pennsylvania
President Trump took the stage at the Mack Trucks plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, rallying in front of hundreds of supporters who packed the building.
In a wide-ranging campaign-style speech, Mr. Trump hit on the Iran war, immigration and more.
But he opened by praising the longtime local manufacturer.
"For more than 100 years, this legendary company has been making trucks right here in eastern Pennsylvania, building the heavy-duty machinery that keeps our economy rolling, our factories moving, and our industries roaring all across the nation," Mr. Trump said. "And you are the men and women who put your pride and spirit into those beautiful words stamped on every Mack Truck that said made in the USA."
But Mr. Trump's trip to the Lehigh Valley had another motivation.
"We gotta get a certain congressman re-elected," he said.
The Mack facility sits in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which is currently represented by Republican Ryan Mackenzie. It's also one of four Pennsylvania Congressional midterm races experts are watching closely.
"It's arguably the most competitive and the most vulnerable for the Republicans," said John Kennedy, who is a political science professor at West Chester University.
Mackenzie flipped the district for the GOP two years ago, but only by around 4,000 votes. He'll face Democrat Bob Brooks in November.
Kennedy said the Lehigh Valley is the swingiest region within the swingiest state.
"The Lehigh Valley is sort of a microcosm of Pennsylvania," Kennedy said. "You have two relatively large cities: Allentown and Bethlehem. You have some burgeoning suburbs. And of course, you have some very red rural areas as well."
Mr. Trump may have had the full support of the crowd inside, but outside, a few dozen people lined the facility, protesting the president's visit.
"This is my neighborhood, and I want Donald Trump to know not everybody in my neighborhood supports him," said Joyce Moore, who is from Upper Milford Township.
"We're here, and we're sticking up for what America stands for," said Tracy Antrim, who is from Emmaus. "We gotta save it from Trump."
New polling also shows Republicans may face some headwinds in Pennsylvania.
A Franklin and Marshall College poll released last week showed just 29% of respondents said Trump was doing an excellent or good job — down 10 points from March. The same poll showed Pennsylvanians preferred Democrats on a generic ballot — 47 to 35%.
With less than five months until Election Day, both sides are starting their push to the ballot box.
"We need to vote them out in the midterms," Antrim said.
