From Pennsylvania, Trump defends tariffs and promises more local jobs

Donald Trump held a rally in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area of Pennsylvania. The speech took place at the headquarters of Mack Trucks before an audience of workers and guests. The president spoke about the impact of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” also known as the Tax Cuts for Working Families Act, focusing on the benefits for the middle and lower classes.

Lehigh Valley is one of Pennsylvania’s most competitive regions from an electoral standpoint. Comprising mainly the counties of Lehigh and Northampton, it is typically a key battleground where Republicans and Democrats invest millions of dollars in every election cycle.

There, Trump stated that his administration has helped create 32,000 new jobs in Pennsylvania, including 2,600 jobs in the manufacturing sector. He also mentioned the investments announced by Nokia, B. Braun, and Eli Lilly, which are expected to create more jobs in the state.

Trump was accompanied by Pennsylvania’s Republican Senator, Dave McCormick, and Congressmen Ryan Mackenzie and Dan Meuser. Ahead of the midterm elections, he focused his speech on how his policies have impacted families in the state.

“Last 4th of July, I proudly signed the largest Tax Cuts in American history. We delivered No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and No Tax on Social Security. Our tax cuts are projected to boost take-home pay for Pennsylvanians by an average of more than $10,000 a year, per household,” Trump said.

In turn, the Republican highlighted the effects of tariffs in boosting production in the United States and particularly in the Rust Belt, the historic industrial region that includes states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio and has undergone severe deindustrialization in recent decades.

“I placed 50% tariffs on foreign copper, aluminum, and steel. I placed a 25% tariff on foreign automobiles, and, very importantly, I imposed a 25% tariff on medium and heavy duty trucks so that American Roads will be filled with American Trucks,” he continued.

As for Mack Trucks, it is one of the state’s most recognizable industrial brands. Although it currently belongs to the Swedish Volvo Group, it maintains a major production plant in Macungie, in eastern Pennsylvania—a region where manufacturing continues to play a central role in the local economy.

Pat McHugh Jr., an employee of Mack Trucks, took the stage and celebrated the investments coming to Pennsylvania: “We work hard to build the trucks that helped build America—and we are proud that those trucks are built in the United States of America!”