President Trump shifted gears from the Iran War to pitch his job creation and manufacturing plans to factory workers in a battleground district in the swing state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, telling voters worried about inflation that the economy is improving.
Mr. Trump visited a Mack Trucks facility in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania, where he delivered a midterm election pitch on lowering the cost of living for middle-class workers. He touted gains in the stock market, and the declining cost of oil.
“The stock market hit a new high today again, and oil, for the first time in months, hit – think of it, $70 a barrel,” Mr. Trump said. “That equates to a very low price. That oil is going to come charging down and with oil comes everything else.”
The prices of oil and gas rose significantly after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel.
The price of U.S. crude dropped about 1% Tuesday to close at $73.21 per barrel, bringing it near the $67.02 per barrel price on the day before the Iran war started.
The public event was Mr. Trump’s first since the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the Iran conflict. Vice President J. D. Vance was in Switzerland over the weekend and met with Iranian officials to transform the interim agreement into a permanent peace deal.
Mr. Trump is desperate to put the war, and the soaring gas and oil prices it caused, in the rearview mirror. The nearly four-month war has undercut the president’s economic message and sent consumer prices soaring at their fastest rate in three years.
Instead, the president turned his attention to the upcoming midterms, bashing Democrats for their handling of the economy and selling his economic agenda. He said they will raise taxes and overburden businesses with costly regulations that will be passed on to consumers.
“Remember every Democrat voted against our tax cuts,” Mr. Trump said. “They want to raise your taxes, not lower [taxes].”
He said Democrats’ tax increases and regulations will choke American businesses, including Mack Trucks’ plans to produce 15,000 trucks at its Lower Macungie facility.
“If the Democrats get in, your 15,000 trucks….are dead,” Mr. Trump said. “15,000 trucks will be down to zero and they’ll make you put electric on it.”
The president did have some positives to accentuate during his remarks. The job market remains upbeat with the economy adding 172,000 jobs in May, exceeding expectations. It was the third straight month that employers added more jobs than Wall Street predicted.
In addition, the Commerce Department report last week found that retail sales increased in May, the fourth straight month of gains, and gas prices are declining. As of Tuesday afternoon, gas prices were averaging $3.92 per gallon, a 12-cent drop from an average of $4.04 per gallon last week.
However, gas prices are still elevated compared to $3.22 per gallon last June, according to AAA.
Still, Mr. Trump has his work cut out for him. A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll found that 60% of Americans disapprove of how Mr. Trump is handling the economy. It is his lowest-ever approval rating on an issue that has long been considered one of his strengths with voters.
The same poll found that 33% approve of his handling of the economy and 7% were undecided.
Tuesday marked Mr. Trump’s fifth second-term visit to Pennsylvania, a state whose support helped him win the 2016 and 2024 elections. The Mack Trucks plant sits in the 7th Congressional District, where incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan MacKenzie faces a challenge from Democratic candidate Bob Brooks in November.
Support in swing districts like the one Mr. Trump visited is critical for Republicans to hold onto control of the House. A loss could derail his second-term agenda and bog down his final two years in office with investigations and subpoenas.
President Biden also visited the same Mack Truck facility during his term to highlight his efforts to create domestic manufacturing jobs. The facility has about 2,800 workers.
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