JD Vance tours Pennsylvania to make economic case amid inflation concerns
By Jarrett Renshaw
PHILADELPHIA, Dec 16 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance will travel to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley on Tuesday to highlight the administration’s economic message, a week after President Donald Trump visited the battleground state and made remarks that strayed from the focused economic view.
The visit underscores a broader effort to sharpen the White House’s economic message as Republicans seek to maintain power in midterm elections; Meanwhile, there are signs that voters’ frustration over the cost is hurting the party’s political standing, despite the administration’s optimistic rhetoric.
Analysts say Vance’s disciplined, policy-focused approach could allow him to put forward a stronger economic case than Trump, who stands out among the party’s base but has struggled to persuade beyond that.
“Trump knows one thing: he speaks well to the base. JD Vance can actually stay on topic and stick to prepared arguments. This is impossible for Trump,” said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia.
Trump visited a casino in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains on Dec. 9 to deliver what was billed as the first in a series of speeches by the president to address criticism that he was not paying enough attention to voters who said they were struggling with high prices.
Instead, the 90-minute speech devolved into attacks on the word “affordability,” which Trump derided as a Democratic ploy to exaggerate the cost of living. Although Trump acknowledged that prices were high, he emphasized that the economy was improving and people were taking home more wages.
U.S. economic growth remains steady, but inflation continues to burden households. For many Americans, wage gains have lagged behind living expenses, leaving households under pressure.
Vance is expected to tour the Uline distribution facility near Allentown before making remarks. Uline is owned by billionaire founders Liz and Dick Uihlein, who are among Trump’s biggest political donors, contributing tens of millions of dollars to his campaign and allied causes, according to campaign finance records.
Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University, said Vance will focus more on specific economic arguments while also trying to draw more clearly from the world of right-wing political thought.
“Reporters will focus less on style and inconsistent performance and more on the arguments themselves,” he said.
Zelizer said Vance may be better suited to defend economic policy, but the risks are high for the administration and the Republican Party.
“They are struggling right now because the real-world impact of their economic policies is not matched by the positive rhetoric coming from the administration,” he said.
(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Caitlin Webber; Editing by Michael Perry)
