Vice President JD Vance celebrated the nation's economic outlook during a Tuesday stop at a Uline Shipping Supplies warehouse in Alburtis, saying that strengthening the economy has been the driving motive through the first 10 months of the President Donald Trump's second term.
Standing before giant banners reading "Lower prices, bigger paychecks," Vance highlighted a new jobs report that showed the American economy created 61,000 new jobs in November. While not an especially rosy figure — it's the sixth lowest monthly total since January 2024 — it's marks an improvement from the loss of 105,000 jobs in October.
"There is no person more impatient to solve the affordability crisis than Donald J. Trump, the president of the United States," Vance told a cheering crowd of about 600 people in Lehigh County.
While the results might be modest so far, Vance said Republicans in Washington are hard at work undoing the damage caused by former President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies.
He blamed Biden for soaring inflation, out-of-control energy costs and a housing crisis that Americans couldn't afford.
The effects of inflation during the Biden years, he said, were the equivalent of American families losing $3,000 from their bank accounts. The improving economy under the Trump administration is the equivalent of putting $1,000 back into those families' pockets, he said.
"If you look at every single affordability crisis that we talk about in the United States of America today, it's because we inherited a nightmare of an economy from Joe Biden," Vance said.
National Democrats were quick to accuse Vance of attempting to gaslight the American people. Inflation had started to improve during the final months of the Biden administration, but Americans are now dealing with cuts to Medicaid, trade wars and rising unemployment, they said.
"As the holidays approach, Pennsylvanians are paying more at the grocery store and department store — and they know Donald Trump is to blame," said Democratic National Committee Vice Chair and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.
Surprise Allentown stop
After making his remarks, Vance went to the downtown Allentown area where he visited the Allentown Rescue Mission.
Several city streets were blocked and traffic was rerouted to accommodate the stop.
At Uline, Vance said Americans should start reaping the benefits of Republicans' work once tax returns reach mailboxes in spring 2026. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act approved earlier this year, Congress preserved the child tax credit, ended income taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security and created new savings accounts for newborn Americans.
"That's more money in your pocket because you have a president and a Congress that are fighting for you for a change, and that's exactly as it should be," Vance said.
He credited the administration's work curtailing illegal immigration with fighting the nation's tight housing market. Between deporting people illegally in the country and cracking down on illegal border crossings, there are fewer people competing for America's housing stock and creating more opportunities for natural born Americans, he said.
Looking to the midterms
The vice president's remarks come as Republicans rally voters ahead of next year's midterm elections. The party holds narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, and the area in and around the Lehigh Valley could decide which party ultimately holds control of the U.S. House.
Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District north of the region and New Jersey's 7th Congressional District across the Delaware River are considered vulnerable swing districts.
But Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which represents Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties plus a sliver of Monroe County, may be the most competitive seat in the country.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh Valley, edged out a 1 percentage-point victory over Democratic incumbent Susan Wild last year. The seat has been decided by less than three percentage points since 2020.
The Lehigh Valley's status as a critical swing region has attracted a who's who of political all-stars to the region. In the past year, the Lehigh Valley has hosted Trump, Biden, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Tuesday marked Vance's first official visit to the Lehigh Valley, but not his first to the broader region. He spoke in West Pittston in July, with a stop at Majestic Lunch in Pittston City before departing. He also made a campaign stop in Williamsport in October 2024, prior to that year's presidential election.
Mackenzie: 'The administration has delivered'
Speaking before the vice president in the Uline warehouse, Mackenzie urged the audience to recall the state of the nation under Biden.
America had been "humiliated" in Afghanistan, wars were breaking out across the globe, inflation had skyrocketed and disastrous economic policies had handicapped American businesses, Mackenzie said.
Since then, Republicans have created an energy revolution, pushed inflation closer to pre-pandemic norms and secured the border, he said.
"On issue after issue, the administration has delivered on its promises in a way that no administration has done in memory. And we're pushing ahead with our plans to build an economy where prices are more affordable, wages are higher and working families can thrive," Mackenzie said.
The 2026 ballot will be headlined by the governor's race in Pennsylvania, and Treasurer Stacy Garrity was on hand to welcome the vice president. She's viewed as the heavy favorite to earn her party's nomination and take on Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro.
Garrity highlighted Shapiro's efforts to oppose Trump administration initiatives such as launching lawsuits over withheld federal funding and a new fee of H-1B visas. Pennsylvanians, she said, deserves a governor who will work with the president rather than work to hamstring him, Garrity said.
"They need reinforcements," Garrity said. "Tell them help is on the way."
In response, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party released a statement criticizing Garrity for standing with Trump as he hikes tariffs, cuts Medicaid and SNAP benefits.
"Stacy Garrity's complete support for the failed policies that are hurting families all across our commonwealth is just more proof that she can't be trusted to do what's right by Pennsylvania," said party chair Eugene DePasquale.
What the polls say
Vance's trip comes a week after President Donald Trump stumped for Republicans at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County as a kickoff to the 2026 midterms.
While mocking Democrats' focus on affordability, he also tried to reframe the debate by pinning the problem on Biden and his political allies.
But polls show that voters disapprove of the Trump administration's lack of results on stubbornly high prices and soaring energy costs. And millions of Americans could feel their wallets grow tighter in the new year as Congressionally approved Medicaid cuts go into effect.
Barring a last-minute breakthrough, Affordable Care Act plan premiums are double set to double in the new year as well. Mackenzie has reached across the aisle for a bipartisan solution to preserve the credits — even while criticizing Democrats in the process. House Speaker Mike Johnson has not made the credits a priority while Trump called Obamacare "a scam" a week ago. Vance said Tuesday it was important for Congress to make healthcare more affordable even while criticizing Obamacare.
"We think everything should be on the table, but Democrats and Republicans, they've got to work together and put something on the president's desk to sign," Vance said.
Those frustrations drove voters to the polls this fall, delivering lopsided victories to Democrats across the country. Voters backed Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, retained three Democratic state Supreme Court justices in Pennsylvania and approved a gerrymandered congressional map in California that favors Democrats.
The results were one-sided locally, too. Lehigh and Northampton counties saw Democrats sweep the races for county executive, county commissioner and county judge by historic margins.
Read more from our partners at LehighValleyNews.com.
