Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday promised Pennsylvania’s blue-collar workers a resurgent middle class under President Trump, pointing to gradual wage growth and cooling inflation, plus tax peaks under GOP policies.
Mr. Vance said Democrats blasting the Trump economy are missing the mark because inflation soared during the Biden years.
“It was because of them,” Mr. Vance said at Uline Shipping Supplies in Lower Macungie Township, near Allentown. “It’s a little bit like Charles Manson criticizing violent crime.”
Mr. Vance said rents are going down, citing the deportation of illegal immigrants who compete for residences.
He also pointed to wage growth while the rate of inflation hovers around 3% instead of a peak of 9% during the last administration.
“When Joe Biden was president for four years, he took $3,000 out of your pocket, and in just 10 months of the president’s leadership, we have put $1,000 back in your pocket,” Mr. Vance said. “And that’s just the beginning, my friends.”
He blamed the previous administration for economic woes as the Trump team tries to overcome concerns about everyday prices, which remain too high for many Americans, and a marked slowdown in hiring.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported job gains for November, but the increase masked a tepid labor market overall. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, up from 4.4% in the BLS’ last report from September.
The Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates to jump-start hiring despite lingering concerns about Mr. Trump’s tariffs and inflation.
“Donald Trump’s reckless policies have turned the job market into a living hell,” Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Kendall Witmer said. “As working families grapple with sky-high prices — from groceries to holiday essentials — they’re also facing mass layoffs and rising unemployment, adding to an ever-growing list of worries about how to make ends meet in Trump’s economy.”
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, Pennsylvania Republican, joined Mr. Vance on the trip.
Ms. Chavez-DeRemer said new jobs are going to American-born workers, drawing applause from the crowd.
“We are making progress,” Mr. Vance said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said on X that Mr. Vance is trying to “convince Pennsylvanians that the rising prices, health care cuts, and chaotic trade wars hurting our farmers are just … made up.”
The governor added, “I talk to Pennsylvanians every single day. We’re smarter than J.D. Vance gives us credit for.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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