Trump’s ‘A+++++’ economy collides with reality in a Pennsylvania city

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — When Idalia Bisbal moved to this Pennsylvania town synonymous with working-class America, she hoped for a cheaper, easier life than the one she left behind in her hometown of New York.

About three years later, she is deeply disappointed.

“It’s worse than ever,” said the 67-year-old retiree, who depends on Social Security, when asked about the economy. “Prices are high. Everything is going up. You can’t afford to eat because you can’t pay rent. Utilities are too high. Gas is too expensive. Everything is too expensive.”

Bisbal was sipping afternoon coffee at the Hamilton Family Restaurant shortly after Vice President J.D. Vance rallied Republicans in a neighboring suburb. In the Trump administration second prestigious trip to Pennsylvania within a week, Vance admitted the financial accessibility crisisplaced the blame on the Biden administration and insisted that better times were ahead. He then served food to homeless men in Allentown.

This visit, which comes in addition to several recent speeches by the President Donald Trumpreflects an increasingly urgent effort by the White House to address the economic anxiety gripping both parties. Those concerns pose a vulnerability for Republicans in competitive congressional districts like the one that includes Allentown, which could decide control of the House of Representatives in next year’s midterms.

But faced with this challenge, there are risks of appearing disconnected from reality.

Only 31% of American adults now approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, down from 40% in March, according to a study. survey Since Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center. Yet Trump called affordability issues a “ prank ” and gave the economy under his administration an “A+++++” rating. Vance reiterated that assessment at his rally, prompting Bisbal to scoff.

“In his world,” replied Bisbal, a self-described “pure democrat.” “In the world of rich men. In our world, believe me, it’s not an ‘A’. “To me, it’s an ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’.

Agreement that prices are too high

With a population of approximately 125,000, Allentown is the anchor of the Lehigh Valley, which is the third largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania. In a dozen interviews this week with local officials, business leaders and residents from both parties, there was agreement on one point: Prices are too high. Some cited the price of gas while others said they felt the shock more when it came to groceries or the cost of health care or housing.

Few shared Trump’s unbridled dynamism on the economy.

Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, called Trump’s memo “expandable,” saying that “we have a strong economy, but I think it hasn’t yet moved to the next stage of what I would call robust.”

Tom Groves, who started a health and benefits consulting firm more than two decades ago, said the economy is at a “B+,” blaming the Affordable Care Act, widely known as “Obamacare,” for contributing to rising health care costs, and he pointed to volatility in stocks and the job market. Joe Vichot, chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Committee, called Trump’s memo “colloquial language.”

Far from the political theater of Washington, there was little consensus on who was responsible for high prices or what should be done about them. There was, however, an acute sense of exhaustion in the face of this seemingly endless political fight.

Pat Gallagher was finishing her lunch a few stalls away from Bisbal and remembers meeting her late husband when they both worked at Bethlehem Steel, the manufacturing giant that closed in 2003. Now retired, she, too, relies on Social Security benefits and lives with her daughter, which helps keep costs down. She said she noticed the rising prices of groceries and was becoming exasperated with the political climate.

“I get so frustrated hearing about politics,” she said.

Allentown is at the forefront of politics

This feeling is understandable in a country that is often at the forefront of the national debate, whether it wants to have its opinion or not. Singer Billy Joel The 1982 song “Allentown” helped elevate the city into the national consciousness, simultaneously expressing feelings of disillusionment and hope as factories closed.

In the decades since, Pennsylvania has become a powerhouse state in presidential politics and the scene of countless candidate and media visits. Trump and his Democratic rival in 2024, Kamala Harrismade several campaign shifts in Allentown, with then-Vice President visiting the city on the eve of the election.

“Every race here, all the time,” Allentown Mayor, Democrat Matt Tuerk, recalled of last year’s frenzied race.

The pace of these visits – and the attention they generated – has not faded from many minds. Some businesses and residents declined to speak this week when asked about the economy or politics, recalling blowback from speaking out in the past.

But as attention turns to next year’s midterm elections, Allentown can’t escape its place as a political battleground.

Trump’s victory last year helped other Republicans, like U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, achieve victory. Mackenzie, who unseated a three-term Democrat, is now one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress. To win again, he must eliminate Republicans who voted in 2024 — many of whom were likely more motivated by Trump’s candidacy — while appealing to independents.

Mackenzie’s poise was on display when he addressed the party faithful Tuesday, lamenting the “failures of Bidenomics” before Vance took the stage at the rally. A day later, the congressman was back in Washington, where he joins three other House Republicans rebel against the party leadership and force a vote on extending health care subsidies that expire at the end of the year.

Vichot, the local GOP chairman, called Mackenzie an “outsider” in his re-election campaign and said the health care decision was a signal to voters that he was “compassionate to the people who need these services.”

A shift towards Trump in 2024

Lehigh County, home to Allentown and the most populous county in the congressional district, turned to Trump last year. Harris’ victory by nearly 2.7 percentage points in the county marks the narrowest margin for a Democratic presidential candidate since 2004. But Democrats are feeling confident after a strong performance in this fall’s election when they handily won the county executive race.

Taking back the seat of Congress is now a top priority for Democrats. Governor. Josh Shapirowho faces re-election next year and is a potential presidential candidate in 2028, firefighters union head Bob Brooks endorsed this week for the May primary.

The Democrats are only a few seats away from regaining the majority in the House and the first midterm after a presidential election historically favors the party that no longer has power. If the focus remains on the economy, Democrats are satisfied.

The Uline supplies distribution plant where Vance spoke, owned by a family that has donated heavily to GOP causes, is a few miles from the Mack Trucks facility where staff was cut by about 200 employees this year. The company said the move was driven in part by tariffs imposed by Trump. Shapiro eagerly pointed this out in responding to Vance’s visit.

But the image of Allentown as a purely manufacturing town is outdated. The downtown area is dotted with row houses, trendy hotels, and a modern arena that is home to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey team and hosts concerts by major artists. In recent years, Latinos have become the majority in the city’s population, thanks to the growth of the Puerto Rican, Mexican and Dominican communities.

“It’s a place where change is rapid,” said Tuerk, the city’s first Latino mayor. “It’s constantly changing and I think over the next three years, until the next presidential election, we’re going to see a lot more change. It’s going to be an interesting journey.”