ALBURTIS, Pennsylvania, Dec 16 (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance called for patience as the administration works to rein in high living costs during a speech in Pennsylvania one week after President Donald Trump’s economic remarks there veered off topic.
The visit to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley underscored a broader White House effort to sharpen its economic message as Republicans look to retain power in the 2026 midterm elections, amid signs voter frustration over costs is undercutting the party’s political standing.
“Even though we’ve made incredible progress, we understand that there’s a lot more work to do, and the thing that I’d ask from the American people is a little bit of patience,” Vance said. “I promise you, there is no person more impatient to solve the affordability crisis than Donald J. Trump.”
Later, Vance visited Allentown Rescue Mission, a Christian homeless shelter and rehabilitation center for men, where he donned a hairnet and dished up plates of turkey and ham alongside his wife, Usha.
VANCE’S DISCIPLINED APPROACH CONTRASTS WITH TRUMP’S STYLE
Analysts said Vance’s disciplined and policy-focused approach could allow him to make a stronger economic case than Trump, who excels with the party base but struggles to persuade people beyond it.
“Trump knows one thing: he speaks to the base well. JD Vance can actually stick to the subject and the prepared arguments. That’s impossible for Trump,” said Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia.
Trump visited a casino in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains last week to deliver what was billed as the first in a series of speeches by the president to address criticism that he was not paying sufficient attention to voters who say they are struggling with high prices.
Instead, the 90-minute speech veered into attacks on transgender rights, Somali migrants in Minnesota and wind turbines. Trump blasted the word “affordability” as a Democratic hoax to exaggerate the cost of living. While Trump acknowledged that prices were high, he said the economy was booming and people were taking home more pay.
INFLATION PINCH GIVES SOME AMERICANS ANXIETY
U.S. economic growth remains steady, but inflation continues to pinch households. Wage gains have lagged behind living expenses for many Americans, leaving households under pressure. Consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in seven months in November.
Vance toured a massive Uline shipping supplies distribution facility near Allentown before delivering remarks. Uline is owned by billionaire founders Liz and Dick Uihlein, who rank among Trump’s biggest political donors, contributing tens of millions of dollars to his campaign and allied causes, according to campaign finance records.
Mike Barnes, a 40-year-old warehouse worker in the Lehigh Valley, said the last few years have been tough for his family of four, noting high utility and grocery costs have offset any increase in wages. He said he trusts Trump’s actions in the first year of his presidency will pay dividends for working Americans.
“Media expected Trump to stay on message, but most Trump supporters like his freewheeling style. I think the vice president is a good complement to Trump and they are a great team in getting the message out,” Barnes said.
Pennsylvania is one of the most prized states in presidential elections because it is closely contested between Democrats and Republicans. It will host several competitive races in next year’s congressional elections, when Democrats hope to take control of the House of Representatives.
Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University, said the stakes are high for the administration and the Republican Party as they make their economic case.
“They are struggling right now as the real-world impact of their economic policies doesn’t match the positive rhetoric that keeps coming from the administration,” he said.
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Michael Perry, Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel )
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