President Joe Biden traveled to Pennsylvania on Tuesday for a three-day tour of the battleground state, starting with a campaign event in his hometown of Scranton.
During a speech in his hometown, the president highlighted a contrast between his economic agenda and that of his 2024 presidential rival and predecessor, former President Donald Trump. He also reiterated his push to raise taxes on the rich and big corporations.
“Folks, where we come from matters. When I look at the economy, I don’t see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago; I see through the eyes of Scranton,” President Biden said.
“He wants to double down on trickle-down,” he said of former president, arguing that his tax reform largely benefited the wealthiest and largest corporations while increasing the government debt.
In the coming presidential rematch, Pennsylvania will likely play a significant role in determining the outcome.
In the Keystone State, President Biden will continue to promote his economic agenda and tax plan in hopes of turning around his poor polling numbers and low approval ratings.
“No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a sanitation worker, a nurse,” President Biden told his supporters in Scranton.
He said his plan calls for a 25 percent federal income tax on billionaires, which would raise $500 billion over the next 10 years.
President Biden was born in Scranton and raised there until 1953, when his family moved to Claymont, Delaware.
Pennsylvania is generally considered a swing state, although it leaned Democratic in the six elections before 2016. Holding 19 crucial electoral votes, the state is a key focus for the Biden campaign. This is the eighth time the president or vice president has made their way to Pennsylvania this year.
In 2016, presidential candidate Trump carried the state over rival Hillary Clinton by a margin of just 0.72 percent, aiding his election victory. In 2020, however, candidate Biden won by a margin of 1.17 percent.
Following his visit to Scranton, the president will travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday to continue promoting his economic plan before heading to Philadelphia for additional campaign events on Thursday, according to the White House.
Meanwhile, President Trump headed to a Manhattan court this week for a criminal trial that began on April 15 after New York prosecutors accused him of falsifying business records related to an alleged affair with adult performer Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels. This is one of four criminal cases against the 45th president.
The Trump campaign on April 16 criticized President Biden in a statement for misleading American voters “about the harsh realities of life under his failed administration.”
“Bidenomics is failing Pennsylvanians as the price of everyday necessities continues to soar,” Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for Make America Great Again Inc., said.
“Joe Biden’s solution to this crisis is to raise taxes on hard-working families. President Trump will cut taxes and unleash American prosperity.”
The latest inflation data has demonstrated that high inflation has persisted, which could present problems for President Biden heading into the November election.
The annual inflation rate exceeded the consensus estimate for the fourth consecutive month, rising to 3.5 percent in March.
President Biden, however, insisted during a press conference in the Rose Garden on April 10 that the U.S. economy was “better situated” now than under his predecessor.
When President Biden took office in January 2021, the annual inflation rate was 1.4 percent, but it soared to a peak of 9.1 percent in June 2022.
“We have a plan to deal with it, whereas the opposition—my opposition—talks about two things,” he told reporters. “They just want to cut taxes for the wealthy and raise taxes on other people. And so I think they have no plan.”
Voters, meanwhile, blame President Biden for the rising costs and high interest rates.
Ahead of his trip, the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign announced that it released a new digital ad, called “Scranton,” which features the voices of the town’s residents, including the president’s cousin and a childhood friend.
The campaign says it believes that it has a clear advantage in Pennsylvania for the 2024 election, and is making significant investments in key voter groups, including black and Latino communities in the state.
“President Biden has never forgotten where he came from—it’s why he’s fighting every day to make life better for middle-class families across the country,” Michael Tyler, Biden-Harris 2024 communications director, said in a statement. “As Donald Trump promises to cut taxes for his billionaire friends while he cuts our Social Security behind closed doors at Mar-A-Lago, President Biden’s traveling the country to talk about his vision to make the economy work for everyday people like the ones he grew up with in Scranton—not just for those at the top.”
