President Joe Biden is focusing on making an economic argument against former President Donald Trump during a three-day swing through Pennsylvania. His campaign officials are framing the election as a debate between Biden’s “kitchen table” Scranton outlook and Trump’s “Mar-a-Lago vision.” The trip will also create a contrast between Biden on the campaign trail and Trump spending most of the week in a New York City courtroom for his criminal trial.
Biden’s Pennsylvania push comes as he aims to address voters who have negative views of Trump’s handling of the economy. Recent polling shows a close contest between Biden and Trump, less than seven months from Election Day. Biden’s speech is expected to focus on economic populism, criticizing Trump’s tax plan as a handout to the rich at the expense of the middle class. Biden plans to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund social programs while protecting those earning less than $400,000 a year.
Biden previously framed the election as a “Scranton vs. Park Avenue” choice for voters. Campaign officials are now portraying the election as a debate between Scranton and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago country club. The president will also travel to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to continue pushing his economic message. Biden released his tax return for 2023 ahead of the trip, in contrast to Trump who declined to release his tax returns voluntarily while in office.
Trump preempted Biden’s speech by touting the 2017 tax cuts in a social media post and criticizing Biden’s plans to raise taxes for the wealthy and corporations. The Biden campaign is heavily investing in Pennsylvania, focusing on driving turnout in Philadelphia. They have opened 14 new offices in the state in March and are training volunteers and hiring campaign staff. Campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez released a memo pointing to early investments in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, and York and Lancaster counties as opportunities for Democratic growth.
Chavez Rodriguez argues that Biden’s support for unions, abortion rights, and protecting democracy will resonate with Pennsylvania voters in November. The campaign believes that Trump and MAGA Republicans are alienating key voters in the state and are unlikely to win them back. The battle for Pennsylvania is heating up as both campaigns ramp up their efforts to win over voters and secure the state’s crucial electoral votes. Biden’s message of economic populism and contrasting tax policies with Trump’s will be key issues in the campaign moving forward.
