SUFFERN, New York (AP) 鈥� President , from a toss-up congressional district in New York on Friday, began testing his midterm message that was ostensibly on the economy.
But he veered off-topic right from the start, going off on tangents about voter identification, crime in cities, transgender women in sports and 鈥淒umocrats,鈥� his new chosen moniker for the opposition party. He complained that toiletries are locked up in pharmacies, making them harder to buy, and polled the audience on what he should call his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Eventually, he landed on the topic of the speech, telling the crowd that he and his party worked to slash taxes and increase take-home pay, while Democrats opposed the effort at every turn.
“I cut your taxes, cut the taxes on workers, families, small business, who are the soul of this state,” Trump said to the audience at Rockland Community College. Listing off the various provisions of the tax law, the president said: 鈥淭hese are all Republican tax cuts. The Democrats voted against every one of these tax cuts.鈥�
Trump traveled to the Hudson Valley area to appear with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is up for reelection in what will be one of the most closely watched , for an event meant to promote the , particularly the quadrupling of the deduction for state and local taxes, which is critical in a high-tax state like New York.
Trump called Lawler 鈥渇antastic鈥� and mused about how the congressman was a 鈥減ain in the ass鈥� as he badgered the administration on expanding the deduction.
He pulled Lawler onstage during the event, and the congressman thanked the president 鈥渇or working with me to deliver a big win鈥� for the people in his district. He said that more than 90% of the people in his district were able to fully deduct their state and local taxes.
Also appearing with the president at the event Friday was Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Trump-backed Republican candidate for New York governor. Trump said, 鈥淕uys like Mike Lawler, guys like Bruce Blakeman, you put them in, they鈥檒l turn it around.鈥�
Trying to reverse a slumping approval rating
The White House has been looking for more opportunities to highlight Trump鈥檚 economic accomplishments as his approval rating on the economy has slumped. About one-third of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling the economy, according to , down slightly from 40% at the start of Trump’s second term. Trump had promised to bring prices down, but gasoline prices have surged this year due to the war in Iran.
Lawler is just one of three House Republicans who in 2024. Unlike the other two 鈥� retiring Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who鈥檚 been a critic of Trump policies 鈥� Lawler has chosen to embrace the polarizing president in hopes of not alienating Republican voters who support the party鈥檚 leader.
鈥淟ook, the people who hate the president 鈥� and that鈥檚 their sole basis for their vote 鈥� are likely never voting for me, and you know, obviously, you need to turn out your base, and you need people energized,鈥� Lawler told The Associated Press in an interview on the sidelines of the White House congressional picnic earlier this week. 鈥淢oreover, I have a record in my district that is one I鈥檓 very proud of, and a record that appeals to a broad middle.鈥�
Lawler, wearing a red ball cap emblazoned with 鈥淢r. SALT,鈥� the acronym for the he fought to include in the bill, added, 鈥淚 am confident that I will be reelected on my own merits and my own record.鈥�
Trump established a SALT cap in 2017 through his Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Last year鈥檚 law to $40,000 from $10,000 after arduous negotiations with Republicans, including Lawler, whose district has high local taxes. The law also raised the average tax refund for New Yorkers to more than $3,800, according to data provided by the White House.
鈥淢y constituents were seeing anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 refund checks, which is pretty massive,鈥� said Lawler, who said he wanted to give Trump one of his 鈥淢r. SALT鈥� ball caps.
A competitive House race in New York
Trump last year, although it came at a time when the congressman was publicly mulling a run for governor of New York. was viewed as a way to keep Lawler in a reelection bid rather than opening up a competitive House seat.
Five Democrats are vying for the party’s nomination to compete against Lawler in the general election. The Democratic primary is June 23.
鈥淣othing says 鈥業 don鈥檛 understand my district鈥� quite like Mike Lawler bringing Donald Trump to NY-17 to tout a disastrous economy that鈥檚 crushing working families at every turn,鈥� said Riya Vashi, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Richard Hudson disputed that, arguing that Trump’s Friday appearance will 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� help.
鈥淗is poll numbers are pretty good in Lawler鈥檚 district,鈥� said Hudson, a North Carolina congressman. The NRCC has been polling in competitive districts and Hudson said the 鈥減resident鈥檚 numbers are good. Democratic numbers are tanking.鈥�
The remarks were an official White House event and not a campaign one, said Lawler, who noted that more than 5,000 people registered to attend in the first 12 hours that a sign-up was available.
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Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.
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