Ahead of Donald Trump’s visit to Pittsburgh, elected and labor leaders in southwestern Pennsylvania blasted the Trump administration’s broken promises on the economy while grassroots activists touted their support for Joe Biden in front of the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Check out some coverage below.
Local supporters let President Trump know that Pittsburgh is Biden Country:
Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Nancy Patton Mills penned a guest column in the Tribune-review:
Tribune-Review: “After nearly four years, he’s left our region far worse off than before. Today, he’s coming to Pittsburgh to try and sell us on more lies and empty promises. Here’s the truth of Trump’s economic record. When Trump was elected, the unemployment rate in Westmoreland County was around 5%. Today, after his chaotic response to the covid-19 pandemic and his penchant for playing favorites with the wealthy and well-connected, it’s well over 13%.”
Vice President Biden Issued a powerful statement on President Trump’s economic record:
Tribune-Review: “Former Vice President Joe Biden went on the offensive Tuesday, attacking President Donald Trump on jobs and the economy as the president prepared to travel to the Pittsburgh region for his fourth visit to Pennsylvania in the past four weeks. ‘Four years ago, candidate Donald Trump promised the hardworking people of Pittsburgh he would bring jobs back to the region. But since then, President Trump has only brought Pittsburgh economic turmoil under his watch,’ the Democratic presidential candidate said.”
And key Democratic leaders held a virtual press conference to discuss the President’s record of Broken Promises on the economy:
WPXI Online: “The economy is one topic President Donald Trump may bring up at his Pittsburgh event Tuesday evening, but local Democrats say there is hardly much for him to brag about. It’s one of their issues with the President’s event, along with the danger it could pose for COVID-19. Pennsylvania Democrats held their own rally Tuesday, but theirs was virtual and called “Broken Promises.”
“Four years into his presidency, families in southwestern Pa. are used to Donald Trump repeatedly breaking his promises,” said Democrat chair Nancy Patton Mills.”
Tribune-Review: “In keeping with the theme of the press conference, the trio of Democrats also emphasized what they see as Trump’s “broken promise” to create jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“He promised he’d bring back manufacturing, but the manufacturing sector went into a recession in 2019 and there are almost 3,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in Pittsburgh than at the end of the Obama/Biden administration,” said Mills. “He promised that if he were elected we wouldn’t lose a single plant but workers at shuttered facilities like ATI in Midland know that’s just downright false.”
Penn Capital-Star: “In a press conference earlier Tuesday morning from the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said… ‘And now we have our president, who is going to come tonight, encouraging people to not wear their masks, making fun of people who do wear their masks, going against his own [public health officials.]”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, on a call with Pennsylvania Democrats early Tuesday, criticized the president for holding the event — with a large audience in close quarters — while the region continues to recover from the pandemic and while people at schools and workplaces are trying to be responsible.
‘I’m very disappointed that we are going to have thousands of people who listen to this president and believe his falsehoods when it comes to science, when it comes to this virus, when it comes to how we should be spreading out and wearing masks,’ Mr. Fitzgerald said. ‘I wish he would just do a virtual event — the responsible way to do it.’”
WESA: “Democrats decried the event on Tuesday morning, saying the president represented both an immediate local health threat, and a long-term national crisis…Fitzgerald and state Democratic Party Chair Nancy Patton Mills also noted that the administration has been waging a legal battle against the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, with no plan to replace the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions. A new Supreme Court justice could deliver a fatal blow to the law this fall.”
WTAE-TV (watch the full clip here): Meantime, ahead of the President’s visit today, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party is holding its “Broken Promises” Tour. It’s a statewide series highlighting the local impact of President Trump’s policies that they say have failed the economy. Three leaders from Southwest P.A. helped lead the conversation, including Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.”
WHP-TV (watch the full clip here): “PA Democrats are also responding to the President they spoke [about] what they’re calling his broken promises — saying that Pennsylvania families have been left behind.”
WPXI-TV (watch the full clip here): “The local economy is something President Trump will likely bring up at his rally this evening but local democrats say there’s not much to brag about.”
WTAE-TV (watch the full clip here): “Democrats are not being silent about the President’s visit to the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is holding its Broken Promises Tour. It’s a virtual series highlighting the locala impact of President Trump’s policies.”
WJAS-TV (watch the full clip here): “You had Pennsylvania Democrats holding their own rally. There’s was virtual — it was called ‘broken promises.’ Here’s a quote. ‘Four years into his presidency families in southwestern PA are used to President Trump repeatedly breaking his promises.’ That’s from Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Nancy Patton Mills.”
WTAE-TV (watch the full clip here): “The Pennsylvania Democratic Party had a virtual event in response to the President’s visit last night. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald was one of the speakers. ‘One of the issues that matters is health and the health of Americans and the fact that 200,000 of our fellow Americans have lost their lives due to this pandemic,’ [Allegheny County Executive Fitzgerald said.]”
###