Alentown, Pennsylvania
Cnn
–
Todd Harde voted for Donald Trump and knows that his community would benefit if the president could keep his promise of a quick Rebirth of American manufacturing.
But the more, does not believe that he will never see it. The first evidence, said more, is that the difficult rates and trade speeches that Trump will bring back the factory boom times rather at difficult times.
“My generation will not (positively) have impact. It will hurt us,” said Harder, the owner of Prodart, who makes wooden darts and boards in an Allentown industrial park. “In the future, for the next generation, it could possibly help them. But it has an impact on people who are here today … in a good way. ”
This short -term skeptical socket – of a Trump supporter – deserves to be noted and followed: Trump political status has broken down from the day of the inauguration, and the economic tumult caused by the debate on prices is Part of his pants.
More difficult lives in Pennsylvania and American Bellwether: The 7th Congress district. Trump barely won it in 2024, and the house’s seat switched from blue to red. It is already a higher target in the middle of 2026.
The Lehigh Valley holds the status of icon in the history of American manufacturing. Bethlehem Steel and Western Electric were among the giants of the valley at the time; Mack Trucks and Martin Guitars are today. Crayola Crayons is an Easton benchmark whose line dates back to a company from the beginning of the century which has made the paint of red barn which founds the rural campaign.
Globalization and the trade debates that animate Trump today have defined the economy of Lehigh Valley for a generation now. There were more than 66,000 factory jobs in the valley in 1990, just under 55,000 per decade later and a minimum of 35,000 in 2011. At the end of 2024, manufacturing employment returned to 41,000. It was flat in the four months that Trump was back in the White House.
Harder and Prodart have a small place in these statistics. Fourteen employees at its peak; Five now, including Harder’s parents.
“We are a little slow right now,” said hardest. “The money is tight. People complain that the rent is really high. Lots of places, just the cash flow is not there. So, I think everyone is starting to become a little more conservative for spending at the moment. ”
Harder, does not occasionally obtain foreign suppliers, so prices are not really a direct success on his business. But he says that other local manufacturers hurt, to various degrees and that the tumult of the tariff debate has harmed consumer confidence.
“Six to a seven, but no more,” is the harder grade gives Trump on the economy four months old. “He just got started. See where it takes place. ”
More difficult has also entered. He was 55 years old, but his vote in 2024 for Trump was the first time he voted.
Yes, he was crazy by inflation. He thought that Trump’s tax policies would be better for his family and business. But this is not what managed to get away after jumping all the previous elections since he was eligible to vote in 1988.
“There is no more law and order. Marijuana smokers – who become uncontrollable,” said Harder. “Go watch television. You have men who kiss and everything else and all the transgender. You didn’t have that before. You know, there is a god. I am Catholic.”
He says there are too many Puerto Rican flags around Allentown, too few cursive teaching schools and starting with the commitment of allegiance.
“I was so disgusted,” said Harder. “Just to what extent in this world, you know it will go.”
The Trump campaign and its allies have made a methodical and concerted effort to target uncommon or unreliable voters like hard more; Immigration, transgender rights and attacks on “awakened” democrats were key elements of this strategy.
His decision to vote – to join the Maga Culture Wars – also took advantage of the new member of the Republican Congress of the 7th District, Ryan Mackenzie. He defeated the outgoing Democrat by only 4,062 votes. But the more, it is not sure if it will vote again in 2026.
“If I think things work properly, yes,” he said. “If I don’t see anything changing, then regardless of my vote.”
The Lehigh Valley was a repeated stop for our project throughout the 2024 cycle, and more difficult is among the additional voters with whom we hope to stay in contact until 2026 and beyond, to follow the first two years of the term Trump through their eyes and their experiences.
Michelle Rios is another, a battlefield voter on the other side of the Maga cultural division.
Rios helps manage a program of diversity, equity and inclusion in a local college, and she gets a mixture of anger and having fun by the way her work is described by Trump and his allies. A normal day, she said, probably includes financial assistance advice to a minority student, perhaps helping to sail in campus clubs or social events. In recent times, it could face rumors on the loss of funding or immigration repression.
“I wanted to help students in the same way that I was helped because it made an incredible difference in my life and in my trip,” said Rios in an interview with Bethlehem.
She was a student during the first term Trump and still remembers being in advance. This time she is determined to remain calm, while determining if her college program will be affected, or if non -profit organizations with which she works in the lively Latin community will be impacted because Trump officials consider their subsidies related to diversity.
“It installs fear, and I think that is essentially what the last months have done to people,” said Rios. “So I try to focus on the part of the action. Like, it happened, so now what can we do about it? ”
The share of action, for Rios, includes the search for means to win back the growing number of Latinos who have left Democrats to support Trump and other Republicans.
“Sometimes it has a little to do with Latin culture,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t want to see women in a certain position.”
Another effort: “I simply try to encourage fewer social media. … I think that is also what made a big difference.”
Rios let out a long sigh when asked what she would say if she had a minute with President Trump.
“I don’t think I would like a minute,” was his first answer. Then, “there are a lot of things that come to my mind, but I don’t think I would know where to start.”
Gerard Babb does not have such hesitation. He would ask President Trump to try to save his job.
The irony, he says, is that he considers Trump as at least partially blamed for the fact that he will probably lose it soon.
Babb works in the Mack Trucks assembly chain, a major employer in the region. But the company recently announced that it would reduce 250 to 350 jobs here from its 2,600 employment members.
He cited Trump’s prices as a factor, saying that the president softened the request. The workers of the united and others, including representative Mackenzie, suggest that the company uses Trump as a leaf and has long wanted to move a certain production to Mexico.
“I think they played a role,” said Babb about Trump’s prices. “Donald Trump could have had a little more finesse instead of using a general policy on everything.”
Babb’s first vote was for Barack Obama in 2008. But he went to Mitt Romney in 2012, then voted for three votes for Trump.
“AB +” is the way he notes Trump at four months, despite his assault on the loss of his job.
But every day is more stressful, because Babb checks the seniority list to see if the normal turnover could save it in a way when Mack announces an exact number and a timing.
“I was 171 when they first announced,” said Babb. “Now, I’m at 218. … if I can get about 350, it would be perfect. But as long as I am 250, I have a chance. ”
Babb also voted for Mackenzie, but says that it is far too early to engage in his mid-term vote in 2026.
The force of the economy is his first issue, and he said that Mackenzie would help his chances if the congress eliminated taxes on overtime or that other things would help his family. Babb said it was open to vote for the Democrat for Congress if this candidate had better economic policies.
“I have not seen anything yet,” said Babb when asked about the promise of the White House to quickly stimulate manufacturing. “I would like to see more manufacturing jobs in the region.”
Most of his time now, however, is divided between keeping information on layoffs at work, then trying to shake stress and spend time with his wife and three children.
“It is stressful that I will (probably) be without work in the near future,” said Babb. “Because I want to support my wife and children. It is uncertainty that really attracts me. ”