By Jarrett Renshaw
May 22 (Reuters) – Donald Trump campaigned on Friday in New York’s Hudson Valley to support a vulnerable House Republican facing reelection in November, a rare test of the U.S. president’s standing with suburban voters concerned about rising costs.
Trump’s visit alongside Representative Mike Lawler came as political strategists eye congressional districts in suburbs, which are expected to be closely contested between Democrats and Republicans during the elections.
“He’s a terrific guy and you’re lucky to have him,” Trump said in a speech interrupted multiple times by protesters.
Speaking at Rockland Community College, Trump centered some of his remarks on last year’s expansion of a federal deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT, a key issue for suburban voters in New York. The state imposes a relatively high income tax on residents.
Trump credited Lawler with his advocacy for the deduction. “I call him Mr. Salt,” said Trump.
Otherwise, Trump’s speech ping-ponged from one topic to another, including the economy, Iran, transgender athletes, voter ID, crime, electric cars, migrants and cognitive tests. “I’m the smartest guy you’ll ever meet,” he said.
“You gotta go vote,” Trump said during his 90-minute speech. “Otherwise it’s a rigged election.”
Voters’ approval of Trump’s performance in office has fallen since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February. Rising gasoline prices and broader inflation concerns are intensifying the political stakes in the House of Representatives, where Republicans are defending a narrow margin of control.
Trump is also facing unusual pushback from some Republicans over his push to finance a White House ballroom project and a separate effort to establish a political compensation fund tied to a legal settlement involving the IRS over the release of his tax returns.
Riya Vashi, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, blasted Trump’s visit, saying it reflects poor judgment by Lawler.
“Nothing says ‘I don’t care about my district’ quite like Mike Lawler bringing Donald Trump to NY-17 to tout a disastrous economy that’s crushing working families,” Vashi said.
Lawler, one of few Republicans representing a district won by Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, has embraced Trump more openly than some other swing-district Republicans.
New York’s 17th Congressional District, which stretches across parts of the lower Hudson Valley, is expected to be among the nation’s most competitive House races and could play a pivotal role in determining control of Congress.
Trump has demonstrated his continued political strength within the Republican Party in recent weeks, with several candidates he endorsed successfully defeating incumbents who had fallen out of favor with him, reinforcing his influence over primary contests and party alignment heading into the 2026 cycle.
(Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw and Steve Holland; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt, Alistair Bell and Nick Zieminski)
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