Biden visits his childhood Scranton home and plays up working-class roots in first day of Pa. tour

Trump, who narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2016 and lost it in 2020, was in Bucks County for a fundraiser and the Lehigh Valley for a rally on Saturday, further highlighting what the next seven months of presidential politicking may look like in the state.

Trump’s New York trial will likely restrict his ability to campaign in Pennsylvania during weekdays in the final lead-up to the primary. While the former president sat in a courtroom, his surrogates sought to hammer Biden on inflation.

“It’s no wonder why Pennsylvanians will vote to make America affordable again and elect President Trump in November,” Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley said in a statement.

On the same day he visited Scranton, Biden released a digital ad featuring interviews with his cousin, a grade school classmate, and a local business owner, arguing he’s the best pick for the middle class.

Sarah Cruz, who appeared in the digital ad Biden’s team released, also attended Biden’s event Tuesday. The 37-year-old told The Inquirer she moved to the city when she was 10 and has served on its school board. Cruz’s father’s family is from Puerto Rico and her mother is from Honduras.

“Joe Biden’s history began in Scranton and so he has those hometown roots and that feel,” Cruz said. “But he doesn’t just limit that sense of belonging to people who look like him or who are born and raised in Scranton. He embraces people who may not be from the area, but who came to the United States and to Scranton for a better life or for better opportunities.”

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