President Donald Trump is gearing up to promote his economic policies as Republicans express concerns over potential setbacks in the upcoming midterm elections. According to Axios, Trump is set to embark on a domestic tour starting Tuesday in Pennsylvania, with plans to continue traveling through the new year. Although the White House hasn’t pinpointed the exact location, Trump is expected to visit northeastern Pennsylvania. This area includes Scranton, the hometown of former President Joe Biden, whom Trump frequently holds accountable for current economic challenges facing Americans.

During a recent Cabinet meeting, Trump criticized the Democratic focus on “affordability,” dismissing it as a “scam” and linking it to their recent electoral victories. He expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the “worst inflation in the history of our country.” Trump also took a jab at Biden, his preferred nickname for whom is “sleepy Joe,” accusing him of overseeing sky-high gas prices reaching $5 a gallon. Trump contrasted this with his administration’s efforts, claiming to have reduced prices to about $2.75 per gallon. Current data indicates that average gas prices in the U.S. hover around $2.99 to $3.00 per gallon, although these figures vary by state.

Republicans have faced setbacks recently, evidenced by losses in Virginia, New Jersey, and underwhelming performance in a Tennessee special election. These developments raise concerns about the party’s strength as the pivotal 2026 midterms approach. Despite Trump’s approval ratings hitting a low point last month, as reported by the Daily Mail, Axios suggests that White House aides still view him as the most effective spokesperson for the party. The northeastern Pennsylvania region is anticipated to be a battleground for one of next year’s most competitive House races.

Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and part of the Poconos, was a squeaker of a race last year, with Republican Representative Rob Bresnahan flipping a longtime Democratic seat by winning just 50.8 percent of the vote. While the Cook Political Report rates the district ‘lean Republican,’ Democrats see an opening as Bresnahan has gotten flack for having a ‘ secret helicopter ‘ and dumping six figures worth of stock on companies that manage Medicaid before voting for cuts. The Republican pushed back, telling NBC News he ‘never instructed my financial advisers on what to buy, sell, or hold.’

Bresnahan also introduced legislation to ban Congressional stock trading. Still, Democrats believe it’s a flippable district and Scranton’s Democratic Mayor Paige Cognetti has already jumped into the race. Retired state administrative officer Francis McHale, another Democrat, is also running. Trump already endorsed Bresnahan for reelection, doing so in early November on Truth Social. While the president is known for his large-scale campaign rallies, he’s largely eschewed day-long domestic trips during his second term thus far.

He’s traveled to Florida for winter weekends at Mar-a-Lago and New Jersey for Bedminster summer weekends, but beyond that his domestic travel has largely been to sporting events or disaster zones. Staffers hope sending Trump out on the road could help recapture the 2024 magic, when the president mounted one of the wildest political comebacks in American history.

Pennsylvania’s popular Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, who has his own political future to consider as a possible 2028 White House contender, has a useful excuse to stay away – he’s already slated to be in Washington, D.C. Shapiro will appear alongside Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox for a talk at the Washington National Cathedral. The topic? Confronting political violence.