President Donald Trump rallied supporters in New York on Friday to help boost the campaign of incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) in a highly competitive congressional district.
Trump took the stage at Rockland Community College in Suffern and touted the economy and tax policies under his leadership.
Trump, during his remarks, promoted his signature tax law that he signed last year, particularly the quadrupling of the deduction for state and local taxes, which is critical in a high-tax state such as New York.
Trump said companies and residents are leaving New York and that the entire state has been “held back” by its Democratic leaders.
“New York can never be the same if it's losing its tax base—and the people that pay 85% of the taxes are leaving! And when they go, they never come back,” Trump told supporters, while pointing out that Democrats voted against his tax legislation.
Lawler, who is up for reelection this November, is just one of three House Republicans who represent a congressional district won by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2024.
The New York Republican represents the 17th congressional district, which includes all of Rockland and Putnam Counties, as well as portions of Westchester and Dutchess Counties. Lawler said Trump moved Rockland County further to the right than any county in New York in 2024, gaining 14 points and becoming the first Republican to win the county as a presidential candidate in more than two decades.
Five Democrats are vying for the party’s nomination to compete against Lawler in the general election.
“Nothing says ‘I don’t understand my district’ quite like Mike Lawler bringing Donald Trump to NY-17 to tout a disastrous economy that’s crushing working families at every turn,” according to Riya Vashi, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But National Republican Congressional Committee chairman and North Carolina congressman Richard Hudson disagreed with the notion that Trump’s Friday appearance would hurt Lawler's campaign, saying the president's support would “absolutely” help.
“His poll numbers are pretty good in Lawler’s district,” Hudson said. The NRCC has been polling in competitive districts and Hudson said the “president’s numbers are good” while Democratic numbers are tanking.”
Currently, Republicans have a 217-212 majority with five vacancies in the lower chamber.
The primary election will be held June 23 and the general election has been set for Nov. 3.