SUFFERN, N.Y.—President Donald Trump highlighted a tax deduction enacted in his signature law last year at a campaign event for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) in New York’s Hudson Valley on May 22.
The president highlighted the quadrupling of the state and local tax deduction (SALT) under the One Bill Beautiful Bill Act.
It allows taxpayers to deduct taxes paid to state and local taxes from their federal tax bill. The deduction is aimed at residents of high-tax states like New York.
“Your typical homeowner loses over $15,000 each year alone because of your state taxes,” Trump said at Rockland Community College. “They’re going to cut your state taxes in half, and more than half.”
The president credited Lawler for his tenacity in getting the SALT deduction increased.
“I call him Mr. Salt. He didn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop. He was driving us crazy. ‘We have to get SALT, we have to get SALT back,’ and he got it back. And he’s a terrific guy, and you’re lucky to have him,” Trump said of Lawler.
With large signs that read, “Fighting for the American Worker,” the campaign remarks came as Trump looks to promote his economic policies ahead of the midterms, in which Republicans seek to retain control of the House and Senate.
He cited record tax refunds received by residents of New York, saying, “You get back the biggest refund that you’ve ever had.”
He accused New York Gov. Kathy Hochul of going against him publicly after calling him up to ask for help.
“‘Could you help me here? Could you help me there? We’re having a little problem getting this, and we’re trying to get that,’” said Trump, recalling what he said the governor told him. “The next thing she goes out, ‘We must stop Donald Trump.’ … She’s a very nice one, but she’s never going to take you to the promised land.”
Democrats have made affordability a key campaign platform, particularly targeting Trump and Republicans over rising gas prices since the start of the Iran War.
Addressing cost-of-living concerns, the president said that prices will go down when the conflict ends, which he said would be soon.
“Oil prices are going to tumble as soon as I finish up with Iran,” he said.
Trump also highlighted the termination of electric vehicle mandates, criticizing them as “insane.”
“That’s where [the Biden administration] wanted everybody to buy an electric car, and as I told [Tesla CEO] Elon [Musk], ‘I love electric cars, but Elon, is that for everybody?’” said Trump.
Lawler faces a tough reelection bid in one of the closest-watched House races in November. At the rally, Lawler mixed with the crowd, shaking hands, saying hello, and taking photos with constituents.
His Hudson Valley district, which lies just north of New York City, voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris, then-vice president and the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024, won by only half a percentage point.
According to Lawler, 50 percent of households have a police officer, a firefighter, a first responder, or a veteran living in the household. The district also has the largest population of Jewish residents of any district in the country.
Asked why he would welcome Trump when many voters don’t approve of the president, Lawler said that to get things done, it’s critical to engage.
“In order to actually effectuate change, you have to be in the arena,” said Lawler, speaking to reporters before the rally.
“If the president wants to come to your community, you’re welcome, and you engage in a constructive dialogue on the issues that matter.”
Lawler touted his record lobbying the president on SALT, increasing the deduction from $10,000 to $40,000.
He also highlighted the rise in utility costs locally by 58 percent, which he blamed on the closing of the Indian Point nuclear power plant just north of New York City.
Wayne Jennings, 58, a custodial supervisor in local schools who lives in Suffern, flagged rising prices as a concern, saying that many things are no longer affordable.
Jennings, who is of Native American heritage, told The Epoch Times he works seven days a week, adding up to about 50 hours, to make sure schools are clean and ready for students on Mondays.
He said he supports the president.
“When somebody says America first, that’s like actually saying, my family comes first before I can take care of my neighbor.
“And if people would just think of that for just one second, what’s more important? It’s your family first. You can’t take care of your neighbor if you can’t even take care of your family.”
Dennis Henion, 64, a certified welder, said he also drives school buses because the district needed help.
His biggest concern is the economy.
“Keep the economy at a rate where we can live here because the taxes around here are getting high,” he said.
Henion grew up in Rockland County and owns an acre of land, so he pays a lot in property taxes, he said.
“You know, we might have to move on from here. I really don’t want to.”
He said his community is here—as he spoke with The Epoch Times, a friend stopped to say, “How you doing, brother?”
His wife is a registered nurse, and she’s also putting in a lot of hours, Henion said. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to stay.
Henion goes to work at 5 a.m., and then at 1:30 p.m., he goes to the bus garage for his route taking kids home from school. Sometimes he does the sports run as well later in the evening, which will get him home by 7 p.m.
Asked about Lawler, he said he supports him.
“Mike Lawler does a great job. He’s all over the place. I’ve seen him at my son’s graduation from [Rockland Community College] last week.”
Also attending the rally was Suffern resident David Sussman, who said he lives just a 3-minute walk from Rockland Community College. Sussman, 23, works in a restaurant, said feeling accepted and welcomed in the community is most important to him.
“When you feel wanted in somewhere where you were born and you lived your whole life, it makes you feel safer just by knowing that people want you here,” he told The Epoch Times.
Asked about Lawler, Sussman said the congressman supports not just the Jewish community but that “he shows it to all the communities.”
“He’s not even Jewish, but I see how he supports the Christian community and all other communities where he goes and he visits,” he said. “I think he does an amazing job by showing support to everybody.”
Several disruptions happened during the president’s speech, and at least three attendees had to be escorted out of the crowd.