JD Vance says Harris will harm trucking industry, raise costs, at Erie campaign stop

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made his debut in bellwether Erie County on Wednesday, defending the trucking industry and attacking Vice President Kamala Harris’ record on energy, inflation and immigration ― all of which, polls suggest, are key issues in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania.

“We’re here to celebrate American trucking and to celebrate American industry and to remind everybody just how good our truckers can do if we get better leadership in the White House,” Vance told supporters gathered inside a garage at Team Hardinger, a transportation and warehousing company, at 1280 W. 18th St.

Vance, who was selected as former President Donald Trump’s running mate in July, argued that Trump will be a “fighter” for American truckers, who, according to Vance, support 1 in 15 jobs in Pennsylvania.

The 39-year-old freshman senator from Ohio, whose visit to Erie was part of a two-day trip through three swing states, Michigan on Tuesday and Wisconsin after Erie on Wednesday, added that Trump will end the nation's “affordability crisis” by securing the border, cutting regulations and unleashing American energy.

“Drill, baby, drill,” Vance repeated to the crowd of roughly 200 people.

Here are some key takeaways.

Vance says Harris policies will hurt trucking industry

Vance, who spoke for roughly 15 minutes before taking questions from the news media, devoted much of his speech to truckers, who he described as “irreplaceable.”

He also claimed Harris wants to “put them out of business.”

“Kamala Harris thinks our truckers should all learn computer code,” Vance said. “If we learned anything about the last three and a half years, I think it’s that we have not enough truckers and way too many computer coders."

Vance, who was flanked by two Team Hardinger semi-truck tractors, argued that much of the economy relies on truckers and that Harris wants to raise fuel prices and force truckers to drive costly electric vehicles, which, he claimed, would affect supply chains and worsen inflation.

“You think groceries are bad? Wait until Kamala Harris makes every American trucker drive an electric truck,” he said.

He added, "The most specific policy that we have to help the truckers of Erie, Pennsylvania, is to fire Kamala Harris and replace her with Donald Trump."

Vance asked about helping Erie

When asked by the news media about Erie, he described the city as a “beautiful place” that’s been left behind by “stupid policies from people like Kamala Harris.”

He said the “first thing” to do to help Erie is to “unleash American energy," a strategy that he claimed will make manufacturing and construction cheaper in an area with a "proud manufacturing tradition."

“Kamala Harris’ policies mean less energy; less money in people’s pockets; and a lot of people freezing on a cold winter night," he said. "I think that’s a disgrace in the richest country in the world."

Vance said Americans are roughly $12,000 poorer now than during Trump’s term, and that average workers’ wages have gone down by 6%. He said Trump will curb these trends by stopping illegal immigration, raising tariffs and urging American companies to hire American workers instead of relying on "Chinese slave labor."

“If you do more of that, you’re going to bring more jobs to Erie, Pennsylvania,” he said.

Other notable takeaways

Vance accused Harris of running a "copycat campaign," insisting she "pretends that she agrees with Donald J. Trump on every issue." Axios reported Tuesday that Harris pledges to spend millions of dollars on a southern border wall.

The loudest applause line of the event came after Vance said Harris "can go to hell." The line came after Vance was questioned about an alleged altercation between Trump's campaign staff and a public affairs official at Arlington National Cemetery Monday during a wreath-laying ceremony. Vance insisted the media had blown the matter out of proportion and criticized Harris for not conducting an investigation into the suicide bombing that killed 13 American service members at the Kabul airport on Aug. 26, 2021.

Other speakers Wednesday included small business owner Marcy Kantz, of Meadville; Dan Doyle, owner of Reliance Well Services; and Slippery Rock Mayor JD Longo.

Some notable guests seen at Wednesday's event included state Sen. Dan Laughlin, State Rep. Jake Banta, Erie County Republican Chairman Tom Eddy and Erie County Councilman Charlie Bayle.

Local Democrats respond

Prior to Vance’s arrival, local Democrats held a press conference in Erie to give an official response.

Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Sam Talarico, who was joined by Erie City Council Chairman Chuck Nelson and Crawford County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lindsey Scott, slammed Trump and Vance's Project 2025 agenda, claiming it will raise Pennsylvania families’ taxes by $3,900 a year while doling out tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations.

“As a 40-year union member, I’m fired up to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because I am enraged by Donald Trump and JD Vance and their plans to jack up our taxes to help their rich friends,” Talarico said.

“As president, Donald Trump tried to gut our pensions and Social Security every year that he was in office. He undermined our rights to organize for better pay and working conditions. J.D. Vance, for his part, voted against workers' rights in his position in the Senate."

Talarico added that Harris and Walz have fought for workers and workers’ rights for their entire careers and are endorsed by nearly every major union.

He continued, “I’m here to remind people to ignore JD Vance’s lies that he will give today and instead look at the Trump-Vance record and their extreme plan for hard workers and the middle class. Get to know where the two parties stand … one is in our corner and the other simply is not.”

Several of the claims made by Vance and the Democrats on Wednesday were unsubstantiated.

A.J. Rao can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: JD Vance says economy 'relies on the truckers industry' in Erie