“Well, Mr. President, I can’t thank you enough for coming here to the Lehigh Valley, highlighting the great men and women of Mack Trucks, doing all the work that you do in Washington, D.C., for our veterans, our first responders, and everybody across this country to continue to maintain America as the greatest country in the world,” Mackenzie said to the delight of the crowd. “You are the president that is fighting for all Americans. Thank you for being here.”

Mackenzie will face Democrat Bob Brooks, a union leader whom Democrats are hoping will connect with working-class voters, to determine who will next represent the state’s 7th Congressional District. Mackenzie eked out a win two years ago by just 1%, making the seat a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats in the perennial swing district.

Trump’s approval rating dropped to 30%, according to a recent American Research Group survey. This marks Trump’s lowest approval rating in the survey’s trend data. It also puts the president in a historically tough spot ahead of the 2026 elections. Presidents with less than 40% approval before midterm elections tend to face severe backlash from voters at the ballot box.

The Iran war and subsequent high gas prices were likely contributors to the president’s sinking approval numbers. But Trump’s signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iran last week could help reverse the downward approval trend as energy prices decline. The MOU pauses the war for 60 days as both sides negotiate specific terms to end the conflict.

“We just achieved a historic peace agreement with Iran to end the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, and by the way, yesterday 19 million barrels of oil flowed out of the Strait of Hormuz, a very beautiful place,” Trump bragged while in Pennsylvania.

The tensions with Iran haven’t stopped vulnerable GOP lawmakers from touting their connection with Trump, who remains the undisputed head of his party. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) attended a White House event on enhancing America’s energy reliability infrastructure earlier this month and touted the investments for helping “improve reliability, support good-paying jobs” in rural Arizona. Ciscomani’s Tucson-area seat is rated a toss-up this cycle, and he’ll face Marine veteran JoAnna Mendoza in November.

Last month, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) appeared at Rockland County College’s Eugene Levy Fieldhouse with Trump for an affordability-focused event. Lawler represents a battleground district in New York that former Vice President Kamala Harris carried during the 2024 election.

At the event, Trump praised Lawler for doing a “great job” while in office and invited him onstage for brief remarks. “I want to thank you for working with me to deliver a big win by lifting the cap on SALT,” the congressman said, referring to increasing the state and local tax deduction to $40,000.

“It was an honor to welcome President Trump to the Hudson Valley today,” said Lawler about the visit afterward.

He also acknowledged that “the people that fundamentally dislike Donald Trump are very likely never voting for me.”

TRUMP SAYS HE STOPPED CALIFORNIA FROM RIGGING THE GUBERNATORIAL RACE AGAINST STEVE HILTON

Republican lawmakers will need to convince enough Republican and independent voters to stick with the GOP in November, despite the economic turmoil over the last five months. By returning to the campaign trail, Trump is hoping to galvanize the same base that propelled him to the White House in 2024, even though he is not on the ballot this year.

“We got to make sure you vote for our congressman here,” Trump said of Mackenzie. “I’m not doing this for my health.”