Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)

Trump To Visit The Lehigh Valley on Thursday

President Donald Trump will visit a medical equipment distributor in the Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

A White House spokesperson confirmed the visit on Monday night to the Allentown Morning Call, saying that Trump will be heading to an Upper Macungie Township medical equipment distribution center, where he’s expected to talk about coronavirus testing and the equipment needed to combat the pandemic.

Trump sent out a tweet on Tuesday morning saying that he’s “looking forward” to the visit in Pennsylvania. 

On Monday, Trump shot out a tweet pinpointing Pennsylvania and criticizing Democrats for their response to COVID-19. 

“The great people of Pennsylvania want their freedom now, and they are fully aware of what that entails. The Democrats are moving slowly, all over the USA, for political purposes. They would wait until November 3rd if it were up to them. Don’t play politics. Be safe, move quickly!,” Trump said in the tweet. 

Gov. Tom Wolf responded to Trump’s tweet in a news conference on Monday saying that he’s reopening the state in a “measured way.” 

“I don’t know how you stay safe and move quickly,” Wolf said, according to the Morning Call, adding that “the irresponsible thing to do … is to just willy-nilly go off and pretend that we can wave a magic wand and go back into business and suspend the reality to this virus that’s surrounding us.”

The Pennsylvania Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee both issued statements criticizing Trump’s response to COVID-19.

“Over 3,700 Pennsylvanians have lost their lives, but Donald Trump is still more interested in politics than public safety — that’s why his Administration has yet to get this virus under control,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson Andres Anzola. “Instead of putting workers at risk with premature victory laps, the President should do his job and get Pennsylvanians the PPE and tests we need.”

The DNC shared a similar message and called Trump’s visit a “cheap political stunt.”

Wolf has mainly received high marks for his response to COVID-19, while Pennsylvanians have remained split on Trump’s response to the pandemic. 

Trump’s most recent visit to the Keystone State was in March when he participated in a Fox News Town Hall in Scranton. The Morning Call reports that Trump’s visit to on Thursday will be his first to the Lehigh Valley since being elected president. 

Dr. Jill Biden is campaigning on behalf of former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign on Tuesday through multiple virtual events in PA.

PoliticsPA is seeking comment from the Pennsylvania Republican Party on Trump’s upcoming visit.

This story was updated to include a comment from the PA Democratic Party, the DNC, and to note that Dr. Jill Biden is virtually campaigning in PA on Tuesday.