PITTSTON TWP. — President Donald Trump has arrived at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport ahead of his visit Tuesday night to Mount Air Casino Resort in Paradise Twp.
Air Force One touched down at the airport shortly after 6 p.m.
Trump emerged from the presidential plane then entered the Marine One helicopter to be transported to Mount Airy for an address that was expected to begin around 6 p.m.
White House officials have said Trump’s main focus will be to discuss an economic message about ending the inflation crisis he says he inherited from President Joe Biden.
Shortly before Trump’s arrival, Scranton mayor and Democratic congressional candidate Paige Cognetti issued a statement critical of her Republican opponent U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan and his support of Trump.
“I first ran for Mayor of Scranton as an independent to root out corruption in city hall. That promise to shake up a broken and corrupt political system is also what attracted many Northeastern Pennsylvanians to support President Trump. Unfortunately, Congressman Rob Bresnahan has come to represent the exact kind of self-serving politician that Northeastern Pennsylvanians – regardless of which party they vote for – all agree we need to get rid of,” Cognetti said in a statement. “Bresnahan betrayed our community by breaking his promise to ban congressional stock trading and instead becoming one of the most active traders in all of Congress, and by breaking his promise to protect our health care, instead voting for the largest cuts to Medicaid in history. The truth is that no matter who comes to our community to campaign for Rob Bresnahan, he won’t be able to outrun his own record of corruption and broken promises. Congressman Bresnahan has put himself first – I’m running to put NEPA first.”
Tuesday’s visit marks Trump’s first return to Northeast Pennsylvania since winning back the presidency last year, when he twice campaigned in the region.
Then-candidate Trump held a campaign rally Oct. 9, 2024, at the Riverfront Sports complex in Scranton. It followed an Aug. 17, 2024, rally at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Twp.
Trump previously spoke at the arena in April 2016, October 2016, August 2018 and September 2022. He also participated in a Fox News town hall at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple on March 5, 2020; held an Aug. 20, 2020, rally at Mariotti Building Products in Old Forge; and landed and spoke at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Pittston Twp. on Nov. 2, 2020.
He also campaigned twice at Lackawanna College in Scranton during his successful 2016 presidential campaign. Those events took place in July and November 2016, respectively.