SCRANTON, Pa. — President Joe Biden addressed a crowd of supporters at a campaign event in Lackawanna County on Tuesday, promising to "cut taxes for hardworking folks here in Scranton and across the country."
At 2:30 p.m., the president took the stage in the Scranton Cultural Center to the chants of "four more years."
The president's address started like nearly all of the speeches he's given in Scranton: talking about his love for his hometown.
It then transitioned to what was very clearly a campaign speech tackling inequities with the U.S. tax code and taking aim at his opponent, former president Donald Trump.
"He learned that saying 'you're fired' is something you laugh about. I guess that's how you look at the world from Park Avenue and Mar-a-Lago, but if you grew up in a place like Scranton, nobody handed you anything."
The crowd inside the Cultural Center was invite-only, close to 100 people, familiar faces in Lackawanna County politics. There were elected and public officials, people tied to the local Democratic party, and many people who work in public education in Lackawanna County.
The president painted Scranton as a picture of the middle class and talked about how the tax code puts those middle-class families at a disadvantage.
"I wake every morning thinking about how to make life better, like you do, for working and middle-class families here in Scranton and all across the country. Where the power and the freedom rests with you, and we the people."
The speech focused on changing the tax code to better benefit the middle class, remarking how the wealthiest Americans should not be paying taxes at a lower rate than teachers. It then turned into a rallying cry as we look toward the Pennsylvania Primary next week and the general election in November.
"Let's remember who we are: We are the United States of America. There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. God bless you all, and may God protect our troops," Biden said to conclude his speech.
The president's speech lasted about nearly 30 minutes. He was preceded by an area teacher who lives in Biden's former neighborhood, Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti.