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Trump Backs Tariffs, EV Shift at Mack Trucks Rally
President Says Rule Rollback Allows OEMs to Sell Diesel, Hybrid and Electric Trucks
Key Takeaways:
- <p>President Donald Trump visited Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley Operations plant June 23, linking tariffs, energy policy and manufacturing jobs to truck production.</p>
- <p>Trump said tariffs and relaxed emissions rules would protect domestic truck manufacturing, while Mack cited $400 million in plant upgrades and recent job recalls.</p>
- <p>Trump urged Mack and union representatives to ease labor talks as the company pursues a 15,000-truck contract.</p>
MACUNGIE, Pa. — A campaign-style visit to Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley Operations plant turned into a policy-heavy rally as President Donald Trump tied his economic and energy agenda to the fortunes of heavy-duty truck builders, auto workers and Pennsylvania’s manufacturing base.
Speaking to a crowd of employees, local officials and political allies June 23, the president repeatedly framed Mack Trucks as a symbol of domestic industrial strength and his trade approach.
“Today I’m especially honored to be here at the place that builds some of the toughest vehicles on the road, Mack Trucks,” Trump said. “All of them American roads will be filled with American trucks very shortly.”
He also used the visit to defend his longstanding tariff policies, arguing they fueled new factory construction and protected domestic truck and auto manufacturing. He cited 25% tariffs on foreign automobiles and medium- and heavy-duty trucks, along with 50%-100% on foreign steel.
“How don’t you pay a tariff?” Trump said. “You build your factory here and you hire American workers. It’s quite simple.”
RELATED: Nearshoring Withstands Tariffs, Geopolitical Upheaval
As a nod to Mack Trucks, Trump repeatedly referenced an internal pursuit of a 15,000-truck contract, using it to underscore the stakes of domestic production and pricing pressure.
“They’re trying to get a contract for 15,000 trucks,” he told the rally crowd. “15,000 trucks, that’s a lot of trucks.
“If your price is right … maybe we’ll get it down a little bit.”
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Trump spoke to a crowd of employees, local officials and political allies June 23. (Michael Freeze/Transport Topics)
Trump blended contract talks, campaign messaging and local politics. He urged Mack leadership and union representatives “to ease up just a little bit” on labor contract negotiations.
The event leaned heavily on Mack’s workforce and its union leadership as surrogates for Trump’s manufacturing‑focused platform, recognizing Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy, UAW committee members and a three-generational family of Mack Trucks employees.
In one of the clearest policy signals for manufacturers and fleets, Trump said he has moved to dismantle what he called an “insane electric vehicle mandate,” and specifically targeted a set of emissions standards he said would have “crushed Mack Trucks.”
“I terminated … fuel emissions standards that would have crushed Mack Trucks here,” he said, addressing Roy directly. “Your company would be crushed if I didn’t do that. … It was the most insane environmental regulations ever conceived of by man.”
Trump argued that relaxing those rules would allow OEMs to sell trucks “for much less money,” preserve diesel and hybrid options alongside electric powertrains and keep production in U.S. plants rather than shifting EV output overseas.
“If you like electric cars, I think that’s great,” he said. “But you have to have the right to buy a regular … If you want to have gas, if you want to have a hybrid, you can have whatever the hell you want.”
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Roy spoke to supporters during Trump's visit to Mack's Lehigh Valley Operations plant. (Michael Freeze/Transport Topics)
Roy was the first speaker, welcoming supporters to the LVO plant and saying it is emerging as a centerpiece of American manufacturing, showcasing a multiyear investment push, steady job growth and strong local and federal support. He also highlighted more than $400 million invested over the past decade to expand and upgrade the facility, plus more than $1 billion invested recently in a new lineup of advanced trucks built at the plant.
RELATED: Mack Targets On-Highway Growth With Pioneer, New Anthem
The Lehigh Valley Operations facility produces a range of models designed for diverse customers and sectors, including the Pioneer longhaul truck, the Anthem regional-haul model, the Granite construction truck and the Keystone — a new offering named for Pennsylvania.
The plant’s expansion has had immediate local economic effects, including the recall of more than 150 employees over the past year and optimism for a strong second half of 2026.
Local lawmakers and federal officials speaking at the event framed these developments as part of a broader resurgence in American manufacturing, pointing to new federal defense appropriations and other investments that support domestic production at facilities such as Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley plant.
