SUFFERN – President Donald Trump traveled to Rockland Community College (RCC) on Friday afternoon to endorse Congressman Mike Lawler, a staunch ally of the Commander-in-Chief.
Lawler represents the 17th Congressional District, which includes all of Rockland and Putnam counties, as well as parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties. It is considered one of the most competitive congressional districts in the nation in November’s mid-term elections.
President Trump’s visit focused on affordability and tax cuts, including Trump’s work on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction with Lawler.
“Mike Lawler is a warrior, he fights like hell,” said Trump inside the packed Eugene Levy Fieldhouse, before welcoming Lawler on stage. “He fights for you.”
President Trump also called Lawler “fantastic” and said he was a “pain in the ass” while he repeatedly asked the White House to increase the deduction. Lawler led the effort to quadruple the cap from $10,000 to $40,000. SALT is a federal tax provision that allows taxpayers to deduct taxes already paid to state and local governments from their federally taxable income, helping reduce the amount they owe the IRS.
“It was an honor to welcome President Trump to the Hudson Valley today. If you want to get things done, you have to be in the arena,” Lawler said. “You have to have a seat at the table and fight for your community. That’s exactly how I approached the fight for Hudson Valley families. I made a promise that I would not support a tax package that left New Yorkers behind, and I fought every step of the way to deliver real relief.”
Lawler added: “We are getting things done for Rockland County and the Hudson Valley. And the best is yet to come,”
President Trump was introduced at the event by New York Giants quarterback Jackson Dart. Hundreds of people lined up early to watch the president take the stage in the packed venue, while protesters carrying signs also gathered on campus. Several Democrats, including U.S. criticized Trump’s visit to Rockland County, citing the war and Iran and inflation.
While the economy was the main focus of the president’s speech, he often riffed off topic, talking about crimes in sanctuary cities, taking jabs at Governor Kathy Hochul and discussing voter identification. At one point, he even questioned the audience about what he should call his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, often called “Sleepy Joe” by President Trump.
As far as the economy, President Trump said: “I cut your taxes, cut the taxes on workers, families, small businesses, who are the soul of this state. These are all Republican tax cuts. The Democrats voted against every one of these tax cuts.”
During many references to the Democrats, Trump called the party “Dumocrats.” Like many President Trump events, the program at RCC felt like a campaign rally. However, it did have its share of touching moments.
President Trump announced that Welles Crowther, the Nyack native remembered for his extraordinary courage and sacrifice on September 11, 2001, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Crowther became known as “The Man in the Red Bandana” after helping save numerous lives inside the South Tower of the World Trade Center before ultimately sacrificing his own.
The family of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old college student from Yorktown who was tragically shot and killed by an illegal immigrant in Chicago in March, was also recognized at the event.
“This is what failed policies have done to our family,” Gorman’s father, Thomas said. “We did not just lose Sheridan; we lost our peace, we lost our future, we lost the life that we knew. And no family should have to become experts in immigration failures, release policies, warrants, sanctuary laws, and enforcement breakdowns because their daughter was killed by someone who should not have been here.”
Lawler was one of just three incumbent House Republicans, alongside Don Bacon and Brian Fitzpatrick, to win reelection in districts carried by former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Five Democrats are vying for the party’s nomination to compete against Lawler in the general election. The Democratic primary is June 23.
Trump won Rockland County in the 2024 election. The district has approximately 75,000 more Democrats than Republicans.
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