● We will bring you updates from Vice President JD Vance’s West Pittston visit in this space. Check back throughout the afternoon. Vance is scheduled to speak at Don’s Machine Shop at 1 p.m.
● WVIA News political reporter Borys Krawczeniuk will have a full recap of Vance’s speech and reaction later today here at WVIA.org. Listen for updates on our WVIA-FM local news broadcasts this afternoon and tomorrow during Morning Edition.
11:25 a.m.: Both sides gathering
Matthew White arrived outside Don’s Machine Shop at 4 a.m. He wore a suit, a red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap and a tie that says “Trump.”
The Allentown resident was the first in line to see Vice President JD Vance speak in West Pittston. He came to town to celebrate the Big Beautiful Bill and hoped to meet Vance.
“It’s going to help Americans big time,” he said of the bill. “My mother’s a bartender, so no tax on tips. No tax on overtime, my father does overtime with construction companies … more money for us,” he said.
Buses drove supporters and media to the shop throughout the morning and early afternoon from a remote parking location in Exeter.
Just after 10 a.m. a line of around 40 people waited down Elm Street to see Vance during his first visit to Northeast Pennsylvania. He campaigned for President Donald Trump in Williamsport in October.
Vance is expected to tout Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Kristen Walsh lives a few houses away from the machine shop. Her children sold lemonade, iced tea and cookies with American Flags on them.
“I think this is the most exciting thing for West Pittston .. It’s historic. It’s not often you have a president, vice president, come to a town let alone your hometown, your street that you live on,” said Walsh.
Her sister-in-law came up with the lemonade stand.
Walsh and the children agreed it would be pretty amazing if Vance stopped by for lemonade.
Up the road from the Walshes, Robin Williams hung a sign that asked “where the list is,” referring to an alleged client list kept by the late Jeffrey Epstein. Supporters of President Trump are divided on the topic.
“I’m excited for people that are excited to see the vice president, I personally don’t like him,” she said.
She doesn’t like the Big Beautiful Bill.
“A lot of people are going to get hurt, especially the elderly with the cuts that’s going to be made to Medicare and things like that,” she said.
Her neighbor, Steven Taylor, is a truck driver. He’s divided on the bill.
“It has its ups and downs,” he said. “I like the border money, I think that’s really important. I don’t think we should be giving any money to any foreign country right now, any country, we need to take care of ourselves,” he said.
His message to Vance is to help truck drivers.
“Help us. Get rid of being paid by the mile,” he said.
On Exeter Avenue, Bikers for Trump set up their motorcycles a block away from protestors with Action Together and other advocacy organizations. State police have roads blocked off as the area anticipates the vice president’s visit.
Vance is expected to speak at 1 p.m. at the machine shop.
— Kat Bolus