Biden uses tax-the-rich mantra in appeal to Pennsylvania’s working-class voters

President Biden opened a three-day campaigning swing through Pennsylvania by calling for higher taxes on the rich and corporations.

He said working-class Americans benefit when the wealthy put more cash in Uncle Sam’s coffers.

“A fair tax code is how we invest in things that make this country strong,” he said in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “Health care, education, defense and so much more.”

Mr. Biden returned to his childhood home of Scranton to make the case for his tax plan and bash former President Donald Trump’s pledge to extend his 2017 tax cuts.

Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd, Mr. Biden cast Mr. Trump as an out-of-touch wealthy elitist from Manhattan who could not understand the economic concerns of ordinary people.

“All I knew about the people like Trump who look down on us [is] they welcome us into their homes or their clubs,” Mr. Biden said. “When I look at the economy, I don’t see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago, I see it through the eyes of Scranton, Pennsylvania.”

The president said Mr. Trump wants to lower billionaires’ tax bills by cutting Social Security, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act.

He also said Mr. Trump will give large corporations a massive tax break by extending his 2017 tax cuts that reduced the corporate tax rate to 21%. Mr. Biden wants to hike the corporate tax rate to 28%.

Mr.  Trump has campaigned on the promise of cutting taxes for all Americans while also reducing the $35 trillion national debt.

“When President Trump is back in the White House, he will advocate for more tax cuts for all Americans and reinvigorate America’s energy industry to bring down inflation, lower the cost of living, and pay down our debt,” The Trump campaign said in a recent statement.

The Trump tax cuts are scheduled to expire next year and Democrats have pushed back against a blanket extension. Republicans hope to extend the cuts Mr. Trump takes back the White House.

Mr. Biden is hammering the tax issue to steer the conversations about the economy away from inflation, which is one of his biggest obstacles to reelection as prices remain high and voters remain worried about their wallets.

The Scranton event kicked off Mr. Biden’s campaign tour across Pennsylvania, which is the most populous battleground state. Winning Pennsylvania in 2020, was instrumental in clinching the victory for Mr. Biden.

After two campaign events in Scranton, Mr. Biden will travel Wednesday to Pittsburgh, where he will deliver a speech at the headquarters of U.S. Steel. He will also give remarks in Philadelphia.