Trump praises vulnerable GOP Rep. Mike Lawler as ‘fantastic’ during a joint rally in New York

President Donald Trump defended his economic record and praised Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who is seeking re-election in a very competitive New York district.

SUFFERN, N.Y. — President Donald Trump defended his economic record and praised Republican Rep. Mike Lawler at a campaign-style event Friday, as Lawler vies for re-election in this competitive district that will shape the battle for the House.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

Lawler’s path to victory requires a high-wire act. He needs a strong turnout among pro-Trump “MAGA” Republicans to have any shot at winning. But he also needs significant support from moderate and independent voters in this Hudson Valley district.

“A lot of people are like, it’s crazy that Trump is going there and it could be counterproductive for Lawler. But we need to turn out the GOP base and nobody does that better than Trump,” said a Republican strategist working on House races, who spoke candidly on the condition of anonymity. “Lawler can thread that needle, where he uses Trump to turn out the base and gets the base excited, but also push back where he pushes back.”