READING, Pa. — Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) and GOP congressional candidate David Winkler were among those who turned out Friday for a “Grand Old Birthday Party” honoring former President Donald Trump’s 78th trip around the sun.
“I hope [Trump] got out on the golf course this morning,” said Meuser, who represents a red-leaning district covering much of rural east-central Pennsylvania.
“I hope he had a great game, hope he relaxed, hope he’s with his family right now continuing to relax.”
The event was held at the Trump campaign’s new outreach center for Latino voters in Reading — a post-industrial city of 95,000 where about two-thirds of residents are Hispanic.
It’s part of an effort to turn Pennsylvania’s increasing Spanish-speaking population into more Republican votes this fall.
“Latino Americans want what I think most common-sense Americans want,” said Meuser.
“They don’t want excessive spending on things… We’ve got to stop the inflation. We’ve got to bring gasoline and grocery prices back down to where they should be.”
Though the party itself was closed to the press, attendees could be heard cheering as they sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump and laughing as the two congressional candidates worked the crowd.
Plates of pork and chicken with rice were also served for the occasion.
“I know Dan [Meuser],” attendee and Pennsylvania voter Samuel Negron told The Post outside Friday’s event.
“Dan’s a good guy.”
Negron said he was compelled to attend as inflation during the Biden administration has made it harder for him to get by.
He is particularly concerned with the spike in gas prices seen under the current prez.
“Once the sitting president stopped the drilling, it caused the gas [prices] to go up, which caused everything else to go up — except my paycheck,” Negron said.
Polls suggest Biden has lost some ground with this critical demographic.
A YouGov poll from May showed Trump trailing Biden by just six percentage points (45% to 39%) among Hispanic voters.
Friday’s event featuring Meuser and Winkler was the second to feature a congressional hopeful this week, as Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate candidate, David McCormick, campaigned in Reading with several Latino leaders on Wednesday.
The incumbent Meuser spoke well of his potential future House colleague.
“He’s got one heck of a background,” Meuser said of Winkler, who is challenging Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) in a blue-leaning suburban Philadelphia district.
“He’s all about service, from the military to law enforcement. He’s from the area so he loves this community, and he wants to help America get stronger.”
