The key facts

  • The Bethlehem steel plant closed in the 1990s; jobs are now in logistics, animal feed production and pharmaceuticals
  • The district could hand control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats in the November 3 elections
  • In April 2025 Mack announced layoffs of up to 350 workers due to Trump's tariffs; about 170 were laid off and then brought back

A former steel city between hope and disappointment

In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, once a center of American steelmaking, the massive steel plant fell silent in the 1990s. The partially renovated industrial site recently came back to life — it hosted an Oktoberfest festival with visitors in Bavarian costumes and an American football broadcast on a big screen. Among the attendees were supporters of President Donald Trump, who, despite their disappointments, continue to back the Republican Party.

Residents' fates: from nostalgia for the plant to frustration over prices

62-year-old roofer Nev Hamm, who lived 'right behind' the plant in the 1980s, believes the industry is 'coming back' thanks to Trump's protectionist policies, and added that 'it will get better once we're done with the Iranian war' — referring to the war of the US and Israel against Iran that began in late February. Beth Pinella, 40, who works as a cleaner in a warehouse, says her family is 'okay,' but describes Trump, whom she voted for, as 'hit or miss.' Her husband Brian is 'a bit disappointed': 'I thought prices would come down.'

The November 3 elections and a swing district

The district where the couple lives could, as a result of the November 3 midterm elections, hand control of the House of Representatives to the Democrats. Republican Ryan Mackenzie won narrowly in 2024; his rival is Bob Brooks, a former firefighter and political newcomer who positions himself as a voice of the working class. Some voters, like 32-year-old warehouse manager Henry Martin, intend not to vote at all: he is 'stuck' between 'terrible' rent and unaffordable housing prices and believes that 'the average ordinary Joe' is not doing all that well.

The Latino community and the unions

In neighboring Allentown, a billboard urges people to vote for Brooks. Ramona Cherry, an employee at a tire shop under that billboard, says the city's large Latino community is shaken by Trump's harsh immigration policy and by inflation: 'There is more poverty than before.' At the same time, it was precisely the growth of support among Latino voters in 2024 that helped Trump return to the White House. Mike Schupp, president of the local United Auto Workers union, said: 'I would like to see a manufacturing boom, but I don't see one.' He fears that truck maker Mack will continue moving production to Mexico.

The Mack plant: layoffs, returns and Trump's visit

The last remaining Mack plant in the region, about a 20-minute drive away, employs around 2,800 people. In April 2025 the company announced plans to lay off up to 350 workers, partly because of Trump's tariffs; in the end about 170 people were laid off, but they were brought back when business conditions improved. In June, Trump personally visited the plant to promote his policies. 'I didn't want to take part in that,' said 52-year-old technician and union representative Sean Smith, who supports the Democrat Brooks. According to him, people at the plant 'don't talk about politics' because 'it just starts an argument,' but he believes that 'enough independents and Republicans will speak up'