President Donald Trump will return to the Rust Belt once again to promote $70 billion in artificial intelligence and energy investments in Pennsylvania.
Trump and Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) will make the announcement during an innovation summit in Pittsburgh, according to an Axios story shared by press secretary Karoline Leavitt on X.
McCormick, who was elected along with Trump last fall, will attend the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University with the president, CEOs, and other leaders in the energy and AI sectors.
“There’s no question that the path to American energy dominance runs directly through Pennsylvania, and this Summit will celebrate all our Commonwealth has to offer,” McCormick said in a release announcing Trump’s attendance.
“Harnessing Pennsylvania’s unique strengths to attract new data center investment and energy infrastructure development will jumpstart Pennsylvania’s economy, create great, new jobs, and bolster our national security,” the senator added.
The summit comes two days after the first anniversary of the assassination attempt against Trump on July 13, 2024, just 30 miles north of Pittsburgh in Butler, Pennsylvania, and as Trump nears the six-month mark of his second term.
Trump won the Keystone state last fall, besting Democratic nominee former Vice President Kamala Harris by 120,000 votes after losing Pennsylvania four years earlier. He has showered attention on the state since retaking office, visiting in March to attend the National Collegiate Athletic Association wrestling championships and again on May 30 for a rally at the Mon Valley Works–Irvin steel processing plant.
Tuesday will mark Trump’s third visit to the state since retaking the White House. Only Virginia, home of Trump National Golf Club, and Florida, home of Mar-a-Lago, have seen more visits than Pennsylvania.
Not everyone will be excited to see the president back in town, however. According to CBS Pittsburgh, signs painted with the words “protest the summit” could be seen on the Carnegie Mellon campus on Sunday, and protests are expected outside of the event.
Trump has been touting his plans to boost Pennsylvania’s economy, including his $14 billion deal between Nippon Steel and US Steel and, more recently, a $20 billion Amazon investment in the state.
Biden’s defense of autopen backfires, sparks outrage
McCormick’s wife, former deputy national security adviser Dina Powell McCormick, will begin the event by moderating a panel titled “The AI Race and How We Win It,” with the discussion including White House crypto czar David Sacks, Blackstone Group COO Jon Gray, Mudabala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and SoftBank board member Rene Haas.
Later in the day, Trump will speak with business leaders about innovation, technology, the trades, and energy, all areas he’s looking to improve in the Keystone state. Other guests at the event will include Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Pennsylvania State University president Neeli Bendapudi.
