Trump to hold campaign rally in Pennsylvania next month

President Trump is slated to hold a campaign rally in Pennsylvania next month as he seeks to keep the Keystone State in his column in next year’s election.

The event is set to take place on Dec. 10 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., the Trump campaign announced Thursday. The center contains 10,500 seats.

“Pennsylvania is booming thanks to President Trump and jobs are coming back to the state,” Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “President Trump is delivering on his promises, and he looks forward to celebrating those successes with the great men and women of Pennsylvania.” 

The rally comes as Trump seeks to shore up support in Pennsylvania and other states that he won during the 2016 election as he faces a mounting impeachment inquiry in the House centered on his efforts to get Ukraine to launch politically charged investigations.

Trump won Pennsylvania over Democrat Hillary Clinton by less than 1 point in 2016. Democrats had previously won the state in every presidential race since 1992.

Recent polls have flashed warning signs for Trump, indicating that he faces an uphill battle to win reelection in the crucial swing state.

A Muhlenberg College and Morning Call poll released last week showed former Vice President Joe Biden with a 9-point lead in a head-to-head matchup with Trump, while Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) each held 5-point leads over the president.

Democrats also scored significant wins in this year’s local elections in the Philadelphia suburbs, an area that is home to some of the most hotly contested voters in the country.

Democratic candidates won or maintained majorities in the councils of three Philadelphia-area “collar counties” earlier this month, a cautionary tale for the GOP’s chances in the nation’s suburbs.   

Hershey is located in Dauphin County, which Trump lost to Clinton by just under 3 points in 2016.