President Donald Trump's Thursday stop at Peterbilt's truck plant in Denton, about 12 miles west of Little Elm, included a nod to the town's own member of Congress. Trump recognized U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, whose 26th District takes in all of Little Elm, along with Reps. Ronny Jackson and Beth Van Duyne, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Speaking to a crowd of Peterbilt employees, Trump credited his tariffs, including a 25% import tax on medium and heavy-duty trucks imposed last November, for the plant's growth. Peterbilt said it has added 1,000 jobs in Denton. The president also used the event to back Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
The Democratic National Committee called the trip part of a desperate push to rally Republican voters before the midterms, and the RNC countered that the visits are firing up GOP voters. No reaction from Talarico appeared in reporting on the event.
Gill is on the Nov. 3 ballot seeking a second term.
