Donald Trump wants Americans to use fewer pencils: 8 takeaways from rally

President Donald Trump has said it is possible to “give up certain products” like “pencils” because of the benefits of steel.

This was one of the ideas the president proposed as he gave a wide-ranging speech at the Mount Pocono casino in north-eastern Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Over the course of 100 minutes, Trump spoke about the economy and the cost of living, wind farms, migration and more.

Newsweek has compiled the key takeaways from the rally and has reached out to the White House to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

Amid concerns about the GOP’s performance in a series of elections in November, and a series of polls indicating his unpopularity with the American public, Trump will travel the county to campaign ahead of the November 2026 midterms, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said.

What To Know

Below, Newsweek has outlined eight key themes the president spoke about during his speech.

‘My favorite word is tariff.’

Imposing tariffs on trading partners has been one of Trump’s key economic policies since taking office but they have proved contentious. Some warn they cause inflation and they are subject to a Supreme Court ruling. Lower courts have repeatedly ruled against the administration’s authority in imposing broad and sweeping tariffs on an emergency basis.

Trump touted the policy and said steel companies are coming to Pennsylvania to avoid international tariffs.

“My favorite word is tariff.”

“It’s amazing,” he said. “Tariffs are bringing us hundreds of billions of dollars.”

Affordability

The economy is a key concern for American voters, with a Gallup poll showing that they overwhelmingly cited economic pressures as the main reason they voted for Trump in the November 2024 presidential election. The president pledged to bring down inflation on the campaign trail, but since taking office, Trump has been hit with a series of negative polls about his handling of the economy.

“I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,” he said, adding that prices were coming down. He attacked former President Joe Biden for his handling of the economy. “Inflation is stopped. Wages are up, prices are down, our nation is strong.”

‘Susie Trump’

Trump referred to his Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, as “Susie Trump.” It is unclear if this was a joke or a mistake.

“Do you know Susie Trump? Sometimes referred to as Susie Wild. Susie Trump. She’s the great chief of staff.”

Wind farms

Trump campaigned on expanding fossil fuels for American energy, and has long been skeptical of renewable energy options.

“China has very few wind farms. You know why? Because they’re smart.” He added: “We don’t approve windmills. We don’t approve it. I’m sorry. We don’t like things that kill all our birds.”

Despite this, Trump lifted an order to halt a $5 billion wind farm in May. A federal judge in Massachusetts on Monday also struck down an executive order issued by Trump that sought to halt offshore wind projects.

“Wind turbine collisions kill way less birds in the U.S. than domestic cats or building collisions,” Elie Bou-Zeid, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Princeton University, previously told Newsweek.

Border policies

Trump claimed that immigration under the Biden administration had “fueled inflation” and said that “we inherited the worst border in the history of the world.”

But things have since turned around under his administration, he claimed.

“You know how many people came into the border over the last seven months? You know what it is? Zero. Zero.”

Trump appeared to be referencing recent government statistics. “Once again, we have a record low number of encounters at the border and the seventh straight month of zero releases. Month after month, we are delivering results that were once thought impossible: the most secure border in history and unmatched enforcement successes,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in December.

In Trump’s first eight months in office, there were less than 9,000 illegal crossings recorded each month, CBS reported.

Ilhan Omar claims

Trump renewed unfounded attacks on Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia and immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee.

Ilhan Omar “married her brother,” he claimed. “She’s here illegally. She should get the hell out.”

Trump first addressed this rumor, which has circulated since 2016, in 2019 during a conversation with reporters. Omar released a statement in 2016 denying the claims as “absolutely false and ridiculous.”

Europe’s immigration policies

Trump renewed his criticism of Europe. “A lot of bad things are happening to Europe you know that their immigration policies are so bad,” he said.

It came after he called Europe a “decaying” group of nations led by “weak” people in an interview with Politico. He said U.S. allies had failed to control migration and end the Russia-Ukraine war.

‘Give up pencils’

While lauding tariffs and the benefits of steel, Trump spoke about giving up pencils from overseas and supporting domestic companies over foreign companies.

“You can give up certain products, you can give up pencils because under the China policy, you know, every child can get 37 pencils. They only need one or two.”

What People Are Saying

In a statement before Trump’s speech, Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer said: “Donald Trump has dropped the ball on the economy—and now he’s heading to Pennsylvania to try to convince voters that the economy is in good hands. But Americans aren’t buying what he’s selling. Trump and Republicans have repeatedly called affordability a ‘hoax,’ as Trump gives himself a pat on the back for his ‘A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus economy.’ The reality is that everyday Americans are struggling to get by because Trump’s policies have caused surging prices and a hollowed-out job market—and Trump has offered nothing but deflection and excuses.”

Susie Wiles said about Trump on The Mom View podcast: “He’s going to have a fun next year, but we’re going to put him on the campaign trail, too.”