Divisions Emerge Within Trump's Coalition Ahead of State of the Union

Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the county seat of Luzerne County, was once a stronghold for the Democratic Party, but has shifted rightward in recent years, aligning itself with the rise of President Trump. However, as the president prepares to deliver his State of the Union address, cracks are beginning to appear in this once solid Republican coalition.

The county, which voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, flipped to Trump in 2016, reflecting a broader trend of working-class white voters in the Rust Belt region abandoning the Democrats in favor of the Republican's populist, anti-establishment message. But now, some of Trump's key supporters in Luzerne County are starting to have second thoughts about the president and his brand of Republicanism.

Donna Barbush, a 61-year-old retired schoolteacher who voted for Trump in 2016, said she is disappointed with the president's performance and is unsure if she will support him again. "He's not the person I thought he was," Barbush said. "I thought he was going to come in and shake things up, but he's just made everything worse."

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Others in the county echo Barbush's sentiments, expressing frustration with Trump's divisive rhetoric, his struggle to deliver on key campaign promises, and his constant battles with Democrats and the media. Tom Pizano, a 55-year-old small business owner who also voted for Trump in 2016, said he is "disappointed" with the president and is considering supporting a different candidate in 2020.

The shifting political landscape in Luzerne County reflects a broader trend across the country, as Trump's brand of populism and nationalist politics begins to lose some of its appeal, particularly among working-class voters who feel let down by the president's inability to deliver on his promises to revive the economy and restore the country's manufacturing base.

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As the president prepares to deliver his State of the Union address, he will likely tout his administration's economic achievements, such as a strong labor market and rising wages. But for some of his former supporters in Luzerne County, those gains may not be enough to overcome their disappointment with the president's performance and the divisive nature of his politics.

The shifting political dynamics in Luzerne County and other parts of the country will be crucial to watch as the 2020 presidential election approaches, as Trump and the Democratic challengers battle for the support of the nation's working-class voters.