On Tuesday, the speech to be delivered by Republican Donald Trump will stress on a central premise of his campaign: that global free trade.
MONESSEN, Pennsylvania:
Republican Donald Trump will deliver a speech on Tuesday highlighting his opposition to US trade deals and paint his likely Democratic Hillary Clinton as a champion of the kind of globalization that has pushed manufacturing jobs overseas.
The speech, to be delivered in the heart of America's struggling rust belt, will stress a central premise of his campaign: that global free trade - a Republican Party staple for decades - has hurt American workers because deals have been negotiated poorly. Trump has vowed to bring back manufacturing jobs, in part, by slapping tariffs on goods produced by companies that move manufacturing jobs offshore.
It's a message that he's hoping will continue to resonate with the white, working class voters, who powered his primary campaign.
Trump, now the presumptive GOP nominee, will speak at Alumisource, a Monessen, Pennsylvania-based company that provides aluminum scrap and other raw materials to the aluminum and steel industries. It's a change of setting for Trump, who typically favors his own ritzy golf clubs and ballrooms for formal speeches.
The sleepy manufacturing city of about 7,500 about an hour south of Pittsburgh, has been especially hard-hit by the decline in steel industry - a point he is expected to highlight.
Trump, in his speech, is expected to portray Clinton as a proponent of globalization and someone who has voiced opposition to trade deals in the past, only to turn around and support them. Trump will contrast her positions with his own "America first" approach, according to a senior campaign aide.
Trump is also expected to present a seven-point action plan aimed at reviving American manufacturing jobs. Among his recommendations: calling for a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, calling on the Treasury secretary to label China a currency manipulator, bringing a case before the World Trade Organization against China, and opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Trump is also expected to reference what some see as an international trend of citizens pushing to assert more control over their lives, as seen in Britain's recent vote to leave the European Union, according to the aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the aide was not authorized to discuss details publicly.
The speech comes as Trump, facing sliding poll numbers and a far larger Clinton operation, is working to re-tool his message for the general election. In addition to a slew of new hires, Trump has been delivering a series of prepared speeches aimed at calming the nerves of GOP donors and others concerned about his often combative style.
Clinton's positon on trade has been a frequent attack line for Trump. Clinton announced her opposition to the Pacific trade deal last October, saying it failed to meet her test of providing good jobs, rising wages and protecting national security. She raised specific concerns about a potential for currency manipulation by China and provisions that she said would benefit pharmaceutical companies at the expense of patients.
That marked a striking reversal for the former secretary of state, who promoted the deal in dozens of appearances during Obama's first term. During a 2012 trip to Australia, she called it the "gold standard in trade agreements." Video clips of Clinton talking about the trade deal are stored on YouTube, giving her opponents footage that could be used in television ads to highlight her shifting positions.
Following his speech, Trump will head St Clairsville, Ohio for a rally at the eastern campus of Ohio University. It will be Trump's first visit to the crucial battleground state since he secured enough delegates to become his party's presumptive nominee.
Trump will also stop in Wheeling, West Virginia for an invitation-only fundraiser with coal magnate Robert Murray.
Trump has promised to revive the coal industry, while Clinton has emphasized cleaner fuel sources.