On Wednesday night, the first night of the Republican Midterm Convention, Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) delivered a rousing speech emphasizing his state’s industrial heritage and economic revitalization efforts. The senator touted Pennsylvania’s first steel mill in decades, small business growth for women, and working-class heroes, declaring that “the Republican Party is now the home of the American worker—not just in Pennsylvania, but all across the nation.”
McCormick began by receiving a warm welcome from Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) via video. He then recounted his in-laws’ journey from Egypt to Dallas in pursuit of religious freedom and the American dream, noting how they sought the same principles that took root in Philadelphia with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
“I refuse to surrender,” McCormick declared. “President Trump refuses to surrender. This November, there can be no surrender.”
The senator traced Pennsylvania’s role as the birthplace of the steel industry that fueled the Industrial Revolution. However, he noted that American manufacturing declined over time, replaced by cheap Chinese goods. Most recently, McCormick criticized the Biden administration for blocking investments in U.S. steel, which he said cost thousands of Pennsylvanian jobs.
McCormick vowed to confront China head-on by unleashing American energy and ingenuity. He claimed collaboration with President Donald Trump had created over 100,000 jobs, including those for Pittsburgh steelworkers. Additionally, McCormick highlighted efforts to cut regulatory barriers for small businesses and start-ups, enabling Westinghouse to launch new nuclear power and transforming Lehigh Valley into a major drug manufacturing hub.
“We call it the American dream,” McCormick declared. “You work hard. You play by the rules. And you build a good life for your family.”
The senator lamented that Democrats had strayed from these values, noting they now tolerate Nazi tattoos among party members and radical commentators like Hasan Piker who claimed “America deserved 9/11.”
McCormick contrasted this with real America, drawing on his experiences in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division during deployments to Iraq. He described his platoon as diverse—a Southern Baptist from Alabama, a Black man from Newark, a farm boy from Kansas, a college dropout from Boston, and a platoon sergeant from Puerto Rico—united by shared values and love for country.
He likened this unity to the spirit of Pennsylvania: steelworkers, shipbuilders, welders, police officers, firefighters, and patriots. To drive home his message, McCormick invited an entire team of Pennsylvanian workers on stage. Like his platoon, they represented a mix of races, genders, and professions but shared one common identity: They were Pennsylvanians.
