Trump to visit Denton, Texas, Peterbilt factory to promote manufacturing growth

President Donald Trump is scheduled to make a surprise visit to a Peterbilt Motors facility in Denton, Texas, on Thursday. The visit is part of a domestic travel push ahead of the midterm elections to promote the administration’s economic strategy, which focuses on deregulation, tax reductions, and trade policies.

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales stated that the president’s “America First trade agenda is driving a manufacturing renaissance.” Officials credit heavy truck tariffs implemented in late 2025 as a catalyst for growth. According to the White House, Paccar, the parent company of Peterbilt, has expanded domestic production and added more than 1,000 jobs at the Denton plant and over 2,000 jobs nationwide.

While the administration highlights these gains and billions in pledged industrial investments, federal labor data shows a more complex picture, noting that manufacturing has lost 35,000 jobs since January 2025, despite recording three consecutive months of recent job gains.