Vance tries to thread affordability needle in Rust Belt

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The vice president fine-tunes Trump’s economic message, but he's only got so much wiggle room.

Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks at Uline Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. | Tom Brenner/The New York Times via AP

ALBURTIS, Pennsylvania — Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday told this Rust Belt town that he remembers what it’s like to choose between putting food on the table or getting prescription medications — and pledged he and President Donald Trump don’t want that life for American citizens.

Moments later, he said he would grade the economy “A+++,” echoing a similar score the president gave to the economy in an interview with POLITICO last week.