(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump will be returning to Pennsylvania in July to headline a summit aimed at boosting the nation’s defense and innovation industries.
On Wednesday morning, U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., announced that Trump will headline the 2026 Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle. The two-day summit, which McCormick said will convene the nation’s leaders in defense, technology, finance, and government, will take place on July 14 and 15.
The event is slated to take place exactly one year after McCormick hosted the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh. That conference, intended to promote America’s energy and artificial intelligence industries, featured appearances by Trump and Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“Last July, the President came to Pennsylvania and together we announced more than $90 billion in investments to strengthen America’s energy dominance and AI leadership. This July, I look forward to welcoming President Trump back to build on this momentum with a focus on strengthening and advancing our national defense,” said McCormick. “The Commonwealth stands ready to lead and deliver the innovation, manufacturing, and skilled workforce necessary to advance the President’s vision and strengthen our military edge.”
Last month, McCormick first announced that the summit would take place in Carlisle in July but did not provide details about who would attend.
The development of Trump headlining the summit was first reported on Tuesday by Axios, just hours before Trump’s first appearance in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, Trump delivered remarks at Mack Trucks in the Lehigh Valley and boosted the candidacy of U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-7th District, in the process.
McCormick announced on Wednesday morning that JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, Blackstone President Jon Gray, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet, General Dynamics CEO Phebe Novakovic, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, SpaceX director Antonio Gracias, and Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar, will be present at the summit next month.
The first day of the summit, McCormick said, will spotlight the state’s defense industrial base. Those in attendance will include leaders from the defense and industry sectors, technologists, investors, procurement officials, and senior government officials for what McCormick describes as “high-impact panels and working sessions designed to expand Pennsylvania's defense production and innovation.”
The second day of the summit will be headlined by Trump, where the president will deliver investment announcements and “partnerships showcasing Pennsylvania’s continued leadership in strengthening and supporting America’s national defense.”
McCormick’s press release said that attendees will also hear from the nation’s “most prominent” national security and military leaders, including top Cabinet officials. The announcement on Wednesday morning, however, didn’t specify if other Pennsylvania elected officials will be in attendance.
McCormick described Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget as a “generation opportunity” for the state to “contribute and strengthen our national defense.”
McCormick, a military veteran, has made the rounds across the commonwealth to tout the defense industry since being sworn into office last year.
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