Jun 7, 2017 - Health
Trump shifts back into campaign mode in Ohio
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John Minchillo / AP
- President Trump kicked off his infrastructure speech in Cincinnati, Ohio Wednesday with a reminder that the state helped him win big in the November election. The crowd erupted in applause, and Trump fed off the energy like he would at a campaign rally, taking the opportunity to boast about his accomplishments since taking office.
Split screen: This speech was a welcome break from Washington for Trump. In Ohio, Trump was able to reconnect with his key supporters on an issue that he hopes to make a hallmark of his presidency. Meanwhile, back in D.C., James Comey was about to drop another bombshell.
Key infrastructure quotes:
- "It is time to rebuild our country, to bring back our jobs, to restore our dreams, and yes, to put American first."
- "We will keep our nation so great and so strong and we will never have outside forces telling us what to do and how to do it."
- "My new vision for American infrastructure will rebuild our country by generating $1 trillion in infrastructure investment. Our infrastructure program will be based on forging new partnerships and demanding new accountability for every federal taxpayer dollars."
- "Working with states, local governments, and private industry, we will ensure that these new federal funds are matched by significant additional dollars for maximum efficiency and accountability."
- "We will build because our people want to build and because we need them to build. We will build because prosperity demands it. And above all we will build because that is how we make America Great Again."
Trump also repeatedly veered off-topic from his infrastructure speech:
- On fighting terrorism: Trump thanked King Solomon of Saudi Arabia for his his punitive measures against Qatar, and in his willingness to join the fight against ISIS. "They're doing a great job.They're going to stop the funding of radical Islamic terrorism."
- Repealing and replacing Obamacare: "To implement this infrastructure we must repeal and replace Obamacare," said Trump, before repeating several of the comments he made in his prior speech, including the claim that "Obamacare is dead."
- On the Democrats: "The promise of a safe, reliable, and modern infrastructure plan hasn't been kept, but were going to keep it... that's why I'm calling on all Democrats — who have been real obstructionists, they obstruct everything... we can't even get one Democratic vote... I don't think, honestly, if I were in that party, i would be doing it that way. I would be focusing on positive things."
