{"id":76765,"date":"2019-03-20T22:55:06","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T05:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=76765"},"modified":"2019-03-20T22:55:06","modified_gmt":"2019-03-21T05:55:06","slug":"president-trump-at-lima-army-tank-plant-including-comments-on-john-mccain-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=76765","title":{"rendered":"President Trump at Lima Army Tank Plant, Including Comments on John McCain &#038; More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Lima, Ohio&#8230;Well, you better love me; I kept this place open, that I can tell you.  (Applause.)  They said, \u201cWe\u2019re closing it.\u201d  And I said, \u201cNo, we\u2019re not.\u201d  And now you\u2019re doing record business.  The job you do is incredible.  And I\u2019m thrilled to be here in Ohio with the hardworking men and women of Lima.  (Applause.)  And this is some tank plant.  There\u2019s nothing like it in the world.  You make the finest equipment in the world.  You really know what you\u2019re doing.  They just gave me a little briefing on a couple of those tanks.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1hhSsGG4AVQ\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I want to get into them but then I remember when a man named Dukakis got into a tank.  (Laughter.)  And I remember him; he tanked when he got into the tank.  (Laughter.)  He tanked \u2014 I never saw anybody tank like that.  So I said, maybe I\u2019ll \u2014 but I\u2019m a little bigger than him; I think it probably would work out okay.  How would I look in a tank?  Okay?  (Applause.)  Yeah, not bad.  (Applause.)  Not bad.  The helmet was bigger than he was.  That was not good.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re here today to celebrate a resounding victory for all of you, for northwest Ohio, and for our great military, and for our entire country.  Incredible victory.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>After so many years of budget cuts and layoffs, today, jobs are coming back and pouring back, frankly, like never before.  Companies are coming back into our country; they want the action.  Production is ramping up in the biggest way.  And the awesome M1 Abrams tank is once again thundering down the assembly line.  (Applause.)  A-1.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan.  He\u2019s done an incredible job.  In fact, ISIS \u2014 let me tell you about ISIS.  They\u2019re not doing so well.  You know, we took over the caliphate.  You\u2019ll see it tonight.  When I came in, it was a mess.  Where the hell is that chart?  (Laughter.)  Folks, they gave me all economic charts.  They didn\u2019t give me the ISIS chart.  But if you did \u2014 bring it up if anybody has it.  Bring it up.  When I took over, it was a mess.  They were all over the place.  All over the \u2014 all over Syria and Iraq.  And you\u2019d see it was a sea of red.  And now you look at it and there\u2019s no red.  No red.<\/p>\n<p>And you look at some of the economic numbers; nobody thought we\u2019d ever see numbers like that in our country \u2014 not a for a long time, not for ever.  And what we\u2019re doing has been incredible.  What you\u2019re doing has been more incredible.  You stuck it out and now you\u2019ve got one of the most successful military plants anywhere in the world.  It\u2019s great.  (Applause.)  So thank you very much, Pat Shanahan.<\/p>\n<p>Also thank you to the Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper.  He\u2019s been fantastic.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, good.  Better late than never.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the story: So, you know, I don\u2019t want to have them make a big chart because it costs too much.  You know, I\u2019m a business guy.  They said, \u201cSir, we could make a big chart.\u201d  I said, \u201cHow much does it cost?\u201d  Like it matters.  But it matters to me.  Does that make sense to you?<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Yeah!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So, two maps, identical \u2014 except the one on top was Syria.  See that?  The one on top was Syria in November of \u201916.  You remember that date?  November of \u201916.  November 8th.  We had a little victory that night.  (Applause.)  We had a little victory.<\/p>\n<p>But a lot of us weren\u2019t surprised by it, but the other side said, \u201cWhere did all of those people come from?\u201d  (Laughter.)  And I said, \u201cThey just didn\u2019t like candidates for a lot of years.  They didn\u2019t vote.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So what happens is \u2014 this is all ISIS.  Now, on the bottom \u2014 that\u2019s as of today \u2014 this is ISIS.  There\u2019s none.  The caliphate is gone, as of tonight.  (Applause.)  Pretty good.  That\u2019s pretty good, right?<\/p>\n<p>We took over a mess.  We took over a mess with North Korea.  We took over a mess in the Middle East.  We took over.  A lot of bad things were happening and the economy was not doing well.  It was heading in the wrong direction.  You remember that.  It was going to go bad, and then we opened up with the regulation cuts and all of the other things we\u2019ve done, including the big tax cut.  (Applause.)  But it made a big difference.  Made a big difference.  And we\u2019ll show you some numbers in a little while.<\/p>\n<p>I want to also thank Major General Brian Cummings for the incredible leadership and service you have done.  An unbelievable job.  Thank you, Brian.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also honored to be joined by several of the Ohio leaders, friends of mine \u2014 terrific people:<\/p>\n<p>Senator Rob Portman.  Rob, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you, Rob.<\/p>\n<p>A man who I will never, I promise, wrestle.  He was one of the best wrestlers in the history of college wrestling.  His record is so ridiculously good.  I said, \u201cWere you as good as Dan Gable?\u201d  He said, \u201cNo.\u201d  See, if it were me, I would\u2019ve said, \u201cYes, I was much better.\u201d  (Laughter.)  You know who Dan Gable is.  Jim Jordan, a great guy.  (Applause.)  And a great champion.  A great, great athlete.  Great champion.  Thank you.  He is tough.  You\u2019ll want to have him on your side.<\/p>\n<p>Another one you want on your side always is Mike Turner.  Mike, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Mike.  Great.<\/p>\n<p>Warren Davidson.  Warren, thank you.  (Applause.)  And, Bob Latta, thank you very much.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Warren and Bob.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And a man who we\u2019re very proud of because, along with Mike, he ran a great race: Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted.  He ran a great race for Governor.  (Applause.)  We came in that final day \u2014 they were a little bit down, against a tough opponent, who I was not a big fan of, and I didn\u2019t like the people that were supporting him too much \u2014 Pocahontas and others.  (Laughter.)  And I came that final day, and we had a day that was incredible and they won by \u2014 what did you win by?  Six or seven points, right?  It was an incredible \u2014 huh?  Even higher.  That\u2019s pretty good.  Good.  I\u2019ll see Mike in a little while.  That\u2019s great.  Thank you very much.  Congratulations.  Proud of you.<\/p>\n<p>To our plant leaders, Lieutenant Colonel Travis Adkins and Henry Kennedy \u2014 (applause) \u2014 we appreciate everything you do to keep the Army \u201cRolling Along\u201d full speed ahead.  (Applause.)  Incredible job.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re grateful to General Dynamics \u2014 incredible company \u2014 Phebe Novakovic.  How did I do with that one?  Novak-ovic.  It\u2019s a little tricky, but that\u2019s okay.  What a job you do.  Thank you.  Great job.  Thank you for the tour, too.  (Applause.)  And the hardworking members of the United Auto Workers.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Now, you\u2019ve got to get over to a place that I like a lot, Lordstown.  And you\u2019ve got to get that.  You know, the only place \u2014 General \u2014 what\u2019s going on with General Motors?<\/p>\n<p>We have the best economy we\u2019ve ever had.  We have the lowest employment \u2014 unemployment that we\u2019ve had in 51 years; soon will be the record of all time.<\/p>\n<p>And what\u2019s going on with General Motors?  Get that plant open or sell it to somebody and they\u2019ll open it.  Everybody wants it.  Sell it to somebody or open it yourselves.  Get it going now and the UAW will help you.  (Applause.)  The UAW \u2014 you\u2019re going to help.  The UAW just promised they\u2019re going to help.  Get it open now.  Don\u2019t wait.  They said they have discussions coming up in September, October.  I said, why not tomorrow?  Why not on Monday?  What do you have to wait months for?  Get the discussions going.  Get it open.<\/p>\n<p>Lordstown is a great area.  I guess I like it because I won so big there.  (Laughter.)  But we\u2019re doing a job, and this state has been \u2014 we\u2019re very proud of what\u2019s happened in Ohio under our federal auspices.  We\u2019ve gotten so many things done, and this plant is one of our great achievements.<\/p>\n<p>To all of our active-duty service members and our wonderful veterans, thank you for serving your country \u2014 (applause) \u2014 with such tremendous distinction and honor.<\/p>\n<p>And to every welder, and machinist, and assembler, and mechanic, and engineer, and electrician, and carpenter, and every patriot here at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center: Thank you for pouring out your heart and your sweat and your soul to help restore the might of the American military, which very soon will be stronger than it ever was.  We\u2019ve bought billions and billions of dollars\u2019 worth of new planes and tanks and many other things.  So, thank you all.  Great job.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And the fact is we have the best tanks driven by the best soldiers, made by the best workers anywhere in the world.  And that\u2019s true.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of people are asking, because they love me, and they ask me about a man named John McCain.  And if you want, I could tell you about \u2014 should I or not?  Yes?  Yes?<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Yes!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So, I have to be honest: I\u2019ve never liked him much.  Hasn\u2019t been for me.  I\u2019ve really \u2014 probably never will.  But there are certain reasons for it, and I\u2019ll tell you.  And I do this to save a little time with the press later on.  John McCain received a fake and phony dossier.  Did you hear about the dossier?  It was paid for by Crooked Hillary Clinton.  Right?<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Booo \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  And John McCain got it.  He got it.  And what did he do?  He didn\u2019t call me.  He turned it over to the FBI, hoping to put me in jeopardy.  And that\u2019s not the nicest thing to do.  You know, when those people say \u2014 because I\u2019m a very loyal person.<\/p>\n<p>John McCain campaigned for years to repeal and replace Obamacare \u2014 for years, in Arizona.  A great state.  I love the people of Arizona.  But he campaigned, for years, for \u201crepeal and replace.\u201d  So did Rob and so did a lot of senators.<\/p>\n<p>When he finally had the chance to do it, he voted against \u201crepeal and replace.\u201d  He voted against, at 2 o\u2019clock in the morning.  Remember \u201cthumbs down\u201d?  We said, \u201cWhat the hell happened?\u201d  He said, two hours before, he was voting to repeal and replace.  And then he went thumbs down, badly hurting the Republican Party, badly hurting our nation, and hurting many sick people who desperately wanted good, affordable healthcare.  We would\u2019ve had it.<\/p>\n<p>This would\u2019ve saved our country over a trillion dollars in entitlements, and we would have ended up making a great healthcare plan, frankly, with the Democrats because they would have had no choice.<\/p>\n<p>McCain didn\u2019t get the job done for our great vets and the VA, and they knew it.  That\u2019s why, when I had my dispute with him, I had such incredible support from the vets and from the military.  The vets were on my side because I got the job done.  I got Choice and I got Accountability.  Accountability \u2014 meaning, if somebody mistreats our vets \u2014 for 45 years they were trying \u2014 they mistreat our vets, and we say, \u201cHey, you\u2019re fired.  Get out.\u201d  You can\u2019t mistreat our vets.  They never got it done.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And Choice \u2014 for year and years, decades, they wanted to get Choice.  You know what Choice is.  You\u2019re a military person.  You\u2019re one of our great people.  To me, one of the great people.  For many decades, they couldn\u2019t get it done.  It was never done.  I got it five months ago.  I got it done \u2014 Choice.  Instead of waiting in line \u2014 a vet fought for us, fought in these tanks; fought for us.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of waiting in line for two days, two weeks, two months \u2014 people on line, they\u2019re not very sick.  By the time they see a doctor, they\u2019re terminally ill.  We gave them Choice.  If you have to wait for any extended period of time, you go outside, you go to a local doctor.  We pay the bill; you get yourself better.  Go home to your family.  And we got it passed.  We got it done.<\/p>\n<p>And the other thing is we\u2019re in a war in the Middle East that McCain pushed so hard.  He was calling Bush \u2014 President Bush \u2014 all the time: \u201cGet into the Middle East.  Get into the Middle East.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So now we\u2019re into that war for $7 trillion.  Thousands and thousands of our people have been killed, millions of people overall.  And frankly, we\u2019re straightening it out now, but it\u2019s been a disaster for our country.  We\u2019ve spent tremendous wealth \u2014 tremendous wealth \u2014 and tremendous lives in that war.<\/p>\n<p>And what do we have?  It\u2019s worse than it was 19 years ago.  I call them the \u201cendless wars.\u201d  Nineteen years ago, when we started.<\/p>\n<p>So, John McCain loved it.  I endorsed him at his request, and I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted \u2014 which, as President, I had to approve.  I don\u2019t care about this.  I didn\u2019t get \u201cthank you.\u201d  That\u2019s okay.  We sent him on the way.  But I wasn\u2019t a fan of John McCain.<\/p>\n<p>So now, what we could say is: Now we\u2019re all set.  I don\u2019t think I have to answer that question, but the press keeps, \u201cWhat do you think of McCain?  What do you think?\u201d  Not my kind of guy.  But some people like him, and I think that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n<p>Now let\u2019s get back and let\u2019s get on to the subject of tanks and this economy.  Because you know what?  We love what we are and what we do more than anything else.  We build great, we fight great, and we\u2019re right now in Lima, and Lima is an incredible place, a place of strength and dedication.<\/p>\n<p>Since 1941, this plant has built and serviced thousands of tanks and military vehicles that powered American forces through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  And the tanks are the best in the world \u2014 better than ever before.  Every single Abrams tank in existence \u2014 the steel and the aluminum warhorse; they\u2019re really a warhorse of American ground forces \u2014 it was built or serviced on these very grounds by you people.  By you people.<\/p>\n<p>But under the previous administration, this tank factory \u2014 the last of its kind anywhere in the Western Hemisphere \u2014 came very close to shutting down.<\/p>\n<p>Four straight years, the number of U.S. tanks that were budgeted for upgrades was zero.  Does anybody remember that?  Raise your hands.  Do you remember that?  Zero.  That was under your great President Obama.  Our military readiness declined and your workforce was slashed by 60 percent.<\/p>\n<p>But those days are over.  We are rebuilding the American military.  We are restoring American manufacturing.  And we are once again fighting for our great American workers.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last two years, we have secured nearly $1.5 trillion to provide our warfighters the finest aircraft, ships, missiles, and tanks anywhere on Earth.  We make the best equipment on Earth.  And we sell that equipment, as you know, to good allies.  Although, sometimes the good ones turn out to be not so good, and then we do something.  We figure it out.  You know what you have to do?  You figure it out.<\/p>\n<p>This year, we\u2019re asking for an additional $750 billion, which is a record.  That includes funding to upgrade more than 160 mighty M1 Abrams tanks.  Congratulations.  (Applause.)  Congratulations.<\/p>\n<p>These historic investments are making America safer and our workforce stronger.  From the awe-inspiring F-35 fighter in Texas to the Ford-class aircraft carriers in Virginia \u2014 we\u2019re now building the largest aircraft carrier anywhere in the world.  In fact, I\u2019m hearing it\u2019s actually the largest ship ever built.  It is seriously big.  I was there recently.  It\u2019s something \u2014 it\u2019s like landing at an airport, although you have to be very talented, still, to land on those decks, no matter how you figure it.  Some people can do it and some people can\u2019t.  Some very good pilots can.<\/p>\n<p>To advance missile defense systems in Alabama, American workers are building the most cutting-edge, modern, and powerful military anywhere on the planet.  At the heart of our military rebuilding is our investment in the legendary M1 Abrams tank.  And I will tell you, the investment has paid off because the technology is so \u2014 if you look at this tank from now, and you go back 10 years and look at the tank, it\u2019s a like a whole different \u2014 it\u2019s a whole different deal, isn\u2019t it?  A whole different deal.<\/p>\n<p>Over the next three years, we\u2019re investing more than $6 billion in upgrades and modifications to these tanks \u2014 that\u2019s going to keep you very busy here \u2014 almost twice the amount spent in the entire eight years of the previous administration, which was going down to nothing.  Because you were closed; this place was closed.<\/p>\n<p>And I heard about it.  And I got calls from Jim Jordan and Rob, and everybody, saying, \u201cYou just can\u2019t do this.\u201d  And after I studied the situation, I said, \u201cWe\u2019re not only not going to close in Lima, we\u2019re going to expand.\u201d  And that\u2019s what took place.  So you owe a lot to a lot of your great political leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Our investment \u2014 (applause) \u2014 our investment in you is also a tremendous win for American taxpayers.  By modernizing this plant and accelerating production, we will bring the cost down by 20 percent, saving taxpayers nearly $3 million on every single tank.  That\u2019s not bad.<\/p>\n<p>With the help of everyone in this room, we are giving our warriors the most effective, reliable, and lethal battle tank in the history of war.  Would you say that\u2019s correct?  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So how does this compare with the tanks made in China and Russia and other places?  What do you think?  Can we take them?  (Applause.)  They say it\u2019s much better.<\/p>\n<p>America does not need conflict.  But if conflict comes, and you know the story \u2014 you\u2019ve got to be strong if conflict comes \u2014 we will dominate the battlefield, and we will win, win, win.  We\u2019re now set up to win, win, win.<\/p>\n<p>When I came in, we had some big problems.  You look at what we\u2019ve done on so many fronts.  And we actually have better relationships.  They respect our country more than they\u2019ve ever respected it.  Our country is respected again.  The United States is respected again.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>To help meet our military needs, I am very proud to report that 400 new jobs are coming here to Lima, compared to just a few years ago, and we\u2019re doubling the size of your workforce.  (Applause.)  We need to.<\/p>\n<p>Our investment will also support thousands of additional jobs across our nation to assemble these incredible Abrams tanks.  The engines are from Alabama, transmissions are from Indiana, special armor from Idaho, and the 120-millimeter gun \u2014 and the gun parts from upstate New York and from Pennsylvania.  All great places.  In Ohio alone, almost 200 suppliers churn out parts and materials that go into every tank that rolls off this factory\u2019s floor.  Incredible.<\/p>\n<p>What you achieve here at this plant is truly remarkable.  And equally remarkable is that they wanted to close it.  No good.  Every day you start with a powerful, heavy, but sometimes rust-covered, hollowed-out hull \u2014 and with incredible skill and extraordinary care \u2014 you restore its unmatched power, strength, and glory with all brand new equipment inside.  The best in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The amazing restorations you accomplish every day are a perfect symbol for what we\u2019re doing with American manufacturing all across our nation.<\/p>\n<p>And we just came out \u2014 another chart \u2014 we just came out with numbers \u2014 the Economic Report of the President: 3.1 percent GDP.  The first time in 14 years that we cracked 3, right?  (Applause.)  That\u2019s pretty good \u2014 3.1.  The press tried to make it 2.9.  I said, \u201cIt\u2019s not 2.9.\u201d  What they did is they took odd months.  I said, \u201cNo, no, no.  You go from January to December.  You don\u2019t take certain months and add them up.\u201d  Because I said, \u201cWe\u2019re going to break 3.\u201d  And we did.  We did 3.1.<\/p>\n<p>The fake news tried to change it but we caught them.  (Laughter.)  I said \u2014 I said, \u201cYou know, we didn\u2019t break the 3.  Oh, that\u2019s terrible.\u201d  They said, \u201cYes, sir, you did.  They just took odd months.\u201d  I said, \u201cNo, no, January to December.\u201d  3.1 percent, first time in 14 years.  Congratulations.  (Applause.)  Sort of incredible.  It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n<p>This chart is a beauty.  This is \u201cVenture Capital Deals Surged Following the Passage of\u201d \u2014 really, the election \u2014 rising nearly $17 billion.  You know what that means.  So here\u2019s your charts \u2014 going along \u2014 and here\u2019s us.  See the red line there?  It\u2019s like a rocket ship.  (Applause.)  Can you see that?  It\u2019s small but cheap \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 and it gets the point across, right?<\/p>\n<p>A couple of other things \u2014 because I think this report is incredible.  So these are \u201cWorkers Coming Off the Sidelines,\u201d and now it\u2019s just \u2014 this is just partially.  So, the blue.  The blue.  The red.  That\u2019s a big difference.  That\u2019s a tremendous difference.  The most in many, many years.<\/p>\n<p>And everyone said, \u201cYou couldn\u2019t do it, couldn\u2019t bring back manufacturing jobs.\u201d  Remember?  \u201cYou\u2019d need a magic wand.\u201d  We\u2019re bringing them back beyond anybody\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n<p>You see the red line here?  These are \u201cWages are Rising for the Workers.\u201d  These are \u201cWages are Rising.\u201d  (Applause.)  3.4 percent \u2014 it\u2019s one of the largest increases in 20 years.  And for the most part, they were going down.  They weren\u2019t even rising.<\/p>\n<p>I used to campaign \u2014 I\u2019d be in Ohio, I\u2019d be in Pennsylvania, I\u2019d be all over, and I\u2019d talk about wages where people would have to work three jobs and they were making less than they did 20 years ago.  You remember that, Rob?  Jim?  I used to do it all the time.  I\u2019d be \u2014 it was just a part of my speech.  I\u2019d say, \u201cYou\u2019re working three jobs.  You make less money than you did 20 years ago.\u201d  And it was literally 21 years.  And now wages are going up.<\/p>\n<p>And you have something else that\u2019s happening.  If you don\u2019t like working here \u2014 and you all do \u2014 and I don\u2019t want to lose anybody.  And who the hell would want to leave this place?  This is what you call a great \u2014 a great place to work.  (Applause.) But if for any reason \u2014 if for any reason you did, you can pick out six, seven, eight other jobs.  In other words, you can finally have a job that you really like, where you like getting up in the morning.  I do.  I do, even though I have the fake news hounding me all the time.  (Applause.)  The fake and phony and corrupt.  It\u2019s fake.  It\u2019s corrupt.  But we got to live with it, right?  Got to live with it.<\/p>\n<p>But you guys \u2014 you do; you get up in the morning, you love to come, and you love your job, or you wouldn\u2019t be doing what I just witnessed back there when I looked at some of these incredible tanks.<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s another chart: \u201cDeregulating and Saving\u201d \u2014 through the roof.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a chart: \u201cThe American Energy.\u201d  The United States is the largest producer \u2014 that\u2019s happened over the last short period of time \u2014 of crude oil and natural gas in the world, surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also a net \u2014 do you think Russia is happy about this?  I don\u2019t think so.  You know, Hillary wanted to put windmills all over the place.  Let\u2019s put up some windmills.  \u201cWhen the wind doesn\u2019t blow, just turn off the television, darling, please.\u201d  (Laughter.)  \u201cNo wind out today.  There\u2019s no wind.  Please turn off the television, quickly.\u201d  (Laughter.)  Put the windmills up and watch the value of your house \u2014 if you\u2019re in sight of a windmill, watch the value of your house go down by 65 percent.  Wonderful to have windmills.<\/p>\n<p>And solar is wonderful too, but it\u2019s not strong enough and it\u2019s very, very expensive.<\/p>\n<p>So the United States is now the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world.  Happened all in that very short \u2014 you know, you guys are all so \u2014 (applause) \u2014 think of that.  Think of that, beating out Saudi Arabia and Russia.  They\u2019re pretty good producers, right?  Guess what?  We do more than they do.  And in a short period of time, as soon as we get some pipelines opened in Texas, we\u2019ll be able to almost double it.  Double it.<\/p>\n<p>What we\u2019re doing is incredible.  We approved the Keystone Pipeline.  Right?  I did that.  Forty-eight thousand jobs between that and the Dakota Access Pipeline.  I got them approved, like almost my first couple of days in office.  I said, \u201cThey\u2019re approved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And what is it?  It\u2019s good environmentally.  It\u2019s underground.  You\u2019re not riding it over tracks.  You\u2019re not trucking it.  It\u2019s actually a great thing, environmentally.<\/p>\n<p>But President Obama, after years and years and years, they said, \u201cWe\u2019re not going to approve it.\u201d  I said, \u201cWe\u2019ll approve it.\u201d  Forty-eight thousand jobs.  Think of it.  It\u2019s being built right now.  They\u2019re both being built.  One just got completed \u2014 Dakota Access.  And many, many other cases like that.  Plants all over the country are going up.<\/p>\n<p>But the thing that\u2019s the greatest is companies that left us \u2014 they no longer wanted to be in the USA \u2014 they\u2019re coming roaring back.  Toyota \u2014 $13.5 billion.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve created more than almost 6 million jobs since the election.  And if I would have said that to the fake news during the campaign, they would\u2019ve said, \u201cHe exaggerates.\u201d  I\u2019m not exaggerating, but nobody would\u2019ve believed that could happen.  Including almost 600,000 manufacturing jobs.  We could\u2019ve taken your jobs, all.  If it weren\u2019t for me, this place would\u2019ve been closed.  Would have been closed.  (Applause.)  Would have been closed, fellas.  And you\u2019re doing us a favor because of the great job you do.  It\u2019s not just a one-way street.  You\u2019re doing us a favor.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, our manufacturers reported the highest level of optimism ever recorded in a 40-year-old poll.  And this year we went up again.  Went from 56 percent \u2014 and it stayed there for years, between 50 and 56 \u2014 to 94 percent.  They\u2019ve never had anything like it.  That\u2019s optimism.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And we \u2014 all of us \u2014 are living by two simple rules: Buy American and hire American.  (Applause.)  Very simple.<\/p>\n<p>Unemployment has recently reached the lowest rate in 51 years.  Other than that, we\u2019re not doing well.  (Laughter.) More \u2014 and think of this: More Americans are working today than ever before in the history of our country.  Almost 160 million people.  More than ever before, by far.<\/p>\n<p>And if you look at African American \u2014 you\u2019ve heard me say this many times \u2014 African American employment is at an all-time low \u2014 unemployment.  Asian American unemployment is at an all-time low.  Hispanic unemployment \u2014 an all-time low.  Women\u2019s unemployment \u2014 65-year low.  Soon it\u2019ll be historic, meaning better than ever.  And soon the basic number will be historic.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve reduced the number of unemployed veterans by nearly 50 percent.  I\u2019m so proud of that.  That\u2019s why the veterans like me more than other people.  (Applause.)  That\u2019s why they like me.  (Applause.)  Fifty percent since the election.  And veteran unemployment is now at the lowest level ever, ever, ever recorded.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to our pro-American tax, regulatory, and trade policies \u2014 and, by the way, we\u2019re doing great in our deal with China.  They were taking out 500 billion a year for many years from our country.  I consider that we\u2019ve rebuilt China.  Five hundred billion, not million.  Think of what that means.  Five-hundred billion dollars a year taken out of our country.<\/p>\n<p>And now they\u2019re paying us.  They\u2019re paying tariffs on the products they\u2019re sending in, and we\u2019re negotiating and they want to make a deal.  And hopefully, we\u2019ll make a deal.  And if we don\u2019t, that\u2019s fine.  And if we do, that\u2019s fine.  It\u2019s got to be a good deal.  It can\u2019t be a bad deal.  We\u2019re so far down, it\u2019s got to be a great deal.  If it\u2019s not a great deal, we\u2019ll never catch up.<\/p>\n<p>And their economy is way down.  And I don\u2019t want their economy to be down; I want their economy to be up.  But their economy is down 32 to 38 percent.  And our economy, if you look at the numbers, since my election, is up almost 50 percent.  Fifty.  That\u2019s some difference.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And the world economy \u2014 the world economy is not good.  And frankly, if the world economy were good, that would be, in a way, good for us.  So we\u2019re fighting there.  We\u2019re bucking.  Europe is down, Asia is down \u2014 a lot of places.  Almost every place is down.  Except the United States is up.  And we\u2019re way up.  And just think of what that would be.  The world goes up; we go up with the world.  The world is down, but we still go up.  Something is happening.  That wouldn\u2019t happen under Barack Obama, that I can tell you.  It wouldn\u2019t happen under Crooked Hillary Clinton.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Last week, as I said, Toyota announced a massive investment.  They\u2019re going to be expanding factories all across our nation.  And they\u2019re going to be soon building new ones.  Ford is bringing hundreds of new jobs to Chicago and other places.  Tremendous amount of car companies are coming into the great state of Michigan, and they\u2019re coming into the great state of Ohio.  Volkswagen is creating 1,000 brand new jobs in the state of Tennessee.  And Chrysler is building Detroit\u2019s first new car factory in a generation \u2014 so long ago \u2014 in a generation.  (Applause.)  Think of that.  Michigan.  Michigan.<\/p>\n<p>You know, the nice part about running for President this time, as opposed to last time \u2014 last time, you know, I said I was going to do it, but I didn\u2019t do it.  But I said I was going to do it.  This time, I\u2019ve done it far greater than I said I was going to do it.  So it\u2019s going to be really easy on the debate stage when they hit me with nonsense and I say, \u201cReally?  But African American unemployment \u2014 the best it\u2019s ever been.\u201d  Hispanic, Asian, women, everybody \u2014 it\u2019s all the best it\u2019s ever been.<\/p>\n<p>How do you top that in a debate?  What are they going to say?  \u201cUh, well, it could be better\u201d?  (Laughter.)  No, the easy part \u2014 and I say this to all of your political leaders here \u2014 if you do a good job, it\u2019s a lot easier that second time.  But nobody has done the job that we\u2019ve done.  And I say \u201cwe\u201d because you\u2019ve been on our side.  Your union leaders aren\u2019t on my side, by the way.  I watched them on television.  They\u2019re not.  But the unions \u2014 the people that work there are on our side.  It\u2019s true.  (Applause.)  It\u2019s true.  I had \u2014<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Trump!  Trump!  Trump!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I had union leaders in the White House a few months ago \u2014 the biggest guys.  Nice guys, but they\u2019re Democrats no matter what.  Okay?  And you see where that\u2019s taken you.  That would\u2019ve been catastrophic.  But I had them in, and we explained how good it was for the car industry, for this, for that.  They said, \u201cOh, thank you, sir.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Oh, this is unbelievable.  Thank you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But then I see one of the guys the next day on a television show.  The \u2014 I think it was called \u201cDeface the Nation.\u201d  (Laughter.) And \u2014 ladies and gentlemen, \u201cDeface the Nation.\u201d  And he\u2019s saying how he\u2019s a Democrat and he wants Democrat policies \u2014 which were, by the way, putting everybody in the poorhouse.<\/p>\n<p>But I just left the guy.  He\u2019s hugging me, kissing me, telling him what an unbelievable deal.  Nobody else could do it.  And the next day, he\u2019s on there talking about stuff.  And I really said, \u201cI sort of don\u2019t want to meet these guys.  I want to deal with the people in the union, not the heads of the union.\u201d  (Applause.)  Because the heads of the union are not honest people.  They\u2019re not honest, and they ought to lower your dues, by the way.  They ought to stop with the dues.  They \u2014 you\u2019re paying too much dues.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>As an example, they could\u2019ve kept General Motors.  They could\u2019ve kept it in that gorgeous plant at Lordstown.  They could\u2019ve kept it.  Lower your dues.  Lower your dues.<\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s Founders understood that to be strong and powerful as a nation, we must also be a great manufacturing nation.  President Obama said, \u201cYou\u2019ll never bring manufacturing back.\u201d  I said, \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d  It\u2019s all about manufacturing.  And we\u2019re bringing it back in record numbers.  (Applause.)  Nobody can believe it.<\/p>\n<p>And these are talented jobs.  These are great jobs.  These are genius jobs.  And these are really well-paying jobs, as you people know.  You get a lot of money.  Let\u2019s negotiate.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>We must not be dependent upon others for the resources we need to protect our people.  When we open this plant, a couple of my people \u2014 I have some good business people \u2014 they said, \u201cLet\u2019s make a deal with the workers before we open it.  We\u2019ll make a great deal.\u201d  I said, \u201cI agree we can do that, but we\u2019re not going to do that.  These people have suffered enough.\u201d  We\u2019re going to open the plant and everybody is going to be happy.  You understand what I mean by that.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why my administration is restoring America\u2019s defense industrial base by bringing great jobs and great wages to plants just like this in Lima.  Economy and strength is security.  And it\u2019s all about security and national security.  It\u2019s about loving our country.  It\u2019s about loving our flag.  You know that.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Now, as result of my very tough trade actions \u2014 something I\u2019m very proud of \u2014 America\u2019s steel and our steel mills are roaring back to life.  You know that.  You see it all over.  We put a big, fat beautiful tariff on that dumped steel.  It\u2019s sand steel.  It\u2019s mud steel.  It\u2019s crap steel.  And they\u2019re dumping it all over.  I said, \u201cThat\u2019s okay, you can dump but we\u2019re going to charge you 25 percent when you come in and think you\u2019re going to take our jobs and give us bad steel.\u201d  I know a lot about \u2014 I\u2019ve used a lot of steel.<\/p>\n<p>Right here in Ohio, Nucor has just announced an $85 million upgrade in Marion.  (Applause.)  Charter Steel announced plans to build a brand new, 150-million-dollar steel plant in Cuyahoga Heights.  JSW Steel is restarting the furnace \u2014 that\u2019s a massive furnace \u2014 and investing $500 million in Mingo Junction. And Cleveland Cliffs announced a brand new, 700-million-dollar plant in Toledo, Ohio.  (Applause.)  Don\u2019t leave here, though.  Don\u2019t leave here.  Don\u2019t get any ideas.  Don\u2019t get leave here.  Just stay here.  Just relax.  Stay here.  We don\u2019t want you going to Mingo Junction.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also finally fixing the horrible trade deals that have cost our nation trillions of dollars and where we\u2019ve lost millions and millions and millions of jobs, like we were stupid people.  They closed a plant; they move it to Mexico.  They make the product; they sell it right in the United States.  No tax.  All we end up with is loss and no jobs.  We get no taxes.  We get nothing.  That doesn\u2019t happen anymore.<\/p>\n<p>Under our new deal, there\u2019s a tremendous financial disincentive to close up plants and move them to other countries.  You\u2019re not going to see that anymore.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re getting rid of the disaster known as NAFTA, one of the worst trade deals ever negotiated in the history of the world.  (Applause.)  All over the country, you still see empty plants, when they haven\u2019t been converted to nursing homes and apartments, right?  It\u2019s not the same thing as a plant.  I love apartments.  I love the business.  But that\u2019s not the same thing as a plant where you have 5,000 people working.  Not the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>And replacing it \u2014 we\u2019re replacing NAFTA with the great U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.  Like the song.  If you can\u2019t remember \u2014 YMCA, right?  We\u2019ll play the song for you, everybody.  USMCA.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve taken historic action to confront China\u2019s trading abuses, because the days of stealing American jobs and our ideas and our wealth have come to an end, folks.  They\u2019ve come to an idea, all right?  They\u2019ve come to an end.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve made some progress.  That\u2019s why you see these numbers.  Look at that chart.  Look at that.  You don\u2019t have to know what\u2019s on it.  What difference \u2014 look at the line.  (Laughter.)  You don\u2019t have to know what the hell is on it.  All you know is that\u2019s a good line.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Technological positive change.  That\u2019s okay, right?  It\u2019s all like that.  That\u2019s what it is.  Rob, Jim, that\u2019s what it is.  Turner, see that?  Look.  That\u2019s what we fight for, right?  Huh?  That\u2019s what we\u2019re all fighting for.<\/p>\n<p>In everything we do and every action we take, we\u2019re putting America first, and we are putting American workers first, for the first time in a long time.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So just in closing, I\u2019d like to now introduce a couple of truly incredible workers from right here \u2014 I guess you know these folks \u2014 right here at the tank plant to share quickly their stories with you.<\/p>\n<p>Adam Stahler is a Quality Engineer who has worked at the plant for 10 years.  His son, Derek, is a Specialist with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.  Great Place.  Derek operates and maintains Stryker personnel carriers, one of the vehicles produced right here in Lima.  Adam, thank you for everything your family has done for our nation.  Please come up and say a few words.  Adam, thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>MR. STAHLER:  Thank you, Mr. President.  It\u2019s a pleasure and an honor to be up here today as a representative of the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center.<\/p>\n<p>For those of you who don\u2019t me, my name is Adam Stahler.  I\u2019m a Quality Systems Engineer employed here going on 10 years.  Growing up in the area and currently living in Wapakoneta, I have witnessed the highs and lows the economy has had on this facility and the region.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m proud that this administration recognizes the importance of this facility and the value we provide to the warfighter.  It is very rewarding to have a son serving the United States military, where he is stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, working on a quality vehicle produced by my brothers and sisters at JSMC.  My son thanks you.  And for that, I thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Boy, you\u2019re a young guy.  How old are you?<\/p>\n<p>MR. STAHLER:  Forty-five.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Wow.  You look like your son.<\/p>\n<p>MR. STAHLER:  Oh, thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I thought Adam was the son.  Look how young he looks.  (Laughter.)  He\u2019s got a son working out there?  Wow.  Whatever you\u2019re eating, Adam, keep eating it.  (Laughter.)  It\u2019s working.<\/p>\n<p>Jay Baldwin is a Boiler Operator and a proud Army veteran.  After serving as a tank crewman on the M1, now Jay helps build the M1 right here.  You know him.  Jay, please come on up.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>MR. BALDWIN:  Thank you, Mr. President, for coming to our plant in Lima, Ohio.  As a former Army M1 tanker, I can honestly say that we make the best tank in the entire world.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Our workers here are very proud to be making such a fine product for our soldiers to have the benefit and best capabilities on the battlefield.  And thanks to our great President, his military and economic policies have rejuvenated this facility to increase production of armored vehicles and hiring of more skilled workers.<\/p>\n<p>And finally, it is my personal opinion that God was looking after our country when you were elected.  (Applause.)  Mr. President, thank you for everything you have done.  (Applause.) Thank you, truthfully.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Wow.  Thank you.  Thank you.  That\u2019s so nice, Jay and Adam.  I appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p>You never know what you get when you come up.  It\u2019s live.  (Laughter.)  But you couldn\u2019t do better than that, right?  That\u2019s great.  Thank you, fellas.  That\u2019s great.<\/p>\n<p>I want to also thank all of the patriots here today.  You remind us that the might of America\u2019s armed forces also depends upon the skill and devotion of all of America\u2019s workers.  And you really are doing a job.  We\u2019re very proud of you.<\/p>\n<p>For nearly 80 years, the exceptional workers at this plant has embodied the strength of the American spirit.  Those who choose to work here are drawn not just by the promise of a good paycheck but by the power of patriotism \u2014 every single one of you is a patriot \u2014 the chance to go to work every morning to help protect this nation that we so deeply love.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why veterans make up more than one third of the workforce at this wonderful plant.  We very much stress: We want, wherever we can, we want veterans.  That\u2019s why you check \u2014 (applause) \u2014 right?  That\u2019s right.  And that\u2019s why you check and recheck every bolt, every single thing having to do with that incredible tank \u2014 every pin, every wire, every square inch of each tank before it leaves the floor.<\/p>\n<p>And I just got a little news that was given to me as I was walking up.  U.S. forces, in the last month, have killed the terrorists responsible for the attack in Syria that killed four Americans, the Paris theater attack in 2015, and the USS Cole bombing in 2000.  We killed them all.  (Applause.)  We killed them all.  We killed them all.  We killed them all.  They\u2019re bad people.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s why you show up early and you stay late, and always get the job done right.  You\u2019re proud of your work.  You do it better than anyone, anywhere in the world \u2014 what you do.  No country on Earth can match you and no country can match what you do.<\/p>\n<p>In just a few months, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of one of the many victories that workers at the Lima Army Tank Plant helped make possible: the Normandy landings on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in the Second World War.  It was right here on these very grounds that thousands of American workers modified M4 Sherman tanks in preparation for a battle that would forever change the course of human history.  Right here.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>The workers who rallied to the Lima plant came from all over northwest Ohio and beyond.  They were farmers and refinery workers and shopkeepers and homemakers who rolled up their sleeves and got to work when their country needed them the most.  Normandy.  Many of them had full-time jobs elsewhere.  They punched out at one job, then came here and punched right back in.  Not for the money.  They knew and fully understood the importance of what they did and what they represented.  And if they were lucky, they might catch a few hours\u2019 sleep on the loading dock before doing it all again, day after day, day after day.<\/p>\n<p>In just three years, the patriots of Ohio cranked out more than 100,000 military vehicles \u2014 a truly amazing feat that helped give America the power to vanquish tyranny, defeat our enemies, and save freedom for the entire world.<\/p>\n<p>This is the legacy that each of you inherits.  And America knows you will carry it forward with the same purpose and passion that you\u2019ve poured into this factory each and every day.  We love you.<\/p>\n<p>We see your legacy in every battlefield victory, in the smiling faces of every soldier that returns home safely, and every time a citizen proudly salutes our great American flag.  Because it is here in Lima \u2014 right here \u2014 that American greatness is forged with American hands, with American heart, and with American pride.  (Applause.)  True.  True.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t know what challenges will come, what dangers we must face, or what opportunities we must seize.  But we know that America will always be ready because of you and your strength, and your skill and your drive, and your unbreakable spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Because of hardworking citizens like you, the people of Lima, the people of Ohio, and the people of America will always fight on to victory, victory, victory.  You don\u2019t know how to lose.  You never will have to find out.  You\u2019ll never have to find out about losing.  Together, we shall forever be one nation, under God.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So I want to thank you.  I want to say God bless you, God bless Ohio, and God bless the United States of America.  Thank you very much everybody.  Thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lima, Ohio&#8230;Well, you better love me; I kept this place open, that I can tell you. (Applause.) They said, \u201cWe\u2019re closing it.\u201d And I said, \u201cNo, we\u2019re not.\u201d And now you\u2019re doing record business. The job you do is incredible. And I\u2019m thrilled to be here in Ohio with the hardworking men and women of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/limatank.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=76765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/76767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=76765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=76765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=76765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}