Trump Comes to Pa., Talks Almost Exclusively About Truckers
President Donald Trump speaks at the Harrisburg International Airport, in Middletown, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
When we found out President Donald Trump was returning to Pennsylvania on Wednesday, we wondered what he’d talk about – other than the tax reform plan (the main reason for his visit).
Now we have the answer: truckers.
https://twitter.com/GatesRobin/status/918238057714905088
Trump addressed an invitation-only crowd of nearly 1,000 truckers on Wednesday evening outside Harrisburg. He spoke in front of a tractor-trailer decked out in a wrap that read “WIN AGAIN” and “Truckers for Tax Reform.”
“It’s great to be back in Pennsylvania with the proud men and women of the American Trucking Associations,” Trump said at the start of his speech. “We love Pennsylvania, and we love our great truckers.”
The president told the crowd that his tax reform plan, which is currently a work in progress, would bring “lower taxes, bigger paychecks and more jobs for American truckers and American workers.”
“America first – it’s putting America’s truckers first,” Trump said.
Late last month, Republicans released a framework for Trump’s tax plan. The independent Tax Policy Center’s analysis of the plan found that it would cost the federal budget $2.4 trillion over 10 years, benefit the richest 1 percent of Americans more than any other income group, and, over time, increase the tax burden on about 28 percent of middle-class workers.
He's so in touch with his audience.
— BOB (@danhpeters) October 11, 2017
Trump dismissed those findings during his speech on Wednesday.
“I’ve had rich friends come up to me and say ‘Donald … we don’t want anything,’” Trump said. “So many people have come up to me and said ‘Give it to the middle class, give it to people who need it.’”
Trump is set to claim estate tax repeal will help truckers!
It's a scam. My interview with the great @DavidCayJ:https://t.co/ChNKEHQ2rC
— Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) October 11, 2017
Trump gave a shout-out to the Pennsylvania Congressmen who attended the speech, including U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who the president mistakenly said was running for governor. (Barletta is challenging Sen. Bob Casey.)
“Great guy, running for governor – he’s running for the Senate,” Trump said. “He’s running for the Se – where’s Lou?
So I heard he was running for the governor, but then I heard he was running for the Senate,” Trump continued. “And he’s going to win. He’s going to win big.”
Trump also mentioned congressmen Mike Kelly, Tom Marino, Patrick Meehan, Scott Perry and Llyod Smucker.
You can watch Trump’s full speech here.
Follow @ClaireSasko on Twitter.
