TRUMP ON WASHINGTON STATE: ‘ WE’RE GONNA WIN IT, THAT’S WHY I’M HERE’
TACOMA, Washington: Donald Trump promised an influx of new jobs if elected president in a fiery speech to thousands in Everett on Tuesday ( Wednesday in Manila).
The Republican presidential candidate descended on Xfinity Arena in the city’s downtown, touching on his opposition to trade deals, his efforts to stop immigration from Syria, reduce inner city crime and more.
He also predicted a general election victory in Washington, which hasn’t voted Republican for president since Ronald Reagan in 1984.
“You know a Republican would never come to the state of Washington,” Trump told the crowd. “We’re gonna win it, that’s why I’m here.”
The visit marked Trump’s return to Washington. The businessman previously held rallies in Spokane and Lynden in a swing through the state in early May.
On Tuesday, Trump pledged a revitalization of manufacturing with the help of renegotiated trade deals in the speech that lasted about 45 minutes.
“In this new future,” Trump said, “millions of workers on the sidelines will be returned to the workforce.” He also brought Republican firepower along to Everett to open the night. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus all spoke at the rally. State GOP chairman Susan Hutchison said the special guests attended a fundraiser earlier in the night.
Priebus riled up supporters by painting Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton as a habitual liar who “lies with incredible skill and grace.”
In the main event, the boisterous crowd responded to Trump’s promise to bar Syrian refugees from entering the US if he becomes president, and heartily cheered for attacks on Clinton.
They also enthusiastically cheered when a handful of protesters were thrown out during the event.
A large block of Trump’s speech was spent making a plea for the votes of black and Hispanic voters who he said are suffering through poverty and violence in cities as a result of decades of “Democratic regime” in urban areas.
Rattling off statistics about black people experiencing poverty, Trump promised to “rebuild our inner cities and provide safety and peace to all of our citizens.”
“Tonight I’m asking for the vote of every African American and Hispanic citizen in this country who wants to see a better future who wants to see real positive change,” he said. This pitch has been a recent addition at other Trump rallies across the country. Trump didn’t discuss Boeing, which he said in a Monday interview with KIRO Radio would outsource Washington business to China without his intervention. Boeing is a large employer in Everett. Before the speech, supporters showed up early to get in line for the free event. The crowd stretched for blocks before noon, full of people decked out in signature Trump hats, flags and t- shirts.