Trump praises trade pact in Phila.
President boasts of ‘best economy in our history’
Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — President Donald Trump boasted of a booming economy and a nation rebounding from decades of mistreatment at the hands of trading partners around the world in remarks Tuesday afternoon to a national gathering of electrical contractors at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
“This is an incredible time for our nation. We are respected again like we have not been respected in decades,” Mr. Trump said. “We have the best economy in our history.”
The president said a new trade agreement his administration struck with Canada and Mexico, finalized on Monday, will protect U.S. workers and increase the nation’s agricultural exports. He called it the “most advanced, modern and balanced trade agreement ever.”
Mr. Trump’s speech stuck to what he touted as the economic successes of his administration. He drew his largest applause, mixed with cheers, when he said that tariffs he imposed on Chinese goods will end “the abusive trading practices” of the world’s second-largest economy.
“We will be fair to China [but] we have to be fair to ourselves,” he said. “After years of rebuilding foreign countries, we are finally
rebuilding our country.”
He was the guest of the National Electrical Contractors Association. The vibe was nothing like a typical Trump campaign rally, with its call-and-response choruses and familiar memes. The crowd stayed seated and mostly quiet throughout, applauding or cheering when he mentioned issues that affect their bottom line.
As Mr. Trump spoke, about 125 people sat down in the middle of Broad Street across from the Convention Center.
“[We’re] just here to take up a lot of physical space out here and be a visible force against the Trump administration,” said Brian Wilson, with a small group organized by Philly Socialists.
Inside the hall, about 6,000 people waited to hear the president, a spokeswoman for the Convention Center management said.
Mr. Trump is the first president to address the trade group in its 117-year history. NECA describes itself as “the voice of the $160 billion electrical construction industry” with 119 local chapters across the country. The group’s convention, which started Friday and concluded Tuesday, drew about 8,000 visitors to Philadelphia.
Tuesday’s convention schedule also included a speech and magic show from Jon Dorenbos, the former long-snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles, and a concert by the rock band Foreigner.
The president has had an up-and-down relationship with the electrical industry and contractors in general.
A Maryland-based electrical contractor sued Mr. Trump on Jan. 17, 2017 — three days before his inauguration — accusing him of withholding more than $2 million in payments for work done on his Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The firm is owned by a former NECA board member and president.
That revived talk of Mr. Trump’s business record and past claims that he stiffed contractors on projects at casinos he previously owned in Atlantic City.
The firm that sued Mr. Trump in 2017 dropped its case 10 weeks later, according to court records. An attorney representing the firm did not respond to requests for comment this week.
NECA praised Mr. Trump in August for his efforts to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The trade group in February tweeted a video criticism of Mr. Trump, saying tariffs he imposed would drive up costs for solar panels, discouraging building owners from installing them.
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, a four-term Republican from Hazleton and close political ally of the president, attended the convention Tuesday. Mr. Barletta, who was co-chairman of Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign in Pennsylvania, has said the president urged him to challenge U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s bid for a third term. Mr. Casey is a Democrat from Scranton.
NECA endorsed Mr. Barletta in August and has given him $29,000 in campaign donations since 2012, according to federal records.