U.S. President Donald Trump visited the swing state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, June 23 (local time) to rally his supporters.
During a speech at the Mack Trucks plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Trump emphasized the revival of manufacturing and achievements in the steel industry. "For decades, Pennsylvania workers watched as globalist politicians stood by while other countries exploited us, closing your factories and sending your jobs to foreign lands," he said. "Then I came along, and we stopped it very quickly."
The speech continued with his characteristic harsh language and off-the-cuff remarks. Trump mentioned that his wife, Melania Trump, had discouraged him from doing his dance moves and certain speech gestures. He added that she told him, "Don't do that weightlifting move when talking about men's and women's sports," before reenacting a gesture that appeared to mock transgender weightlifters.
During the event, an audience member was seen being restrained and escorted out after shouting "pedophile" at Trump. Trump watched the protester being removed without reacting much, while some attendees waved and booed.
Trump also continued his attacks on the Democratic Party and certain candidates. "This country has become very politically strange," he claimed, "because of all the communists running for office." Apparently targeting Graham Plattner, a Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, Trump said, "That guy in Maine has a Nazi sticker. They've been saying Trump is a Nazi for eight, ten years, but they can't say that anymore because they have a guy with a tattoo on his chest."
He also raised allegations of election fraud regarding the California gubernatorial primary. Trump said that when Republican candidate Steve Hilton was leading and suddenly started losing votes, he thought, "Here we go again." He revealed, "I called the federal prosecutor in California and said, 'Do me a favor. Please take a look. They are trying to steal that election too.'" He claimed that if he hadn't made the call, Hilton would have "just been watching the election from home."
The controversy surrounding the Iran deal was also a major point of contention. On the same day, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution limiting Trump's war powers regarding Iran, amid defections from some Republican senators. Addressing allies within the Republican Party who have been critical of the Iran deal, such as Senator Ted Cruz, Trump said, "Anyone who was critical needs to be educated, even if they are my friends."
Trump repeatedly claimed that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections. In response to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's statement that there is no scheduled inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Trump countered, "They are wrong, and they know they are wrong. We have it down as '100% inspection.'" However, when asked when inspectors would actually enter the sites, he only replied, "At the appropriate time."
On the other hand, Iran stated that it has no plans to allow the IAEA to inspect nuclear facilities damaged by military strikes from the U.S. and Israel. Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said, "We have not had any meetings with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor do we have plans to allow the agency to inspect the damaged Iranian nuclear facilities."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also visited the Gulf region to continue follow-up discussions after the Iran agreement. Rubio explained that the U.S. would not provide funding, saying, "While investments could be included, just as other countries in the region have benefited from foreign direct investment, it will not be our investment, nor will it be U.S. government money."
Democrats strongly criticized Trump's Iran policy. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer claimed, "This will go down in the history books as one of the worst foreign policy adventures the United States has ever embarked upon. It is so ridiculous, costly, and aimless, achieving virtually none of the goals Trump set out."
Conscious of declining approval ratings ahead of the midterm elections, Trump highlighted both economic achievements and the Iran agreement. "I don't know who will succeed me, but remember that I am the one who got this done," he said.
Reported by JIN Sang-myeong | Video by Kim Hye-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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