Trump, Pence start midterm campaigning in Indiana

May 11 (UPI) — President Donald Trump made his general election debut in Indiana Thursday night, touting accomplishments and rallying for Republican candidates ahead of this fall’s midterms.

Vice President Mike Pence Trump, the state’s former governor, joined Trump at the Elkhart, Ind., event, which included more than 7,000 people.

“You are making Indiana proud, and we are all making America proud. We are rockin’,” Trump said.

Trump opened his speech with his most recent accomplishment, the release of three American prisoners from North Korea.

“I had the incredible honor of greeting three brave Americans who had been held in North Korea and we welcomed them back home the proper way,” he said. “Those hostages came out with respect. We didn’t pay for them.”

Trump also spoke about the cost of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, imposing steel and aluminum tariffs and pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, something he said was one of the worst national security blunders of the Obama administration.

“I hope to be able to make a deal with them, a fair deal, a better deal … better for them, better for them. But they must not have nuclear weapons, we must be able to go to their site and check that site,” Trump said.

During the rally, he announced his campaign slogan for a second term in office — “Keep America Great,” a saying revealed in March while at a Pennsylvania rally.

The president also used the platform as a sounding board to campaign against Democratic Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, calling him “Sleepin’ Joe” and a “swamp person,” as he touted GOP nominee Mike Braun as one who would reinforce his agenda in Washington.

Braun won the Republican primary Tuesday, and will take on Donnelly in November.

“Indiana will face an important choice: You can send a really incredible swamp person back to the Senate like Joe Donnelly or you can send us Republicans like Mike Braun to drain the swamp,” Trump said.

Trump said Donnelly does whatever Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi tell him to do.

“They don’t ask him. They tell him,” Trump said.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.