U.S. President Donald Trump, in office less than a month, looked to be on the campaign trail again Friday as he toured a massive Boeing aircraft facility in South Carolina.
The president held several rallies in airport hangars when he campaigned around the country last year. The Boeing visit in North Charleston, South Carolina, was reminiscent of those stops.
Back in airport hangar
Trump was more upbeat at Boeing than he was a day before at a rowdy White House news conference where he lambasted the media and continued to attack Hillary Clinton, his Democratic presidential opponent.
Trump, who won big in South Carolina’s presidential vote, told the Boeing workers, who recently voted not to unionize their production line, that he was all about keeping jobs in the U.S.; a comment the workers cheered.
The president also joked that he is still haggling with Boeing over the price of a new Air Force One, the presidential aircraft. The current Air Force One is 30 years old. Shortly after taking office, Trump balked at the multimillion dollar price tag to replace the presidential plane.
White House officials say Trump’s campaign committee is holding a rally in Florida Saturday. The president is reported to have filed papers for his 2020 reelection on the day of his inauguration.
Speaking about the Florida rally earlier in the week, the president said: “The crowds are massive that want to be there.”
Early days not smooth
Trump has his eye on the 2020 election, but after a month in office the White House is widely viewed as being in chaos. His staffing is not going as smoothly as the president would like. His relationship with the media is extremely confrontational, with White House officials calling the media “the opposition party.”
Unlike his predecessors, Trump still has not released his tax returns that would make public the details of his business holdings, which many critics say likely violate the Constitution.
The president has been dogged by questions about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s involvement in the presidential election.
Trump reacts strongly against nearly any criticism or joke, taking to Twitter to retaliate against perceived attackers.
Trump’s critics and supporters say his presidency is something new in the Oval Office.
