Remarks by President Trump at the 3rd Annual Made in America Product Showcase | Eastern North Carolina Now

    We've been losing four, five - and even more than that - hundred billion. Think of it: five hundred billion dollars a year, to China. That doesn't include intellectual property theft and loss. That doesn't include - they say that's $300 billion. Who knows what that is? A lot of people estimate it, but it's a lot. But they say it's $300 billion. So you add that to $500 billion. So we've been losing $800 billion a year to China.

    So, essentially, we rebuilt China. They've done a great job. I'm not going to take it away. And I don't blame China. I blame our past Presidents and our past leaders for allowing a situation like that - so ridiculous - to happen. And it's that way - other than the size of the number, it's that way also for many other countries. And we're working on a lot of them.

    We just approved - and, again, it's going to be subject to the House passing it, and, maybe, for political reasons, they don't - the USMCA. That's Mexico and Canada. Great deal for the manufacturers. Great deal for Lockheed, as you know, Marillyn. You're telling me when is it going to happen.

    So we have to get the Democrats to pass it. They may or may not, depending on how they feel, politically. It's all politics, unfortunately. It shouldn't be. It should be love of our country; it shouldn't be politics. There should be no politics involved. (Applause.)

    So the USMCA will create up to 600,000 new American jobs, including 75,000 new auto jobs. And now we need Congress to pass it. So call up your friends. The Republicans are totally onboard. Call the Democrats; get them to pass it. It's - believe it or not, it's a deal loved by unions, by manufacturers, and maybe, especially, by the farmers. It's something that's very, very popular. So call your local Democrat congressmen. I think the Senate will be, actually, very good.

    We have a lot of bipartisan support, but they may not be able to show that support because the leaders may not allow that to happen because they think that's a victory for Trump, and we don't want to give Trump any victories, even though it would be very bad for our country. But if it doesn't happen, I have a better plan, okay? So don't worry about it. You always have to have plan B, plan C - especially in politics, I can tell you.

    We unleashed an American energy revolution. And it is indeed a revolution. Nobody thought it would be possible. We're now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas on the planet Earth. Not even close. (Applause.)

    And I just had ANWR approved - one of the largest sites anywhere in the world. They couldn't do it with Ronald Reagan. They couldn't get it done. They've been trying to get it done for many, many years. Many, many decades they couldn't get it approved. I got it approved. That's in Alaska. One of the biggest - maybe the biggest - the biggest site in the world for oil and natural gas.


    We passed massive tax cuts so that American companies can beat their foreign competition. Now, you have a tremendous advantage now because you had an impossible disadvantage before and now we've given you, with what we've done, a tremendous advantage. And we did it to keep jobs where they belong, right here in the United States of America.

    As a result, almost 1,400 companies have announced that they're bringing their jobs back to the United States from overseas. And that's just last year. Think of that - 1,400 companies bringing jobs back. Who would think that's even possible? But now it's the incentive. They want to be in the United States. (Applause.)

    Early in my presidency, I ordered the federal government to live by two very simple but very crucial rules: Buy American and hire American. You know, it's called "America First," folks. It was never that way.

    I mean, for many, many decades, it was everybody else first and we were the people that took care of other people's borders. We'd protect other people's borders, but we don't want to protect our own border. We'd fight for the right of other countries to have a strong, powerful border so nobody could come in, but our border was like a leaking sieve. And that's changed so rapidly and so much. A lot of things are happening.

    We're building a wall as we speak, even though we have about seven lawsuits trying to stop it, from the Democrats and others. But we're doing very well and we're doing well on the border.

    Mexico has been of great help. I told them - I said, "Look, you're going to help us. If they walk through your country..." - 2,000-mile walk. Horrible things happen during that walk to people, especially to women and children. Horrible things. Two thousand miles up from Guatemala. They walk through our country. So many - the percentage of rape, they say, is over 30 percent. Think of it. Remember when I mentioned that in my opening speech and everybody said, "Oh that's such a - such a terrible thing to mention?" Well, what I said is very small compared to the actual fact: over 30 percent. The crime - human trafficking, mostly of children and women. "Human trafficking," sounds like an ancient term. You wouldn't think it's possible. Human trafficking.

    But the Internet has made human trafficking a much bigger business than it was ever, hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The Internet - a lot of good things happen with the Internet but a lot of bad things happen also.

    So now our federal agencies are spending an additional $24 billion on buying your product. We're buying your product. And I said specifically, "Let's buy American." You have the advantage. Before, you didn't have any advantage at all. Now you have an advantage. If you make your product in America, you have a much better chance of getting the deal.


    Today, I'm pleased to announce that we will begin our Buy American requirements, but even stronger. Currently, a product can be 50 percent foreign, and it still counts as American-made. Figure that one out. In just a few moments, I will sign an executive order that will - that will eventually raise these standards up to 75 percent and above so that domestic goods will have to have 75 percent American, and 95 percent for things such as iron and steel. It's going to be 95 percent. We have great minds. We produce great ore, great steel, great aluminum, great everything. But we weren't using them. Most of them were closed. And in some cases, they blame the environmentalists. Most of them were closed. They're not closed anymore, or they won't be closed very long.

    The philosophy of my administration is simple: If we can build it, grow it, or make it in the United States, we will.

    When we choose American-made, something truly wonderful happens: Our communities thrive and flourish, our neighborhoods bustle with commerce, our children dream bigger and bolder, and the bonds of loyalty that unite us as citizens become closer, richer, and deeper than ever before.

    That's how we carry on the "flaming torch of Americanism," as President Warren G. Harding called it. As Harding said, we are forever devoted "to safeguard America first, to stabilize America first, to prosper America first, to think of America first, to exalt America first, [and] to live for and revere America first." You never heard that before. You've been doing this for a long time.

    I was speaking to a couple of the folks that were responsible right here - Freeman, for this great boat, of which they are setting records right now. Records by a lot. Not even close. He said over the last three years - where's Freeman? Where are you folks? Where are you? Stand up, please. Great job. (Applause.) And they were saying how well they're doing and that they've never heard this kind of talk before: "Build in America." They didn't hear that. In fact, it was the opposite. They were trying to steal your business and build it overseas, build it in other countries, including China, many others. But that's not what this is all about. And this is 100 percent made right here. Thank you. Congratulate everybody, too, please. (Applause.)

    So thank you all for showcasing your awe-inspiring products today. And they are absolutely incredible. Thank you for pouring out your heart, your sweat, and soul to make our nation even stronger. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to this magnificent land that we love so much.

    And I just want to end by saying, may God bless the United States of America. May God bless you all. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

    Okay, you have any questions on how well our manufacturing business is doing, press? The press. Wow, that's a lot of press. Look.


    Q   President Trump, who were you talking about in your tweet about going back to their home countries?

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don't mention - I didn't mention names. And I didn't do that. But I will tell you, with our country - and I think everybody in this audience, these are great manufacturers, great workers in our audience too; they brought a lot of their workers here. If you're not happy here, then you can leave. As far as I'm concerned, if you hate our country - (applause) - if you're not happy here, you can leave. And that's what I say all the time. That's what I said in a tweet, which I guess some people think is controversial. A lot of people love it, by the way. A lot of people love it.

    But if you're not happy in the U.S., if you're complaining all the time - very simply, you can leave. You can leave right now. Come back if you want; don't come back. It's okay too. But if you're not happy, you can leave. (Applause.)

    Q   Speaker Pelosi (inaudible). Is that true?

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's just a very racist statement, somebody that would say that. So, Speaker Pelosi said, "Make America white again." Let me tell you, that's a very racist - that's a very racist statement. I'm surprised she'd say that.

    John, go ahead.

    Q   Mr. President, three of the congresswomen that you talked about were born in America. (Inaudible.) What were you talking about?

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, they're very unhappy. I'm watching them; all they do is complain. So all I'm saying is, if they want to leave, they can leave, John. They can leave.

    I mean, I look at the one - I look at Omar - I don't know, I never met her. I hear the way she talks about al Qaeda. Al Qaeda has killed many Americans. She said, "You can hold your chest out, you can - when I think of America...huh...when I think of al Qaeda, I can hold my chest out." When she talked about the World Trade Center being knocked down, "Some people." You remember the famous "some people." These are people that, in my opinion, hate our country.

    Now, you can say what you want, but get a list of all of the statements they've made. And all I'm saying: that if they're not happy here, they can leave. They can leave. And you know what? I'm sure that there'll be many people that won't miss them.