President Donald Trump is highlighting what he calls an "economic revival" as he addresses electrical contractors in Philadelphia.
Trump said Tuesday that the stock market has hit more than 100 record highs since he was sworn into office and that it will soon be announced that the country has created more than 640,000 manufacturing jobs since January.
Trump says: "We're in the midst of a manufacturing renaissance."
Trump was speaking to the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention a day after celebrating a new North American trade deal. Trump calls the agreement "USMCA," for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, saying he doesn't want to use the previous name, NAFTA that deal cost American jobs.
He explains: "Like YMCA or U.S. Marine Corps with an A at the end."
NECA recently endorsed U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta in his challenge to incumbent Demcratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey. The former mayor of Hazleton, outside Wilkes-Barre, and current congressman for Pennsylvania's 11th district is a Trump acolyte.
Barletta's anti-immigration policies while mayor of Hazleton early last decade made headlines nationally well before Trump began his "Build the Wall" rhetoric for strengthening security at the border with Mexico during the 2016 presidential race.
Trump visited Pennsylvania in early August to campaign with Barletta at a large rally in Wilkes-Barre. Barletta trails Casey by a large margin, according to polls released in August and in September.
Besides President Trump’s speech, the rest of the day includes a talk given by former Eagles long snapper Jon Dorenbos, and concludes at 11 p.m. with a performance by classic rock band Foreigner.
Members of NECA aren’t the only ones awaiting the arrival of the President, however.
Protesters marched in the streets around the Pennsylvania Convention Center chanting against facism and about developments around the Surpreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.
"We must give him the fitting un-welcome that he deserves," according to a group identifying themselves as Refuse Fascism Philly. "Trump and his whole regime are illegitimate because they are FASCIST, and they must be removed from power immediately."
Expect traffic trouble on the route between the airport and convention center around the arrival and departure of Trump.
