Trump, Battered in Washington, Is Buoyed at Boeing Rally -
NORTH CHARLESTON, S. C. — President Trump, seeking to reset his stumbling presidency, hit the road for a photo op and returned to the simple economic message
that got him elected, telling aircraft factory workers that “we’re here to celebrate jobs.”
The president toured a sprawling Boeing complex here, located next to the airport, en route to a weekend in Florida
that includes a stay at his resort in Mar-a-Lago and a Saturday rally in Melbourne.
“This is our house, and our house is going to remain union free!” said Joan Robinson-Berry, one of plant’s managers, to the applause of about 2,000 employee
and local officials who gathered for the president’s visit.
“There’s the palace intrigue story about them not being very well coordinated,
that the White House isn’t ready for prime time, that he’s still setting things up,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and frequent Trump critic.
And then you have the whole Flynn situation.”
“But you have a very disciplined president when it comes to economic messaging,”
said Mr. Graham, who was in Washington on Friday with the Senate in session.
He left Washington after a week of humbling setbacks
that included the forced withdrawal of his choice for labor secretary and the firing of Michael T. Flynn, his national security adviser, in the wake of reports that Mr. Flynn misled investigators and Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to Washington.