[h=1]Trump says Kennedy's retirement makes control of the Senate 'one of the vital issues of our time' while accusing Democrats of pushing judges who will rewrite the Constitution and abolish the Second Amendment[/h]
- Trump, at a North Dakota rally where he was campaigned against the state's incumbent Democrat, said Anthony Kennedy's retirement added a new urgency to increasing the number of GOP Senators
- 'Democrats want judges who will rewrite the Constitution any way they want to do it, and take away your Second Amendment, erase your borders, throw open the jailhouse doors and destroy your freedoms,' he said
- He argued at the event for North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer that sitting Sen. Heidi Heitkamp will be a 'vote no' for whoever he nominates to replace Kennedy because 'she will be told to do so'
- He told the crowd that a vote for Heitkamp or any other Democrat in the state is essentially a vote for Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters
- Since telling her supporters in weekend remarks that they should harass officials in Trump's government, the president has made Waters, a California congresswoman, a centerpiece of his attacks
- He also went after losing Rep. Joe Crowley calling him 'one of my biggest critics' and 'a slovenly man' who 'got his a** kicked by a young woman who had a lot of energy' in a New York primary
- Defending his steel and aluminum tariffs Trump said 'we're not starting a trade war - but we'll finish it' as he threatened to put massive taxes on German-made cars
President Donald Trump moved the Supreme Court to his list of central campaign issues on Wednesday following the surprise retirement earlier in the day of long-serving justice Anthony Kennedy.
Trump, at a North Dakota rally where he was campaigning against the state's sole incumbent Democrat, said Kennedy's retirement created a new urgency to increasing the number of GOP votes in the U.S. Senate.
'Justice Kennedy's retirement makes the issue of Senate control, one of the vital issues of our time. The most important thing that we can do,' Trump said. 'Democrats want judges who will rewrite the Constitution any way they want to do it, and take away your Second Amendment, erase your borders, throw open the jailhouse doors and destroy your freedoms.'
The president argued at the event for Rep. Kevin Cramer that sitting Sen. Heidi Heitkamp will be a 'vote no' for whoever he nominates to replace Kennedy on the high court because 'she will be told to do so.'
He told the crowd that a vote for Heitkamp or any other Democrat in the state is essentially a vote for impeachment-pushing Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters.
Trump, at a North Dakota rally where he was campaigning against the state's sole incumbent Democrat, said Kennedy's retirement created a new urgency to increasing the number of GOP votes in the U.S. Senate.
'Justice Kennedy's retirement makes the issue of Senate control, one of the vital issues of our time. The most important thing that we can do,' Trump said. 'Democrats want judges who will rewrite the Constitution any way they want to do it, and take away your Second Amendment, erase your borders, throw open the jailhouse doors and destroy your freedoms.'
The president argued at the event for Rep. Kevin Cramer that sitting Sen. Heidi Heitkamp will be a 'vote no' for whoever he nominates to replace Kennedy on the high court because 'she will be told to do so.'
He told the crowd that a vote for Heitkamp or any other Democrat in the state is essentially a vote for impeachment-pushing Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters.
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President Donald Trump added the Supreme Court to his list of central campaign issues on Wednesday following the surprise retirement earlier in the day of long-serving justice Anthony Kennedy
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Trump, at a North Dakota rally where he was campaigned against the state's incumbent Democrat, said Kennedy's retirement added a new urgency to increasing the number of GOP votes in the U.S. Senate
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The president argued at the event for North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer (pictured) that sitting Sen. Heidi Heitkamp will be a 'vote no' for whoever he nominates to replace Kennedy because 'she will be told to do so'
Since telling her supporters in weekend remarks that they should harass officials in Trump's government wherever they appear in public, Trump has made Waters, a California congresswoman, a centerpiece of his attacks.
'Maxine, she's is a beauty, I mean she was practically telling people the other day to assault. Can you imagine if I said the things she said? "We demand that he immediately drop out of the race," ' Trump in Fargo, North Dakota said.
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Trump told North Dakotans that a vote for Heidi Heitkamp (pictured) or any other Democrat in the state is essentially a vote for Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters
'Can you imagine, seriously, if I said that, or somebody else said that? Horrible what she said. Now they want to censure her. Let's see where that goes, folks,' he offered. 'Her own party was talking about censure. Let's see where that goes.'
The congressmen who have introduced the censure measure are Republicans - one from Arizona, Rep. Andy Biggs - and another from Florida, Rep. Ron DeSantis. The Republican representatives have also called on Waters to resign.
Trump told a packed arena on Wednesday that they 'need Kevin Cramer to replace liberal Democrat Heidi Heitkamp' in the upper chamber because she supports Waters' agenda.
'When Heidi ran for office, she promised to be an independent vote for the people of North Dakota,' he said.
'Instead she went to Washington and immediately joined Chuck - you know who Chuck is- and Nancy,' he said. 'And now they have a new leader. Who's the new leader? Maxine Waters is the new leader. Maxine Waters. I think she's taking over.'
Trump in another verbal assault on Democrats said he could not believe that his own election opponent Hillary Clinton had been allowed to walk away from her email scandal without charges.
'Point after point, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, oh she's OK. And then they go after us for a Russian hoax. It's a witch hunt hoax,' Trump said of the woman he beat more than 18 months ago. 'Isn't it incredible when you talk about a double standard...and nobody even looks at her. Nobody even looks. Unless we're going to be surprised some day.'
The crowd at the mere mention of Clinton began chanting, 'Lock her up!'
Smacking House Democrats' elected leader, Pelosi, Trump said that on Tuesday evening, as primary results rolled in around the country, that his opponents suffered a major blow.
'One of my biggest critics, a slovenly man named Joe Crowley, got his a** kicked by a young woman who had a lot of energy. She had a lot of energy. I guess he didn't see it. They couldn't find him,' Trump said. 'And he was going to take Nancy Pelosi's place, and I was so disappointed, because I want to keep Nancy Pelosi right where she is next to Maxine Waters.'
Trump begged Democrats in the wake of the defeat to 'please, please' keep Pelosi as their party leader 'and please keep Maxine Waters on the air as your face and your mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.'
Crowley, a 56-year-old New York Democrat, lost on Tuesday evening to 28-year-old progressive candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a major upset.
The president latched on to the loss to cast Democrats like Pelosi, Crowely, and by extension Heitkamp, as totally out of touch.
'Heidi voted no on our massive tax cuts for North Dakota families. She voted no. Not one Democrat voted to cut your taxes, and the other day, Nancy Pelosi said we have to raise your taxes. What's that all about? She wants to raise your taxes,' he said.
Heitkamp, he noted, also voted against the repeal of Obamacare. Trump claimed the vote was all but done when she and 'another person' intervened and made sure it did not happen.
Ripping Republican Sen. John McCain in the not-too-subtle remark, Trump said, 'We were a little surprised when the thumb went down.'
But he said it all worked out because the association plan his administration has come out with other plans that he said would be better anyway for consumers.
'We are coming out with so many healthcare plans that are better than you anything you have ever seen before. Competitive,' he said. 'And Obamacare is essentially dead.'
Although, he said, amid cheering for the downfall of the Obama-era regulation, 'I would have been happier with a nice yes vote instead of a note vote, but that's OK.'
Late-term abortions, sanctuary cities and his travel ban were also among the positions he hit Heitkamp over.
'You need a senator who doesn't just talk like their North Dakota, but votes like their from North Dakota. That's what you need. And that is Kevin Cramer,' he said. 'So a vote for any Democrat in November, is a vote for Schumer, Pelosi and Maxine.'
'One of my biggest critics, a slovenly man named Joe Crowley, got his a** kicked by a young woman who had a lot of energy. She had a lot of energy. I guess he didn't see it. They couldn't find him,' Trump said. 'And he was going to take Nancy Pelosi's place, and I was so disappointed, because I want to keep Nancy Pelosi right where she is next to Maxine Waters.'
Trump begged Democrats in the wake of the defeat to 'please, please' keep Pelosi as their party leader 'and please keep Maxine Waters on the air as your face and your mouthpiece for the Democrat Party.'
Crowley, a 56-year-old New York Democrat, lost on Tuesday evening to 28-year-old progressive candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a major upset.
The president latched on to the loss to cast Democrats like Pelosi, Crowely, and by extension Heitkamp, as totally out of touch.
'Heidi voted no on our massive tax cuts for North Dakota families. She voted no. Not one Democrat voted to cut your taxes, and the other day, Nancy Pelosi said we have to raise your taxes. What's that all about? She wants to raise your taxes,' he said.
Heitkamp, he noted, also voted against the repeal of Obamacare. Trump claimed the vote was all but done when she and 'another person' intervened and made sure it did not happen.
Ripping Republican Sen. John McCain in the not-too-subtle remark, Trump said, 'We were a little surprised when the thumb went down.'
But he said it all worked out because the association plan his administration has come out with other plans that he said would be better anyway for consumers.
'We are coming out with so many healthcare plans that are better than you anything you have ever seen before. Competitive,' he said. 'And Obamacare is essentially dead.'
Although, he said, amid cheering for the downfall of the Obama-era regulation, 'I would have been happier with a nice yes vote instead of a note vote, but that's OK.'
Late-term abortions, sanctuary cities and his travel ban were also among the positions he hit Heitkamp over.
'You need a senator who doesn't just talk like their North Dakota, but votes like their from North Dakota. That's what you need. And that is Kevin Cramer,' he said. 'So a vote for any Democrat in November, is a vote for Schumer, Pelosi and Maxine.'
Trump said the travel ban ruling that the Supreme Court handed down on Tuesday is a prime reason why it's important to take into account the Senate's power to confirm judges, including Kennedy's replacement.
'Justice Anthony Kennedy, a very special guy, also, just announced a little while ago his retirement from the United States Supreme Court,' Trump said. 'Great man. And I'm very honored that he chose to do it during my term in office, because he felt confident in me to make the right choice and carry on his great legacy. That's why he did it.'
The president used Kennedy's retirement as a swivel to again hit Heitkamp. 'We must elect more Republicans,' he said. 'We have to do that.'
Trump said that if one Republican in the Senate 'gets a bad cold - or let's assume it's worse than that' - the GOP doesn't have the heft to pass judicial nominations.
The remark came off as another backhanded swipe at McCain, who has been absent from the Senate since the end of last year on medical leave. He is at home in Arizona battling brain cancer.
His illness puts the GOP just shy of the 51 votes they will need to confirm a Supreme Court justice, unless McCain recovers quickly enough to return this fall to Washington.
A House rep at present, Cramer, in brief remarks at the top of the rally, thanked Trump for cutting taxes and being pro-life and promised always to support the Republican president's agenda.
'And on these important North Dakota values, you never have to wonder where I'll be,' he said, 'because I'll always be with them and with you - 100 percent of the time.'
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Since telling her supporters in weekend remarks that they should harass officials in Trump's government wherever they appear in public, Trump has made Rep. Maxine Waters, a California congresswoman, a centerpiece of his attacks
'Justice Anthony Kennedy, a very special guy, also, just announced a little while ago his retirement from the United States Supreme Court,' Trump said. 'Great man. And I'm very honored that he chose to do it during my term in office, because he felt confident in me to make the right choice and carry on his great legacy. That's why he did it.'
The president used Kennedy's retirement as a swivel to again hit Heitkamp. 'We must elect more Republicans,' he said. 'We have to do that.'
Trump said that if one Republican in the Senate 'gets a bad cold - or let's assume it's worse than that' - the GOP doesn't have the heft to pass judicial nominations.
The remark came off as another backhanded swipe at McCain, who has been absent from the Senate since the end of last year on medical leave. He is at home in Arizona battling brain cancer.
His illness puts the GOP just shy of the 51 votes they will need to confirm a Supreme Court justice, unless McCain recovers quickly enough to return this fall to Washington.
A House rep at present, Cramer, in brief remarks at the top of the rally, thanked Trump for cutting taxes and being pro-life and promised always to support the Republican president's agenda.
'And on these important North Dakota values, you never have to wonder where I'll be,' he said, 'because I'll always be with them and with you - 100 percent of the time.'
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Since telling her supporters in weekend remarks that they should harass officials in Trump's government wherever they appear in public, Trump has made Rep. Maxine Waters, a California congresswoman, a centerpiece of his attacks
Trump impressed upon the crowd the importance of electing more Republicans in the House and the Senate in order to push forward his immigration agenda, which includes the building of a wall and merit-based migration.
The president said he wants the most qualified immigrants coming to the country 'not picked out of a jar' in reference to the diversity visa lottery system that he says he wants to do away with.
That program involves the State Department picking applicants at random and heavily vetting them. It does not weight based on their perceived value-add to the U.S. economy.
As he spoke about immigration, Trump completely side-stepped his administration's policy on family separation as he lit into Democrats launching 'vicious smears' and 'shameless attacks' on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
'It would be overrun with the worst criminal elements you have ever seen,' he said of a nation without ICE. 'These radical Democrat protesters. They really want anarchy. But the only response they will find from our government is law and order.'
Trump at the rally also touched on his steel and aluminium tariffs, for which he has been taking a beating. He put the dispute with many of America's allies in the context of a future need for self-defense.
'If something ever happened,' Trump began. 'If something ever happened, you know what I'm talking about,' he said, 'and we needed steel to make that something, we wouldn't be able to make steel.'
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Trump speaks to supporters during the campaign rally at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota
The president said he wants the most qualified immigrants coming to the country 'not picked out of a jar' in reference to the diversity visa lottery system that he says he wants to do away with.
That program involves the State Department picking applicants at random and heavily vetting them. It does not weight based on their perceived value-add to the U.S. economy.
As he spoke about immigration, Trump completely side-stepped his administration's policy on family separation as he lit into Democrats launching 'vicious smears' and 'shameless attacks' on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
'It would be overrun with the worst criminal elements you have ever seen,' he said of a nation without ICE. 'These radical Democrat protesters. They really want anarchy. But the only response they will find from our government is law and order.'
Trump at the rally also touched on his steel and aluminium tariffs, for which he has been taking a beating. He put the dispute with many of America's allies in the context of a future need for self-defense.
'If something ever happened,' Trump began. 'If something ever happened, you know what I'm talking about,' he said, 'and we needed steel to make that something, we wouldn't be able to make steel.'
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Trump speaks to supporters during the campaign rally at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota
He also claimed that some European countries totally reject certain American products, citing it as another reason he had to hit back at their markets.
If he doesn't get more favorable trade agreements for the U.S., the president threatened to tax all of the Mercedes-Benz' and BMWs that are being imported. Both car companies are headquartered in Germany.
'So we're not starting a trade war,' he said of America's existing trade deficits. 'But we'll finish it.'
Trump said he realistically expects that the countries hit hardest by his tariffs will ultimately come to the U.S. and ask to enter into negotiations. 'It's the Art of the Deal,' he argued. 'This one doesn't get much simpler.'
'The era of global freeloading and taking advantage of the United States is over,' Trump declared. 'It's just over.'
If he doesn't get more favorable trade agreements for the U.S., the president threatened to tax all of the Mercedes-Benz' and BMWs that are being imported. Both car companies are headquartered in Germany.
'So we're not starting a trade war,' he said of America's existing trade deficits. 'But we'll finish it.'
Trump said he realistically expects that the countries hit hardest by his tariffs will ultimately come to the U.S. and ask to enter into negotiations. 'It's the Art of the Deal,' he argued. 'This one doesn't get much simpler.'
'The era of global freeloading and taking advantage of the United States is over,' Trump declared. 'It's just over.'
