43
Trump calls out Y-town in speech on climate
YOUNGSTOWN
President Donald Trump mentioned Youngstown during his speech on why he decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement.
“A new deal is possible. It is time to put Youngstown, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; and Pittsburgh, Pa., along with many, many other locations within our great country, before Paris, France,” Trump said Thursday of three cities that voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton over him in November’s presidential election. “It is time to make America great again.”
Like the reaction to the decision, reaction to the Youngstown shout-out lined up along partisan lines.
When asked to respond, Mayor John A. McNally, a Democrat, said: “Nothing about the U.S. withdrawal would seem to indicate any form of job creation for the city of Youngstown. The Trump administration has never discussed how the withdrawal would better the lives of Youngstown residents. So while it’s nice to hear our city’s name, there is no substance to the thought of putting us with other cities before Paris.”
Mahoning County Republican Party Chairman Mark Munroe said: “President Trump has made us proud again, first by upholding his promise to pull out of the job-killing and unfair Paris climate accord, and second, by referring to the people of Youngstown, Ohio, in his Rose Garden speech. His reference to Youngstown is proof once again that the president is looking out for our well-being first.”
Munroe added: “Trump is determined to do what he thinks is best for America. A day does not go by without hearing comments from Mahoning Valley Trump supporters who are praying for and thanking our president for the fight he is leading to bring real change to Washington.”
Tracey Winbush, the county GOP’s vice chairwoman who organized Trump’s presidential campaign, said, “It’s good that the president is putting the Mahoning Valley first. It’s been a very long time – if ever – that a president has put the Mahoning Valley before anywhere else. I’m overly impressed by that.”
The Paris agreement is the world’s main effort to slow planetary warming. Trump, a Republican, said the agreement left the United States at a disadvantage as its taxpayers and businesses were absorbing high costs.
Mahoning Democratic Chairman David Betras said: “Once again, the president is ignorant or a liar. I wish he would not use Youngstown as a political prop for his propaganda. Not being in the Paris accord doesn’t help Youngstown. We resent being used as the rationale for Trump’s idiotic decisions. The kids who live in Youngstown deserve good jobs and clean air and water. The environmentally friendly technologies being developed in the U.S. to ensure that America can meet the targets set by the Paris accords will deliver both.”
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, whose district includes Youngstown, tweeted: “Pulling out of this deal doesn’t help Youngstown. It destroys American leadership, wipes out clean energy jobs, and hurts our environment.”