Crowd waits for Donald Trump to arrive Thursday in Manchester. (David Lovlien Jr. photo)
David Lovlien Jr.
Donald Trump speaks at parking lot of former Osram Sylvania plant in Manchester on Thursday. (David Lovlien Jr. photo)
Presumptive GOP Presidential Nominee Donald Trump spoke to about 125 people Thursday in the parking lot of the closed Osram Sylvania plant in Manchester focusing on job loss and trade.
“New Hampshire lost 31 percent of its manufacturing jobs since NAFTA,” Trump told the invited crowd at the private event.
A couple dozen people gathered on South Willow Street speaking out in favor of Trump and against him.
Jenny McDonald said: “I believe hate is not a policy and all Donald tells us about is hate. His comments about women and people of color, and people of a different religion… Hate is just not a policy.”
Mike Boulanger said: “I support Trump’s trade policies. He basically is telling us we are getting a raw deal and he can make a better deal. The trade act has to be revised and we can’t get into these false promises with other countries. We need to get right to it and work on a better deal with China. China is eating our lunch.”
Trump blamed Hillary and Bill Clinton for the manufacturing job losses around the country. “This is the factory legacy of Hillary and Bill Clinton,” Trump said.
America has lost one-third of its manufacturing jobs, Trump said calling the Clintons a “disaster.” The trade deficit is $800 billion, he said. It was just $84 billion when Bill Clinton was sworn in as president, Trump said.
“I want to make great jobs for the people of the United States,” Trump said. “We’re going to make it so manufacturers want to come back,” he added.
Nancy West contributed to this report.