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Trump To Talk Economy Tuesday At Snap-On Inc. In Kenosha

President Plans Stop At Wisconsin Tool Factory

By
David Cole/WPR

President Donald Trump plans to tout his “buy American, hire American” agenda during a stop at a tool manufacturing headquarters in Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday the president will deliver that message during his stop at Snap-on Inc. in Kenosha. Spicer calls Snap-on “a prime example of a company that builds American made tools with American workers, for U.S. taxpayers.”

Snap-on is based in Wisconsin but operates around the world. The company has eight manufacturing sites in North America and employs 11,000 people worldwide, according to its website.

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Snap-on said in a statement it hopes the visit highlights “the essential nature of American manufacturing to our nation’s future.”

It will be the president’s first visit to the state since taking office. He plans to talk about the economy and the value of American jobs during the stop.

Trump will be in House Speaker Paul Ryan’s congressional district where he faces low approval ratings in the wake of his failure to fulfill a campaign promise to repeal and replace the federal health care law.

Ryan won’t be in attendance because he’s leading a congressional delegation on an overseas trip this week.

Gov. Scott Walker said he plans to talk with Trump about the problem Wisconsin dairy farmers are having selling their milk.

Trump will speak publicly about the economy, but Walker said Monday he looks forward to speaking privately with Trump about a trade issue that’s hurting the state’s dairy farmers.

State and federal officials from Wisconsin have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take action to help dairy farmers hurt by Canada’s decision to impose duties on imports of a product called ultra-filtered milk.

Shipments of ultra-filtered milk, which is used in cheese-making, had been duty free until recently, after Canadian milk producers objected.

Canada’s decision leaves about 75 Wisconsin dairy farmers with no market.

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairwoman Martha Laning said Trump coming to the state to talk about the importance of manufacturing jobs is one thing, but fulfilling his campaign promises is another.

Laning said Monday that Trump is “full of empty promises” on job creation. “We are going to hold him accountable to the promises he made,” Laning said.

Laning said the Republican agenda under Walker has hurt the economy and she worries Trump will do no better.

Wisconsin’s unemployment is at a 17-year low, but neighboring states have been adding jobs at a higher rate.

Trump carried Wisconsin by about 22,000 votes in November, making him the first Republican to carry the state since 1984. A Marquette University Law School poll released in March showed 47 percent of respondents disapproved of the job Trump was doing as president, while 41 percent approved.

The president is also expected to travel to Atlanta on Friday, April 28 to speak at the National Rifle Association’s annual leadership forum, according to the organization.

He pledged during the campaign to fight to protect the Second Amendment and was endorsed by the NRA.

Editor’s Note: This story was last updated at 2:35 p.m. Monday, April 17 with comments from President Donald Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairwoman Martha Laning.