Trump reveals why tariff is only his ‘fifth favorite word’

Trump reveals why tariff is only his ‘fifth favorite word’ In scattered rant to Naval Academy students, Trump announces new shipyard while excluding Maryland officials from joining him - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Donald Trump went on a largely aimless rant to a group of Navy midshipmen and a handful of members of the armed forces’ top brass on Tuesday as he announced the construction of a new submarine shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland. The president spoke Tuesday afternoon in front of a combat vessel at Sparrows Point, Maryland, where he announced that defense contractor Anduril would build the facility to support the construction of the Navy’s new autonomous submarine craft. But the point of his visit was once again obscured by an unfocused diatribe about the war in Iran, the U.S. strike on Venezuela, and the tariff policies his administration has used to reshape global trade frameworks. Trump repeated a refrain about tariffs becoming his “fifth” favorite word, after others such as “wife” and “God”, to a mostly silent batch of bored Navy undergrads who came up from the Naval Academy in Annapolis to stand and hear the president talk. “We're building more car plants than we ever have in history,” the president told his audience. “It's all because of my favorite word, my fourth favorite, maybe my fifth-- tariff. Without tariffs, we wouldn't be doing that.” ”The word tariff for us was has made us a rich country again, and rich in a lot of ways,” Trump added. Anduril is partnering with the Navy on the project, which will see a $3.7bn, 2 million square foot facility built at Sparrows point, just steps away from the site of the destroyed Francis Scott Key Bridge that once crossed Baltimore’s Patapsco River. Construction of a new bridge is set to be finished in late 2030. Anduril promises that the new shipyard will be home to approximately 3,100 new jobs. Absent from Tuesday’s announcement ceremony were Baltimore city officials and the state’s governor, Wes Moore. A Democrat, Moore said through a spokesperson on Tuesday that the White House initially invited him to speak at the event, then moved him to a non-speaking role at Trump’s intervention. The White House denied this, claiming that Moore was only invited as a guest to the ceremony. Typically, the announcement ceremony of such a facility’s groundbreaking would include statements from at least a few local officials. That didn’t take place on Tuesday for one reason: Trump’s political opposition to Moore and city leadership in Baltimore, who are all Democrats and were denied the spotlight on Thursday. The president was joined by Iowa’s Republican governor one month ago when he announced the development of a new steel plant in Lee County. This is a developing story. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments