MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Most voters disapprove of the war with Iran that President Trump started. So Tuesday, when the president spoke at a Mack Truck plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania, he seemed ready to change the subject. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Just ahead of Trump's speech, a reporter asked the president, will Americans support an increase in defense spending for the Iran war when they are struggling financially? In his answer, Trump was insistent...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Not only do they support it, they demand it because they won't allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
KURTZLEBEN: And in his speech, there was little sign that Americans might have struggled when the president's attacks on Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing inflation upward. Trump mainly talked about the conflict as being over.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: But as you know, we just achieved a historic peace agreement with Iran to end the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. And by the way...
KURTZLEBEN: To be clear, the U.S. and Iran are still negotiating an end to the war. But the rally was more an opportunity to talk about other topics, in particular the economy, albeit disconnected from how the war affected it. Trump focused largely on past economic accomplishments, as opposed to future plans. He touted tax cuts Republicans passed last year, as well as tariffs making foreign cars more expensive.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: Very importantly, I imposed a 25% tariff on medium- and heavy-duty trucks so that Mack Truck could do very well with this factory in Pennsylvania.
KURTZLEBEN: Trump's approval on the economy is at its lowest point ever - 33%, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. That's down six points from a year ago, and it matters ahead of November's midterms. Trump promoted Republican Representative Ryan Mackenzie, who he has endorsed in a tough race in Pennsylvania's 7th District. Besides that, though, Trump ran through his well-known standards. He acknowledged his loyal fans.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: Oh, look at my guys. Front Row Joes. I got these Front Row Joes.
KURTZLEBEN: He joked about his nicknames for Joe Biden and also joked about transgender people in sports, at one point impersonating a female weight lifter.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: She's like this. You've seen. (Impersonating groaning) - drops him. And she's, like, devastated for the rest of her life.
KURTZLEBEN: When he comes back to Washington, though, political reality will still be there. Trump is set to meet with Senate Republicans today, four of whom yesterday voted in favor of a resolution to pull troops from Iran.
Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF ICHIKORO'S "ALLY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
