Trump made a lot of promises to Pennsylvanians in 2016.
To date, he has fulfilled none.
When Donald Trump was running for President in 2016, he visited Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small town in Rust-Belt America.
Beaten down for decades after the departure of the steel mills, Johnstown has one of the highest poverty levels in Pennsylvania: over 35% of its people live in poverty. Steel and coal jobs are gone, and so is the prosperity they brought.
Trump came to Johnstown and promised to bring steel, coal, and prosperity back. Trump played the people of Johnstown, many of whom have lost hope after decades of decay and downright neglect from local politicians.
Did Trump deliver on the promises he made to Johnstown’s voters in 2016?
I provide links to two videos from Trump’s 2016 campaign visit to Johnstown, Pennsylvania which show the promises Trump the candidate made to the people of Johnstown.
Nothing has changed here in Johnstown since 2016: the steel mills are not back, the coal jobs are not back, the prosperity has not returned. The only change in Johnstown is more division. So, the answer to the question, “Did Trump deliver on his promises” is an emphatic ‘NO.’ Donald Trump has done nothing for Johnstown, nor for Pennsylvania, during his four years in office.
Here is the rally video.
On that day, Trump also gave an interview to WJAC-TV anchor Marty Radovonic. The interview was short, but produced a number of promises to the people of this area.
Here is that interview video.
I provide these videos, which are readily available on YouTube, to remind the people the promises Trump made in 2016: the truth is, he has failed to fulfill any of them. I would go so far as to say that Trump does not care one bit about the people of Johnstown, or the jobs they need, or even for the people of America.
This is not a man who fulfills promises: this is a man who makes hollow promises only to get elected, then abandons the people.
All of the links I use in this post are from these two videos.
The Promises.
In the TV interview, Trump promised:
“We’re going to make a lot of money.”
At the rally, Trump promised:
“Your income will go up , under a Trump administration.”
THE FACTS: Real Per Capita Income has not increased in Johnstown: in fact, it went DOWN in 2018. Real Per Capita Income increased 1% in Cambria County, although this graph seems to suggest that Median Household Income decreased in Cambria County after the election.
TRUMP PROMISE :
“We are going to bring prosperity back to Johnstown.”
THE FACTS:
Does this look like a lot of money? Does this look like prosperity?
TRUMP PROMISES:
“Your jobs will come back , including your steel, which has been decimated in this area.”
“We’re putting your miners back to work.”
“We’re going to have an energy revolution, and that means a lot of jobs-especially for this area .”
“We’re bringing our jobs back .”
Trump also made a lot of general promises and comments on life in America and in Pennsylvania. These should be used against him now.
“What’s going on in our country today is terrible.”
Just imagine the images of the COVID-19 deaths, the unemployed, and the endless racial protesting.
“Generations of failure and neglect are going to be coming to an end… ”
Think about the still-abandoned steel mills and coal mines.
“When I’m president, we’re going to start making things again in America .”
I see the dozens of Trump products made in other countries.
“We will also rebuild our massive depleted infrastructure.”
Look at the images of crumbling buildings (still in Johnstown), bridges, roads, schools, power grid, etc. where no work has been done.
“So, if we did nothing, if we did absolutely nothing, we’d be in great shape .”
From shutting down the Coronavirus Task Force while the virus numbers were still rising, to millions unemployed due to Trump’s refusal to act. Just how is this self-touted economic genius dealing with the worst economic crisis of our lives? He’s not.
[Hillary’s] the most corrupt person ever to seek the office of the presidency .”
Really? And those-too many to count-connected to Trump who have been convicted and/ or imprisoned?
Did Trump bring backs the jobs? the Steel jobs? the coal jobs? the prosperity?
Did he rebuild the nation’s infrastructure using steel made right here in PA?
Did he end the generations of failure and neglect?
Did he fight to bring us all together as Americans-as he promised in this speech?
THIS ELECTION is truly the most important in the history of the United States. Anyone from Pennsylvania knows a con-man when they see one: let’s vote this one out of office.
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©Timothy J. Sabo
