CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump repeatedly attacked his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, drawing cries of "Lock her up!" from the audience at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Charlotte.
Why global trade is central to Clinton-Trump rivalry
The differing world views of Hillary Clinton, the globetrotting former U.S. secretary of state, and Donald Trump, who preaches "America First," are on display on the issue of trade. Trump blames trade deals and China's inclusion in the World Trade Organization-negotiated during the presidency of Clinton's husband-for the closings of U.S. factories and the loss of millions of American jobs. Clinton, who faced another free trade critic, Sen. Bernie Sanders, during the Democratic primaries, has tried to soften her past support for trade deals. Q: How did we get here? A: The merits of free trade have come under attack in recent years as attention focused on the workers and communities that critics say have been hurt by the global movement of capital and jobs. A bipartisan coalition of politicians, unions, religious groups, Internet freedom activists and conservationists opposes a new generation of proposed trade deals, including the Asia-focused Trans-Pacific Partnership. Unless President Barack Obama manages to win congressional approval of the TPP this year, the treaty's future will be up to the next president. Q: How pro-free trade is Clinton? A: Trump, like Sanders before him, paints Clinton as a dyed-in-the-wool free trader. Her record is a bit more nuanced. "From 1993 to 2016, she supported eight deals, opposed two, flip-flopped from opposing to supporting three, and flip-flopped the other way on two others," according to PolitiFact. In 2007, during her first run for the presidency, Clinton called NAFTA, which her husband signed, "a mistake to the extent that it did not deliver on what we had hoped it would." After voicing support for the TPP, Clinton came out against it in 2015. Q: How anti-free trade is Trump? A: Unlike Clinton, Trump has never had to vote on a trade deal, and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, has a long record of supporting such deals. "I'm not against trade," Trump has said. "I just want to make better deals." He promises to pull the U.S. from NAFTA if Canada and Mexico refuse to renegotiate it. He called the TPP "a rape of our country." He says he would impose punitive tariffs on goods from China, which doesn't have a free-trade deal with the U.S. but is a member of WTO. And if WTO rules block such tariffs, Trump says he would consider pulling the U.S. from the trade group altogether. Inconveniently for him, some of his personally branded products, such as Donald J. Trump dress shirts and perfume, are made in Bangladesh, China, Honduras and other low-wage countries. Q: What do polls say? A: It depends on how the question is asked. A Bloomberg Politics poll in March showed that 65 percent of Americans want U.S. trade policy to "have more restrictions on imported foreign goods to protect American jobs." But in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll this month, 55 percent said free trade with other countries is a good thing because it opens up new markets. A March poll by the Pew Research Center found that 67 percent of Trump supporters view free trade agreements as a bad thing, and 58 percent of Clinton supporters say they are a good thing. Q: Why does this matter? A: Trump's case against global trade is at the core of his appeal to white working-class men. Their support could help him win crucial U.S. Rust Belt states-including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan-that are home to the once-vibrant U.S. manufacturing sector. _Tribune News Service"This could keep me very busy at night, folks. This could take the place of Twitter," Trump said of the hotline, which he said he would personally respond to if complaints weren't addressed.
Trump's visit to Charlotte followed his Monday evening campaign rally in Winston-Salem, and a July 5 event in Raleigh. Clinton, set to receive her party's nomination this week in Philadelphia, visited Charlotte July 5 for a joint rally with President Barack Obama.
Both candidates' repeated visits highlight the state's electoral importance: North Carolina is a battleground that could go to Democrats or Republicans in November. Clinton and Trump are virtually tied in North Carolina, polls show.
Trump entered the Convention Center hall to warm applause with his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who spoke first after an introduction by Trump.
"Our military is too small, and he will rebuild it," Pence said about Trump. "Our VA is broken and this builder (Trump) will fix it."
Despite his mostly warm reception, some in the crowd said they can't support Trump, in particular because of comments he made that Sen. John McCain isn't a war hero because he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"I'm not sure what he could ever say that could make me a supporter because of that comment," said Dewey Riehn, a veteran from Missouri.
Trump spent much of his time attacking Clinton and the Democratic Party. He set a darker tone than Clinton, who said on Monday that she doesn't "understand people who trash-talk America," and that she won't be the candidate of "fear and smear" tactics.
"You know her name: Crooked Hillary Clinton. And believe me folks, she is crooked," Trump said of Clinton. It was another sharp difference from Clinton's approach Tuesday: She didn't mention Trump by name once in her 30-minute address.
"In a very true way, they really established ISIS, because of weakness," Trump said of the results of American foreign policy under Clinton as secretary of state in the Obama administration. ISIS grew out of al-Qaida in Iraq, which sprung up following the 2003 American invasion of that country under the Bush administration.
Trump also criticized Democrats for not mentioning ISIS by name during their convention Monday night in Philadelphia.
"ISIS-it's a word you didn't hear last night," Trump said.
He also criticized Clinton for using a personal email server while she was secretary of state. He said the email server put American security at risk.
"Lock her up!" people shouted.
"To think she was here yesterday. I guess she didn't do very well," Trump said.
"Our politicians have failed you," Trump told the capacity crowd of about 6,000 in the hall, speaking about VA wait times for veterans to see doctors. "Our most basic commitment to provide health and medical care has been violated completely. Many died waiting for care that never came. We will find the waste."
"She has a much different view. She's trying to sweep it under the rug."
He also said he would not allow refugees to enter to the U.S. from Syria and criticized Clinton and her running mate, Va. Senator Tim Kaine, for wanting to bring in refugees into the country. The crowd cheered loudly and many stood to applaud Trump.