Trump holds rally in Pennsylvania for Republican candidate
Washington March 11 (IANS) US President Donald Trump held a rally in Pennsylvania to bolster support for state Representative Rick Saccone who will contest in Tuesday s special congressional election to secure a House seat the media reported.
"This guy should win easily... I hate to put pressure on you Rick " Trump said on Saturday night at the rally in Moon Township the heart of America s steel industry where he beat Hillary Clinton by 20 percentage points in 2016.
Trump opened his 75-minute whirlwind of a speech by touting his administration s new trade tariffs -- 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium imports -- before wading into the Olympics previewing his 2020 campaign slogan and again called for enacting the death penalty for drug dealers reports CNN.
Polls in Pennsylvania s 18th District show a tight race. A loss by Saccone to Democratic Marine veteran and former prosecutor Conor Lamb would be seen as a major warning sign ahead of November s midterm elections.
Trump referred to the Democrat as "Lamb the sham" CNN reported.
Trump said he heard the 33-year-old Lamb was "nice-looking" but said: "I think I m better-looking than him. I do. I do. I do. And he s slightly younger than me."
"He s OK. He s all right " Trump said of Lamb. "Personally I like Rick Saccone. I think he s handsome."
Trump praised other countries for imposing the death penalty or life in prison for drug dealers saying the US should consider similar penalties.
"I think it s a discussion we have to start thinking about. I don t know if this country s ready for it."
At the campaign rally Trump also offered a preview of his own 2020 re-election race telling the crowd that he has decided on a replacement for his "Make America Great Again" slogan.
"Our new slogan when we start running in -- can you believe it two years from now -- is going to be Keep America Great exclamation point " Trump said.
He said the candidate he most wants to run against in 2020 is Oprah Winfrey predicting the campaign "would be a painful experience for her" CNN reported
"Oh I d love Oprah to win I d love to beat Oprah. I know her weakness " he said.
At the end of the rally Trump pulled Saccone to the stage as the candidate exclaimed: "If President Trump s in your corner how can you lose?" The Washington Post reported
"Go out vote for Rick. He ll never never disappoint you " Trump said.
"Vote with your heart vote with your brains. This is an extraordinary man."
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