'Where's the fire?': Donald Trump plays in a fire truck as White House defends president's imported products
Donald Trump enjoyed playing in a fire truck outside the White House on Monday as he kicked off a week showcasing products that were made in America.
Four months after he revelled in sitting behind the steering wheel of an 18-wheeler truck when he welcomed truckers, the President showed again how much he likes a heavy duty vehicle.
"Where's the fire? Where's the fire? Put it out fast!" the president said as he climbed into the cab of a Wisconsin-built fire truck and pretended to be a firefighter.
Social media users were quick to point out there was plenty of smoke in Mr Trump's White House, which is engulfed by investigations looking into his campaign's ties with Russia.
The president vowed to boost US manufacturing by cutting the $64 billion trade deficit with Mexico as he showcased products made in all 50 states.
"No longer are we going to allow other countries to break the rules, to steal our jobs and drain our wealth," Mr Trump said at a White House event that spilled from the East Room to the South Lawn.
"Remember in the old days, they used to have 'Made in the U.S.A.?' 'Made in America,' but Made in the U.S.A.' We're going to start doing that again. We're going to put that brand on our product because it means it's the best."
The president took his time checking out products from all over the country: Trump donned a cowboy hat from Texas. He swung a baseball bat from Louisiana.
However, the White House was also forced to defend the production of Trump-branded goods.
Ever since Mr Trump kicked off his candidacy pledging to put America first, he has been questioned about the products he and members of his family have made and sold.
Those questions resurfaced as the president launched Made in America Week, which is intended to highlight products manufactured domestically.
Asked at the press briefing about whether the Trump Organisation or Ivanka Trump brands would commit "to stop manufacturing wares abroad," Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, shifted the focus to Mr Trump's efforts to spur other firms' domestic production efforts.
"I think what's really important is the president's agenda: regulatory relief and tax relief, are focused on trying to make sure that all companies can hire here, can expand here, can manufacture here," Mr Spicer said.
Addressing the subject of Trump-branded items, he added: "I can tell you that in some cases, there are certain supply chains or scalability that may not be available in this country."
During the campaign, Hillary Clinton once held up a Trump-branded tie that was made China as she highlighted the contrast in his promises and his business dealings.
