Trump Vows Funding For Great Lakes Program He Just Proposed To Gut
President Donald Trump attempted to position himself as a hero to Michigan voters as he vowed to allocate funds for a Great Lakes restoration program — just days after he called for a 90% cut to the project in his federal budget proposal.
“I support the Great Lakes, always have,” Trump said during his speech at a campaign rally Thursday in Grand Rapids. “They’re beautiful. They’re big. Very deep. Record deepness.”
He told the crowd: “I’m going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which you’ve been trying to get for 30 years.”
In fact, Trump two weeks ago in his budget proposal called for slashing the program’s $300 million funding by massive $270 million. The money is to be used on projects to restore wetlands and improve water quality in and around the five Great Lakes.
Trump also called for decimating funds for the program in 2017 and 2018, but funding was saved both years by Congress, which would likely do so in the next budget as well. President Barack Obama supported funding for the program each year since it was established in 2010.
Yet Trump tried to portray himself at the Midwestern rally as the savior of the program.
Trump needs Michigan voters in the next presidential election. He eked out a 10,700-vote victory (a .23 percentage-point margin) over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton last time in the state. His popularity is sinking in the state as autoworkers lose jobs and farmers struggle against crippling tariffs brought on by Trump’s trade wars.
Donald Trump Jr. also crowed on Twitter about his dad’s sudden championing of the Great Lakes.
Tonight, @realdonaldtrump announced he’ll fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative! Let’s keep our Great Lakes beautiful! $300,000,000 amazing news for our natural rescources, the great outdoors and our sportsmen and women.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 29, 2019
Twitter wags had some very definite opinions about the Michigan ploy.
(One other thing: The Great Lakes do not have “record deepness” — not in the world and not in the U.S., where Crater Lake is the deepest.)
Last night, President Trump proclaimed he’d get full funding - $300 million – for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
That’s pretty surprising, since his budget slashes it by 90%. pic.twitter.com/WJnfPYPOY8— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) March 29, 2019
My favourite part was when he observed that lakes are big and deep. He really knows his stuff.
— Steph_sendwinenow (@sendwinenow) March 29, 2019
I’m surprised he didn’t mention how wet they are from the standpoint of water.
— Danny Gomez (@danMIA) March 29, 2019
He stripped $270 million out of the Great Lakes Initiative in his recently submitted budget and zeroed them out in previous budgets. Congress has overruled him every year to continue their funding. #FactsMatter
— Catherine Boerner (@catboerner) March 29, 2019
@AOC should be very happy
— Tom Oreje (@TomOreje) March 29, 2019
He literally tries to defund it every year.
— Devin's Ego (@DevinNunesEgo) March 29, 2019
So the administration cut the budget for this, congress told you guys NO, and now you are going on trying to spin this and taking credit for something you tried to gut in the 1st place? Lmfao. You all and the mindless tRump supporters truly are a special kind of stupid! 🤣
— Mopar426Power (@Mopar426Power) March 29, 2019
He was going to take the funding. Now he isn’t. What a hero
— Tommy Herrera (@CulledCub) March 29, 2019
Keep your funky a$$ our of my beautiful state. Michigan will be blue in 2020.
— laurie umlauf (@LaurieUmlauf) March 29, 2019
I’ll believe it when I see it.
— Dora Mary Maxey (@dora_maxey) March 29, 2019
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.