President Donald Trump, briefly leaving behind in Washington the intrigue of "fake news" and confrontations with reporters, on Friday told Boeing plant workers in South Carolina that, as he said on the campaign trail, one of his primary focal points is jobs for Americans.
"You've heard me say it before and I will say it again, from now on it's going to be America first," he said. "Working together as a unit there is nothing we cannot accomplish, no task too large, no dream too great.
"We are going to rebuild this country and ensure that every forgotten community has the future it deserves," he continued. "Those communities are forgotten no longer. The election took care of that. We're going to pass on the our children the freedom and prosperity that is their American birthright."
He helped unveil the company's new 787-10 Dreamliner, which can carry up to 330 passengers and, as Trump said, "fly half a day without touching down."
It was Trump's first official excursion outside of Washington since his inauguration last month, and he noted his earlier criticism of the company – the cost of a new Air Force One – and said it was being "worked out."
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg had met with Trump in New York regarding the $4 billion price tag to provide two 747s.
He drew enthusiastic response from the workers when he called the new Dreamliner "an amazing piece of art."
He said his visit was to "celebrate American engineering and American manufacturing."
And jobs.
"Our goal must be to rely less on imports and more on products made here in the U.S.A.," he said.
He cited the Wright brothers' 12-second Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, flight, calling it a testimony to the American spirit.
"I see that same spirit everywhere I travel," he said. "We have the greatest people anywhere in the world.
"As your president I'm going to do everything I can to unleash the power of the American spirit, and put our good people back to work."
Jobs, he said, are coming back to the U.S.
"We want products made in America by American hands."
How would you rate Trump's first month? Sound off in today's WND poll.
He also saluted the military, which has a large presence in the region and is a major Boeing client.
"We are going to fully rebuild our military," he said. "We're going to ensure that our great servicemen members have the tools, equipment, training and resources to get the job done."
Trump confirmed part of his strategy will be to make it difficult and expensive for companies to fire American workers, move production lines overseas and then sell their products in America.
Also, he said, he already has started cutting "job-crunching regulations that send our jobs to other countries."