233067

World  

Trump stumps in Vegas

His own political fortunes intrinsically linked to his party holding control of Congress, President Donald Trump on Thursday offered full-throated support for the most vulnerable incumbent Republican senator, while unleashing a torrent of grievances against Democrats and the news media and claiming they are sabotaging his administration.

Trump, appearing at a boisterous rally in Las Vegas, defended his embattled Supreme Court justice nominee, touted the booming stock market, cited progress in talks with North Korea and pledged to build his long-promised border wall, while also making the pitch for Nevada to re-elect Sen. Dean Heller. The president noted that he and Heller — who once said he "vehemently" opposed Trump — did not always get along.

"We started out, we weren't friends. I didn't like him, he didn't like me!" said Trump to laughs. "But as we fought and fought and fought, believe it or not we started to respect each other, than we started to like each other, then we started to love each other.

"Ever since I won the election, he's been there for us," said Trump, who urged Heller's re-election because the Republican majority in the Senate is so slim, 51-49, that the GOP would lose its advantage if "someone had a cold." The president also bestowed one of his signature nicknames on Heller's opponent, Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, dubbing her "Wacky Jacky."

Heller returned the praise: "Mr. President, I think you just turned Nevada red today," he said. Trump narrowly lost Nevada to Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite his deep ties to Las Vegas — he has a golden-hued hotel just off the famed Strip — and repeatedly campaigning in the state.

Trump in particular focused his pitch for Heller on the need to confirm more conservative judges, in particular his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, whose seat on the bench had been thrown into question by allegations that he sexually assaulted a young woman while in high school more than 30 years ago.



More World News