LIMA, Ohio -- President Donald Trump returned Wednesday to Ohio with a tour of a tank plant, where he touted its revival and told cheering workers that "we are rebuilding the American military, we are restoring American manufacturing, and we are once again fighting for our great American workers."
Trump also criticized the late Sen. John McCain, saying McCain "didn't get the job done for our great vets in the VA" and claiming that he badly hurt the Republican Party and the nation with his vote against repealing the health care overhaul put in place under President Barack Obama. McCain died last year of brain cancer.
"I endorsed him at his request, and I gave him the kind of funeral he wanted, which as president I had to approve," Trump said.
"I don't care about this," he continued. "I didn't get a thank you. That's OK. We sent him on the way. But I wasn't a fan of John McCain."
Several key Republicans defended McCain after Trump's comments.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not mention Trump directly, but he said that he misses his friend McCain "today and every day."
"It was a blessing to serve alongside a rare patriot and genuine American hero in the Senate," the Kentucky Republican tweeted. "His memory continues to remind me every day that our nation is sustained by the sacrifices of heroes."
McCain, a Navy pilot, was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and tortured for more than five years.
Pushback also came from Sen. Martha McSally, a Republican Air Force veteran appointed to McCain's seat from Arizona.
"John McCain is an American hero and I am thankful for his life of service and legacy to our country and Arizona," she tweeted Wednesday. "Everyone should give him and his family the respect, admiration, and peace they deserve."
And Sen. Lindsey Graham, who wept openly on the Senate floor when McCain died and who has allied himself with Trump, said Wednesday that "there's no one I admire more than John McCain."
"I think the president's comments about Sen. McCain hurt him more than they hurt the legacy of Sen. McCain," he said, adding that, "A lot of people are coming to John's defense now. ... I don't like it when he says things about my friend John McCain."
Trump's visit to Ohio marked his first trip to the state since last year's midterm election campaign, when the state was a rare bright spot for Republicans in the upper Midwest.
The visit is part of a 2020 Trump strategy to appear in battleground states in his official White House capacity as much as possible this year, said a person with knowledge of the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly. Trump is expected to make similar trips throughout the year as he seeks to boost enthusiasm to counter an energized Democratic base. It's a strategy employed by previous presidents, both to leverage the prestige of office for political purposes and to offset the steep costs of presidential campaign travel with corresponding taxpayer-funded events.
Trump visited the Lima Army Tank Plant, which had been at risk for closure but is now benefiting from his administration's investments in defense spending. He also was set to hold a fundraiser for his re-election campaign in Canton.
"You better love me," he told workers. "I kept this place open."
Trump cited efforts he's taken to negotiate new trade agreements and enact tariffs to protect steel manufacturers.
He described how his administration has confronted China on its trading practices because the days of "stealing" American jobs and ideas have come to an end.
Trump's visit comes days after he railed against the closure of a General Motors plant in Lordstown, a significant contributor to the economy in the eastern part of the state.
The plant, which produced Chevrolet Cruze sedans, closed earlier this month despite bipartisan pressure on the automaker, which claimed it was responding to consumer demand for larger vehicle types.
Trump said General Motors should reopen the plant or sell it to somebody who wants it. "Get it open now, don't wait," he said.
On Sunday, Trump criticized a local union leader's handling of the closure after the leader was quoted on Fox News discussing the episode and after the president had a phone conversation with General Motors CEO Mary Barra. "Democrat [United Automobile Workers] Local 1112 President David Green ought to get his act together and produce," Trump said. He later tweeted of his conversation with Barra that "She blamed the [union]," though the company disputed the president's account.
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper blasted Trump's criticism of the United Auto Workers leader, saying, "Trump couldn't have offended more of the nerves that are at the heart of the valley than he just did."
Information for this article was contributed by Catherine Lucey, Laurie Kellman and Bill Barrow of The Associated Press; and by Alex Horton of The Washington Post.
A Section on 03/21/2019