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US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) claimed that the United States had become the world's largest supplier of oil and natural gas, crediting his administration's energy policies and increased domestic production, as he highlighted his government's record in his final campaign pitch ahead of the US midterm elections.
Speaking at the reopening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at the National Mall, Trump touted his administration's "drill, baby, drill" pledge and claimed that the United States, together with Venezuela, accounted for nearly half of the world's oil reserves. Drill, baby, drill is Trump's push to expand domestic oil and natural gas production by easing regulations and increasing drilling. "When you add just Venezuela and the United States, we have almost 50% of the world's oil. We have more than Saudi Arabia and Russia, by far, put together," Trump said. He also claimed that the US had secured a significant advantage in global energy supplies through its access to Venezuelan and Greenland resources, while criticising the previous administration's approach to climate and energy policies. Moving to the economy, Trump claimed that personal incomes in the US had reached their highest levels in history, while poverty had fallen to a record low. He also said American exports were at an all-time high and employment had reached its highest level. "Personal incomes are the highest in history. The poverty rate is at an all-time record low, meaning goodbest poverty rate we've had ever in history. Best personal incomes we've had ever in history. American exports are at an all-time high, and more people are working today than at any point in the history of our country," he said. Touting his administration's record on border security and taxation, Trump claimed that the country had its most secure border and had introduced the largest tax cuts in its history. "We have a most secure border in our history. We have the largest tax cuts in our history," he said. Urging voters to support Republican candidates, Trump described the November 3 elections as the "most important midterm" of his lifetime and accused Democrats of fielding what he called the most extreme slate of candidates in American history. "The Democrat Party has nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history," he said, accusing the opposition of pursuing a "radical agenda" that included open borders, higher taxes, ending oil and natural gas production and restrictions on the Second Amendment. Trump also reiterated his position on Iran's nuclear programme, saying the United States would not allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons. "We're not going to allow Iran ever to have a nuclear weapon, and they understand that," he said. Taking aim at Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Trump alleged that the candidate had described the United States as the "House of Satan" and criticised reports concerning his campaign's signature-gathering efforts at mosques. "They call it the House of Satan, and we change that. We call the United States 'the House of God'," Trump said, adding that "a party that hates America cannot be allowed to rule over the people who built our country." The US President also highlighted what he described as improvements in Washington DC, claiming that crime had fallen by close to 90 per cent and that 83 statues and fountains across the city had been repaired. Announcing the reopening of the renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump praised the Department of the Interior for its work and took aim at previous administrations over what he described as the neglect of the US capital. "While past Administrations tore down statues, allowed thugs and murderers to run wild, and let our capital fall into shameful disrepair, we're treating our capital city with the love and the honour that it deserves. We respect it," he said. Trump also joked about renaming the historic landmark the "Trump Reflecting Pool" before clarifying that he was not serious. Earlier, Trump told The New York Post's Miranda Devine on the 'Pod Force One' podcast that he would like to run for another presidential term if given the opportunity, while acknowledging the constitutional restrictions under the 22nd Amendment. "I'd love to run again if I had the chance, but the language is very exacting," he said. The November 3 midterm elections will determine control of both chambers of the US Congress, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats up for election. Democrats need a net gain of three seats in the House and four in the Senate to secure majorities in the respective chambers. (ANI)
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