Trump says Saudi prince told him US went from 'dead country' to 'the hottest country' at Texas rally
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: On Friday, February 27, President Donald Trump reflected on remarks he said were made by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to the White House last November.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, Trump addressed dock workers, using the platform to also promote his economic agenda. He pointed to job creation and revenue growth while highlighting falling gas prices and expanded oil and natural gas production as key achievements of his policies.
Trump recalls MBS calling US ‘hottest country’
Delivering his speech at the Port of Corpus Christi, Trump stood before a backdrop of oil tankers in the Gulf of America, and contrasted his administration’s economic record with that of the previous administration.
He said, “In four long years, the last administration got less than $1 trillion, So $1 trillion less, much less, of new investment came into the country. In less than 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion.”
He urged the audience to consider the scale of the difference, “For four years, much less than $1 trillion. Less than one year, more than $18 trillion. I would say that’s the difference between making America great again and making America a major loser.”
Trump said that during a trip last year, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia told him, “two years ago, you were a dead country. Now you have the hottest country anywhere in the world, can you imagine?” He also added that he had announced investment's of $2 trillion in the US.
Highlighting financial market gains, Trump stated that the stock market had hit 53 all-time record highs since the election, adding trillions of dollars in value to Americans’ pensions, 401(k)s, and retirement accounts.
He said, “My 401k has gone through the roof, Has anybody gone down with their 401k? Because if you do, you’re a loser.”
Trump on retirement savings and tax cuts
Trump dismissed critics who argue the stock market does not matter, “You hear these radical lunatics say, the stock market doesn’t matter. What does matter? Because they have 401ks. They have investments. They buy stocks without 401ks. It matters a lot.”
Trump added that the Dow surpassed 50,000 and the S&P reached 7,000 during his first year, “They said when I got elected, if I could beat 50,000 by the end of my fourth year, it would be a tremendous miracle. And we then hit 7,000 on the S&P. They said there’s no way that could be done. I did them both by the end of my first year. Not my fourth year, my first year.”
Trump also announced a new retirement savings initiative. “To help ensure that all Americans share in the gains from the rising stock market, I announced on Tuesday night that any worker whose employer does not provide matching contributions to a retirement account, my administration will begin matching your retirement savings with up to $1,000 a year,” he said.
He further referenced the passage of what he described as the “great, big beautiful bill,” calling it “basically the great, big, beautiful tax cut bill, if you really want to look at it. Probably a more accurate name.”
Trump added that every parent can activate all of their children’s accounts under the legislation, emphasizing what he described as broad-based financial benefits for American families.
