Trump's Remarks on Environmental Accomplishments for the People of Florida; Jupiter, FL; 09-08-20

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REMARKS

Remarks by President Trump on Environmental Accomplishments for the People of Florida | Jupiter, FL
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Issued on: September 8, 2020

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
Jupiter, Florida

3:01 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. And I’m thrilled to be back at the historic Jupiter Inlet. I know it very well. Don’t live very far away, as you know. The lighthouse. It’s my home state; it’s called the state of Florida, and it’s a great state. Hello, Ed. (Applause.)

{snip}

Joe Biden’s plan would destroy America’s middle class while giving a free pass to the world’s worst foreign polluters like China, Russia, India, and many others. They don’t have to clean up their lands, but we have to clean up ours.

The left’s agenda isn’t about protecting the environment, it’s about punishing America, and that’s true. Instead of focusing on radical ideology, my administration is focused on delivering real results, and that’s what we have. And we right now have the cleanest air we’ve ever had in this country, let’s say over the last 40 years — (applause) — because I assume 200 years ago is probably better. What do you think? I would say that. What do you think, fellas?

So I do want to preface that because the fake news is back there. When I say “the cleanest air we’ve ever had,” over a 40- year period, Lindsey. Is that okay? A couple of hundred years ago, I would imagine it was pretty good, right?

To safeguard our stunning coastal areas, I signed legislation authorizing $100 million to fight the red tide and toxic algae. (Applause.) And to preserve the Everglades and defend Florida from catastrophic flooding — you know about the flooding; we’ve spent a lot of money on flooding and a lot of money on hurricanes. And when you governors came to me and they said, “Can we have this? Can we have that? We need some more for the Panhandle,” they said. “We have to help the Panhandle.” I said, “Without question and without any weight. Let’s go.” Right? That’s what we said. (Applause.) You’ve never had it so easy in your life. (Laughs.)

He’d walk into my office and say, “Sir, just one more.” “How much is it going to cost?” “How about an extra billion?”

PARTICIPANT: Your staff wasn’t happy.

{snip}

THE PRESIDENT:

{snip}

As President, I’ll defend our environment. I’ll defend our workers and our cherished way of life. Last month, I signed the Great American Outdoors Act, the most significant investment in our national parks in over a century — (applause) — since Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt.

You know, they came to my office — a lot of the senators that I just introduced, and Ron, and everybody — they came to my office. They said that “This will make us and make you the number one environmental President since Teddy Roosevelt.” I said, “Huh, that sounds good.” Because I wasn’t going to do it. I figured, “You know, let’s not do it.” But when they said that, that was like a challenge. (Laughter.)

So I said, “Well, why does it only have to go back to Teddy Roosevelt, which is over 100 years? Why can’t we say from George Washington, right from the beginning?” They said, “Well, we’re not quite there yet.” But one other bill like this, we’ll will be there, Lindsey. You know that, right? (Applause.)

But it’s true: number one since Teddy Roosevelt. Who would have thought Trump is the great environmentalist? Do you hear that, Ed? Do you hear that? (Applause.) That’s good. And I am. I am. I believe strongly in it.

{snip}

To our political opponents, environmental policy is just an excuse to advance a socialist platform that will impose trillions and trillions of dollars in new taxes, and send our jobs overseas, making it impossible to open up new companies and to live less expensively.

Your energy costs would be four, five — sometimes even under scenarios, 10 times more expensive. And really, you wouldn’t even have energy.

{snip}

As long as I am President of the United States, we will conserve this wondrous national inheritance. From Key West to Key Biscayne, from Tampa to Tallahassee, from the Pensacola — beautiful Pensacola. I love Pensacola. I think it was 97 percent; that’s one of the reasons I like them. (Laughter.) They said, “How’d you do in Pensal- — Pensacola?” I said, “Was that — maybe 95, 97?” Right up there, so that helps. It’s amazing how that can help, isn’t it? Right here to Jupiter, which I know very well. And we’ll preserve this glorious land for our children, for our grandchildren, and for every generation of American to come.

And I will now sign this order. It’s an order that does so much for the state of Florida. It’s an order that I’m so proud to sign. I’ve been talking about this with Ron and with all of the people I’ve mentioned for a long time. And I said, “We want to get it done.” And this protects your beautiful gulf and your beautiful ocean, and it will for a long time to come.

So congratulations to Florida and Georgia and South Carolina and, frankly, North Carolina. But I want to just thank everybody for being here, and this is a true honor for me to sign this order. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

(The order is signed.)

Thank you very much.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody.

END

3:22 P.M. EDT