President Trump used a trip to promote American manufacturing in the midwest to savage his predecessor on trade and international diplomacy.

President Trump was on a manufacturing tour Thursday afternoon in Illinois, touting his administration’s policies on trade and manufacturing. The president held a rally at the recently reopened Granite City Works Steel Coil Warehouse in Granite City, Illinois. His wide ranging speech touched on a number of issues where Trump contrasted his administration with former President Obama’s.

Trump began by describing what Obama told him about his relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. He said, “When I met with President Obama, it sounded like he was ready to go to war with North Korea,” Trump said, “Sounded like he was ready to go to war.”

The president continued, “I said, ‘Did you ever speak to him?'” Trump said the answer was “No.” Trump continued, “I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to speak to him? Did you ever speak to him?’ ‘No.’ But it sounded to me — respectfully, like he was ready to go to war.”

Trump described how war with Korea would cost many American and Korean lives.

“Who knows ultimately what will happen, but for nine months, no nuclear tests, no rockets going up, no missiles going over Japan. We got our three hostages back and we did pay anything,” Trump said to thunderous applause, “They’ve already blown up nuclear areas. They took down the propaganda that was all over North Korea, signs, music, all of this stuff taken down. It’s gone.”

Trump concluded, “Making a lot of progress. But if you read the papers, you wouldn’t understand that. You don’t get the real view from the fake news media.”

Trump’s historic June summit was the first between the American and North Korean leaders.

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