Democratic presidential candidate and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said that when he thinks about the severity of climate change and the possibilities for action, his mind veers toward the state of Iowa.

Inslee, 68, took the stage of the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Saturday morning, drawing applause from a large crowd as he talked about prioritizing climate change and removing Republican leadership from the White House.

"I think it is time to remove a climate change denier from the White House and put someone in who will defeat climate change," Inslee said.

While addressing fairgoers on the main concourse of the Iowa State Fair, Inslee said there were three Iowans he wanted to talk about when it came to climate change and its impacts.

While campaigning through Iowa in May, Inslee stopped in Davenport after the city's temporary flood barrier gave way and allowed historic flooding into the city's downtown district. The event shut down businesses as people like Regina Haddock, the former president of Dress for Success in Davenport, scrambled to salvage merchandise.

► More:Watch Jay Inslee's full speech at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox

► Soapbox season: Complete coverage of every presidential candidate's appearance at the 2019 Iowa State Fair

Dress for Success assists women in need with professional clothing for the workplace. Inslee said Haddock cried as she showed him the damage to her store.

"Her non-profit, because they weren't insured, lost everything," Inslee said. "When I saw those tears of a dream deferred against a flood that has now so affected the Midwest, I came to believe we've got to do something about the climate crisis."

Looking to future innovations, Inslee cited one of Iowa's most famous names: Norman Borlaug.

Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize winner known as the "father of the Green Revolution," developed a wheat plant that helped save millions from starvation.

But Inslee said it's time to go for a different type of movement — one in which the U.S. is a global leader in initiatives like renewable energy, clean cars and energy storage.

"That spirit now tells us we need a new, green revolution."

Inslee then referenced "Dave," a Des Moines Area Community College student in the school's wind turbine technician program.

When he asked Dave why he was involved in the program at the Ankeny campus, Inslee said he responded, "'Well, duh, this is the future.'"

"He understood jobs and we Democrats understand jobs," Inslee said, referencing his plan to create millions of clean energy jobs.

Beyond climate change, Inslee acknowledged current events, including the recent mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. He also talked about the divisive culture he said President Donald Trump has created.

"It's time to get a white nationalist out of the White House," Inslee said of Trump.

Inslee also took questions from the crowd and covered an array of topics, including immigration, child care, and disability rights in Iowa.

"I'm not a one-trick pony," he said.

Linh Ta covers news, business and politics for the Register. Reach her at lta@dmreg.com or 515-284-8198.

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