Trump celebrates US Navy’s 250th anniversary amid shutdown, turns event into ‘rally’
US president spoke to 10,000 sailors, vowing they would receive ‘every last penny’ despite the ‘Democrat-induced shutdown’
US President Donald Trump did not let the government shutdown interfere with a stop in Norfolk, Virginia on Sunday to salute the US Navy as it celebrates its 250th anniversary, using his speech to praise both the US Navy and himself.
Trump delivered remarks that by his own recognition bordered on making it more like a campaign event, generating some cheers from the crowd before closing with a recording of his theme song, “YMCA” by Village People.
US Navy planes flew overhead as the president began his speech, fuelling the crowd’s energy and prompting many of the sailors to chant “USA! USA! USA!”
The president spoke on a pier between two towering US Navy vessels, an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship. The carrier displayed a US Navy fighter jet, which had the words “President Donald J. Trump ‘45-47’” printed on the fuselage right under the cockpit window.