Donald Trump, the controversial Republican presidential frontrunner, blamed India for taking away jobs from Americans, pledging to bring them back if elected president even as the ‘Trump mania’ appeared to have picked up in the US ahead of “Super Tuesday” showdown.
The 69-year-old real estate tycoon who became a politician only last summer has been drawing crowds of thousands across the country. He hoped to “seal the deal”, coming Tuesday by winning Republican primary in all the 11 states.
Addressing a crowd of roughly 5,000 people, large by US standards, inside the hanger of a local airport in Tennessee, Trump sold the dream of “making America great again” by promising to bring back jobs from countries like India, China, Japan and Mexico, building the wall on US-Mexico border, “knocking the hell out ISIS”, and repealing and replacing Obama care.
Every promise of his drew a thunderous applause with people cheering “USA, USA” and “Trump, Trump”.
People lapped on to every word he said from the makeshift stage with his Trump plane in the background.
Trump had earlier added India to the list of countries that he believes is taking away jobs from the US.
What I did on June 16, we came out and we started talking about trade, how we’re being ripped off with China, ripped off with Japan, ripped off with Mexico at the border and then trade, ripped off by Vietnam, and by India, and by every country.Donald Trump, Republican Presidential frontrunner
Trump has been regularly singling out China, Japan and Mexico and occasionally Vietnam for taking away American jobs.
“They are taking our jobs. China is taking our jobs. Japan is taking our jobs. India is taking our jobs. It is not going to happen anymore, folks!” Trump told to thunderous applause from the audience.
Tennessee has around 25,000 Indian-Americans, majority of them living around Nashville and Memphis, which has one of the oldest Hindu temples built some 20 years ago.
One of his die-hard supporters, Mark, who works in the IT sector was of the view that Indian-Americans are not taking away the jobs in his sector.
“They bring in quality and diversity,” he said, displaying a banner which read Trump supporters are silent majority.
Latest polls indicate that Trump is leading in 10 of the 11 states, except for Texas where he is giving a tough fight to his main rival and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.