President Trump grapples with his umbrella after rally

A grimacing President Trump was seen battling to regain control of his umbrella as high-winds turned the canopy inside-out as he was leaving Air Force One on his return from a rowdy rally in Michigan.

The Commander-in-Chief gripped the stem of his golf-style umbrella as he walked down a flight of steps onto the runway at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland but was unable to stop it flipping over.

Aware that any attempt to rescue the situation was hopeless, Trump carried on walking with the item turned upside-down, while a pair of airman kept up their straight-faced salutes with impressive poise.

The President had touched down after a 500-mile journey from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, near to the site of his rally in Washington Township.

The rally, which deliberately coincided with the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saw Trump address a roaring crowd on issues including immigration, tax cuts and North Korea’s nuclear programme.

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President Trump gripped the stem of his golf-style umbrella as he walked down a flight of steps onto the runway at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland but was unable to stop it flipping over

The Commander-in-Chief was left with the umbrella turned inside out as the fragile metal rods holding it upright gave way in the wind

The Commander-in-Chief was left with the umbrella turned inside out as the fragile metal rods holding it upright gave way in the wind

Trump struggled to bring the umbrella under control as photographers watched on but was let down by its flimsy construction

Trump struggled to bring the umbrella under control as photographers watched on but was let down by its flimsy construction

Aware that any attempt to rescue the situation was hopeless, Trump carried on walking with the item turned upside-down, while a pair of airman kept up their straight-faced salutes with impressive poise

Aware that any attempt to rescue the situation was hopeless, Trump carried on walking with the item turned upside-down, while a pair of airman kept up their straight-faced salutes with impressive poise

The President had touched down after a 500-mile journey from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, near to the site of his rally in Washington Township

The President had touched down after a 500-mile journey from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, near to the site of his rally in Washington Township

From Andrews Air Force Base, Trump caught Marine One to the South Lawn of the White House, where he disembarked with his umbrella conspicuously absent

From Andrews Air Force Base, Trump caught Marine One to the South Lawn of the White House, where he disembarked with his umbrella conspicuously absent

Trump used his Maryland speech to lash out at Jon Tester for his criticism of ‘Great American Doctor’ Ronny Jackson.

The President branded the Democratic senator ‘disgraceful’ for derailing Jackson’s Veterans Affairs nomination and said he ‘knows things’ about him that that could scupper his bid for re-election.

‘What Jon Tester said about this man is a disgrace. I have things I could say about Tester… and if I said them he wouldn’t be elected again,’ Trump told the rowdy rally at the Total Sports Park in Washington Township.

As he has done so at similar events, the President used the two-hour speech to promote top agenda items that energize grassroots conservatives.

These included appointing conservative judges, protecting tax cuts approved by the Republican-led Congress, and reforming US immigration laws, which he branded ‘the dumbest in the world’.

Trump also took credit for having ‘everything to do’ with improved relations between North and South Korea, which were epitomized by a friendly summit between Kim Jong-un and President Moon on Friday. His own meeting with Kim will take place in three weeks, the President added, to chants of ‘Nobel, Nobel’.

Speaking before an adoring audience, which he insisted would be far larger had organizers found a bigger venue, Trump also took the chance to lash out at familiar targets. These included FBI director James Comey, with Trump saying he had done ‘everyone a favor’ by sacking him.

Trump branded Tester 'disgraceful' for derailing Jackson's Veterans Affairs nomination and claimed to 'know things' about the senator that would stop him from being re-elected during the rowdy speech at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan

Trump branded Tester ‘disgraceful’ for derailing Jackson’s Veterans Affairs nomination and claimed to ‘know things’ about the senator that would stop him from being re-elected during the rowdy speech at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan

Trump used the rally in Washington Township, Michigan, to criticize a host of familiar opponents and herald the positive impact of tax cuts 

Trump used the rally in Washington Township, Michigan, to criticize a host of familiar opponents and herald the positive impact of tax cuts 

As he has at similar events, Trump used the two-hour speech to promote top agenda items that energize grassroots conservatives

As he has at similar events, Trump used the two-hour speech to promote top agenda items that energize grassroots conservatives

Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife, was also at the event and received an enthusiastic reception from fans of the US President

Lara Trump, Eric Trump’s wife, was also at the event and received an enthusiastic reception from fans of the US President

These included appointing conservative judges, building a wall on the US-Mexico border, ending 'sanctuary cities' and protecting tax cuts approved by the Republican-led Congress: issues that went down well with the audience (pictured)

These included appointing conservative judges, building a wall on the US-Mexico border, ending ‘sanctuary cities’ and protecting tax cuts approved by the Republican-led Congress: issues that went down well with the audience (pictured)

Trump praised his supporters for coming out in their droves to the event, but quipped that organizers should have been able to find him a bigger auditorium 

Trump praised his supporters for coming out in their droves to the event, but quipped that organizers should have been able to find him a bigger auditorium 

Supporters of Donald Trump wearing Make America Great Again hats packed out the hall and cheered for much of the President's speech

Supporters of Donald Trump wearing Make America Great Again hats packed out the hall and cheered for much of the President’s speech

A supporter of President Trump wears a shirt with the work 'deplorable' - a reference to the word used to describe Trump supporters by Hillary Clinton

A supporter of President Trump wears a shirt with the work ‘deplorable’ – a reference to the word used to describe Trump supporters by Hillary Clinton

A group of children with t-shirt's spelling out Trump's name watch the President at the rally inside the sports arena in Washington, Michigan

A group of children with t-shirt’s spelling out Trump’s name watch the President at the rally inside the sports arena in Washington, Michigan

President Trump’s speech was lapped up by the fiercely partisan crowd, which included Eric Trump’s wife, Lara. Although the speech went ahead without any interruptions from protesters who often target Trump rallies, the President had to pause once when an audience member called for medical assistance. 

There were also reports of pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators clashing outside.

Here are the main subjects the President discussed during the rally:

‘DEPLORABLES V LIBERAL FAKE NEWS’ 

Trump chose a friendly venue for his rally, which not coincidentally came the same night as the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner – which he also skipped last year. 

Ahead of the rally Trump said he would rather spend the evening with ‘my favorite deplorables’ than ‘a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.’

It was a reference to During the 2016 campaign, when Clinton drew laughs when she told supporters at a private fundraiser that half of Trump supporters could be lumped into a ‘basket of deplorables’ — denouncing them as ‘racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it.’

He later added: ‘By the way, isn’t this better than that phony Washington White House correspondents’ dinner. I could be there tonight smiling like I love it when they’re hitting you. Shot after shot, these people they hate your guts.’  

 We have to have borders, and we have to have them fast, and we need security, we need the wall – we’re going to have it all…and if we don’t get border security, we’ll have no choice: We’ll close down the country.’

Trump threatens severe action is officials fail to reduce the number of migrants crossing from Mexico

Trump appeared to be looking back at the 2011 event, when the then business mogul was roasted by Barack Obama for claiming he did not have a legitimate birth certificate.

KOREA DIPLOMACY

Shouts of ‘Nobel, Nobel’ – a reference to the Nobel Peace Prize – met Trump’s claim to have engineered Friday’s historic summit between Kim Jong-un and President Moon Jae-in.

‘I had one of the fake news groups this morning. They were saying, ‘what do you think President Trump had to do with it?’ Trump said. ‘I’ll tell you what. Like, how about everything?’ 

Trump revealed that his planned meeting with Kim would take place within ‘three or four weeks’, and added that he would secure a better result than ‘John Kerry’s horrible Iran deal’. 

The President also said his South Korean counterpart had thanked him for making the summit possible in a phone call on Saturday.

It came as Seoul revealed the Kim regime plans to shut its nuclear testing site in May and reveal the process to outside experts and reoprts. 

Revealing the pledge, South Korea announced Kim Jong Un said Donald Trump will get to know the North Korean leader is ‘not a person’ to aim missiles at US.

Seoul’s presidential spokesman, Yoon Young-chan, said Mr Kim made the comments during his summit with South Korean president Moon Jae-In on Friday.

COMEY AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION 

Trump also used the rally to take aim at familiar political targets. 

This included ‘disgusting’ Jon Tester, who derailed White House doctor Ronny Jackson’s Veterans Affairs nomination by revealing claims about his professional conduct. 

Tester said Jackson was known as ‘the candy man’ for handing out controlled substances on presidential trips. This resulted in the doctor withdrawing his nomination, which Trump said five people still wanted to run for.

Trump also took aim at former FBI director James Comey. ‘I did you a great favor when I fired this guy’, he said.

In his recent book, A Higher Loyalty, Comey claimed Trump asked him to investigate the so-called Steele dossier, which included the claim that the President once cavorted with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel.

‘How about this guy Comey?’ Trump said. ‘He said the other night, the fake dirty dossier,’ Trump continued. ‘He said on Fox … very strongly, I didn’t know it was paid for by the Democrats and Hillary Clinton!’  

Trump also referred to the ongoing investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russia led by the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller. 

In particular, he mentioned Donald Trump Jr’s 2016 meeting with a group of Russians in the hope of receiving damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

One of those present, Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, has since admitted she was an informant for the Kremelin. 

But Trump dismissed the idea Veselnitskaya was an informant at the time of the meeting, and said she was only claiming that now because Putin was worried about how hard his administration was being on Russia. 

Trump also used his speech to discuss a host of other issues including immigration laws, tax cuts, the military and North Korea

Trump also used his speech to discuss a host of other issues including immigration laws, tax cuts, the military and North Korea

Trump claimed to have done 'everything' to secure better relations and said Moon had acknowledge that in a phone call on Saturday morning

Trump claimed to have done ‘everything’ to secure better relations and said Moon had acknowledge that in a phone call on Saturday morning

Ronna Romney McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee, waves at President Donald Trump campaign rally in Washington Township

Ronna Romney McDaniel, Chair of the Republican National Committee, waves at President Donald Trump campaign rally in Washington Township

Donald Trump walks on stage during a rally at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan, which was packed out with screaming supporters

Donald Trump walks on stage during a rally at Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan, which was packed out with screaming supporters

The President's speech was punctuated by shouts of 'USA USA' and choruses of boos when he attacked familiar targets

The President’s speech was punctuated by shouts of ‘USA USA’ and choruses of boos when he attacked familiar targets

The theatrical rally was intended to take focus away from the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which was taking place at the same time  

The theatrical rally was intended to take focus away from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was taking place at the same time  

Trump also used the rally to mock familiar political targets, including former FBI director James Comey. 'I did you a great favor when I fired this guy', he said

Trump also used the rally to mock familiar political targets, including former FBI director James Comey. ‘I did you a great favor when I fired this guy’, he said

Advisor Corey Lewandowski stands with US President Donald Trump during the Make America Great Again Rally in Michigan

Advisor Corey Lewandowski stands with US President Donald Trump during the Make America Great Again Rally in Michigan

IMMIGRATION

The issue of immigration featured heavily in the speech, with Trump threatening to shut down the federal government in September if Congress did not provide more funding to build a wall on the border with Mexico.

‘That wall has started, we have 1.6 billion (dollars),’ Trump said. 

‘We have to have borders, and we have to have them fast, and we need security, we need the wall – we’re going to have it all…and if we don’t get border security, we’ll have no choice: We’ll close down the country.’ 

Trump made a similar threat in March to push for changes in immigration law that he says would prevent criminals from entering the country. The government briefly shut down in January over immigration.

A $1.3 trillion spending bill, which Trump signed last month, will keep the government funded through the end of September. 

I did a great favor when I fired this guy. 

Trump discussing his dismissal of former FBI director James Comey 

A government shutdown ahead of the November mid-elections is unlikely to be supported by his fellow Republicans who are keen to keep control of the U.S. Congress.

Trump cited the hundreds of Central American migrants traveling in a ‘caravan’ as one of the reasons for strong border security.

‘Watch the caravan, watch how sad and terrible it is, including for those people and the crime that they inflict on themselves and that others inflict on them,’ said Trump.

‘It’s a horrible dangerous journey for them and they come up because they know once they can get here they can walk right into our country.’

Migrants, who include women and children, have said they fled their homes in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras because of death threats from gangs, the murder of family members or political persecution.

Trump applauds the crowd during his rally in Michigan, where the stage was decked with a series of giant Stars and Stripes

Trump applauds the crowd during his rally in Michigan, where the stage was decked with a series of giant Stars and Stripes

 Trump was keen to point out how pleased he was to be speaking to a rally of supporters rather than being among the 'liberal fake news media' in Washington

 Trump was keen to point out how pleased he was to be speaking to a rally of supporters rather than being among the ‘liberal fake news media’ in Washington

Although the speech went ahead without any interruptions from protesters who often target Trump rallies, the President had to pause once when an audience member called for medical assistance

Although the speech went ahead without any interruptions from protesters who often target Trump rallies, the President had to pause once when an audience member called for medical assistance

Trump chose a friendly venue for his rally, which not coincidentally came the same night as the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner

Trump chose a friendly venue for his rally, which not coincidentally came the same night as the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Ahead of the rally Trump said in a fundraising pitch that he had come up with something better than being stuck in a room 'with a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.' He said he would rather spend the evening 'with my favorite deplorables.' Pictured: Trump supporters outside Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan

Ahead of the rally Trump said in a fundraising pitch that he had come up with something better than being stuck in a room ‘with a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.’ He said he would rather spend the evening ‘with my favorite deplorables.’ Pictured: Trump supporters outside Total Sports Park in Washington, Michigan

During the 2016 campaign, Clinton drew laughs when she told supporters at a private fundraiser that half of Trump supporters could be lumped into a 'basket of deplorables'

During the 2016 campaign, Clinton drew laughs when she told supporters at a private fundraiser that half of Trump supporters could be lumped into a ‘basket of deplorables’

A supporter holds up a 'Drain the Swamp' sign before President Trump arrived to speak at the Make America Great Again Rally in Michigan

A supporter holds up a ‘Drain the Swamp’ sign before President Trump arrived to speak at the Make America Great Again Rally in Michigan

Trump also used concerns about immigration to issue a rallying cry ahead of the midterm elections, saying a vote for the Democrats would be a vote for 'open borders and crime'

Trump also used concerns about immigration to issue a rallying cry ahead of the midterm elections, saying a vote for the Democrats would be a vote for ‘open borders and crime’

Ahead of the rally Trump said he would rather spend the evening with 'my favorite deplorables' than 'a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.' Pictured: A protester holds up an anti-CNN sign

Ahead of the rally Trump said he would rather spend the evening with ‘my favorite deplorables’ than ‘a bunch of fake news liberals who hate me.’ Pictured: A protester holds up an anti-CNN sign

DEFEATING DEMOCRATS IN THE MIDTERMS

Trump also used concerns about immigration to issue a rallying cry ahead of the midterm elections, saying a vote for the Democrats would be a vote for ‘open borders and crime’. 

He repeatedly pointed to Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan as one of the Democrats who needed to be voted out.

After saying Stabenow was standing in the way of protecting U.S. borders and had voted against tax cuts, Trump said: ‘And you people just keep putting her back again and again and again. It’s your fault.’

However, he claimed to be confident about the GOP’s prospects for Congress, adding: ‘We gotta win the House. And you know what? We’re going to win anyway. We’re going to win the House.’

Macomb County, the site of Trump’s rally, is among the predominantly white counties known as a base for ‘Reagan Democrats’ — blue-collar voters who abandoned the Democratic Party for Ronald Reagan, but who can be intriguingly movable.

Democrat Barack Obama won the county twice in his White House runs, then Trump carried it by more than 11 percentage points. 

The President was keen to remind the crowd of his achievement, telling them: ‘I’d much rather be in Washington, Michigan, than in Washington DC right now, that I can tell you. Great people, thank you for that incredible support.’

He was also full of praise for one high-profile supporter, discussing his recent Twitter bromance with Kanye West, which saw the pair exchange adoring messages.

Trump said the rapper ‘gets it’ and heralded reduced unemployment rates among African-Americans. 

He proceeded this comment by asking ‘any Hispanics in the room’, before adding when he was met with relative silence, ‘No, not so many? That’s ok.’  

Jon Tester

Ronny Jackson

Trump earlier called for Tester (left) to resign after he alleged the president’s pick for Secretary of Veterans Affairs (right) had a dubious record of prescribing and drunk driving

The President, dressed in his signature dark suit and long red tie, was seen walking down the steps of Air Force One at Selfridge Air National Guard Base before fist-pumping the air

The President, dressed in his signature dark suit and long red tie, was seen walking down the steps of Air Force One at Selfridge Air National Guard Base before fist-pumping the air

The President was competing for airtime with the White House correspondents' dinner in Washington, which Scion Kelly is seen attending alongside Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg

The President was competing for airtime with the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, which Scion Kelly is seen attending alongside Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg

Former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman arrives in style at the WHCA dinner

Former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman arrives in style at the WHCA dinner

Former Trump advisor Omarosa Manigault-Newman arrives in style at the White House Correspondents’ dinner

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer looked dapper in tux and tie as he arrived on the red carpet

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer looked dapper in tux and tie as he arrived on the red carpet

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer looked dapper in tux and tie as he arrived on the red carpet at the dinner

Sally Priebus (L) and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus

Lisa Pevaroff-Cohn (L) and former White House chief economic advisor Gary Cohn

Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus (left) and Trump’s former chief economic advisor Gary Cohn (right) both attended the White House Correspondents’ dinner with their wives Sally and Lisa respectively



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