PITTSBURGH — President Donald Trump energized a crowd of boisterous supporters Wednesday afternoon — delivering the keynote address for the 2019 Shale Insight Conference.
Flanked by several dozen oil and gas workers in hard hats and yellow reflective vests, he reviewed his accomplishments and touted his agenda of America-first energy independence and jobs revitalization. His audience was 1,100-plus oil and gas industry leaders, along with a crowd of several hundred supporters — many in red — who gathered at the back of the room.
“Nobody does it better than the hardworking men and women of Marcellus shale country,” he said.
“You are making America the greatest energy superpower in the world. … American energy belongs to hardworking men and women like you who get up every day and make this country run.”
His remarks were punctuated with frequent cheers and applause, and chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!”; “Four more years!”; and “USA!”
President Trump addressed Shale Insight in 2016. At the time, he said. In 2016, then-candidate Trump, America was under assault. Drilling, mining and pipelines were all blocked by bureaucrats and regulators.
“We’re now energy independent,” he said. “Who would have thought that? You were under assault for a long period of time, but no longer.”
Trump talked about undoing various Obama-era initiatives: the Clean Power Plan, the Stream Protection Rule, American participation in the Paris Climate Accord. The accord, he said, was just a transfer of wealth to foreign nations that cause most of the world’s pollution.
“What we won’t do is punish American people while enriching foreign polluters. My job is to represent the people of Pennsylvania, not the people of Paris,” Trump said.
He was briefly interrupted by a heckler at the back of the room who shouted something unintelligible and had a white banner yanked from his hands and tossed on the floor.
“Don’t hurt him,” Trump said. As security escorted the heckler out, some supporters yelled, “This is Trump country.” Trump observed, “They’re dealing with very tough people in this room.”
But he couldn’t resist a parting dig: “Go home to Mom.”
Trump touted his policies to speed up permitting for pipelines and roads.
He cited wait times for 10, 18, 22 years for some environmental permits. “You may get rejected folks, but you’ll get it faster.”
We’ve become a net energy exporter, Trump said, with the lowest level of energy imports in 60 years. He wants to see more liquefied natural gas facilities built with American labor and American steel.
“America is wining, winning, winning again. And we’re respected again, he said.”
The previous two administrations, he said, saw 60,000 factories close. In his first 2 ½ years, more than 10,000 new ones have opened. During those two administrations, 16 years, median household income rose by $1,375. Counting his tax cuts, income during his tenure has risen $7,000.
He talked about the Shell cracker plant going up in Beaver County and one still under consideration in Ohio. His goal is to bring 100,000 energy jobs to Appalachia.
He also touched on other topics, including his wall. He teased the “fake news” in the media section, talking about the press holding him accountable for misstating facts and figures. But he also slipped once, saying he’s building a wall in Colorado.
And he campaigned a bit, criticizing the Democrat candidates’ various plans to end the use of fossil fuels and ban fracking nationwide.
“As long as I am your president, that will never ever even come close to happening, he said. “Our vision is pro-worker, pro-jobs, pro-energy, pro-family and 100% pro-American.”
