US will be world's premier pharmacy drug store and medical manufacturer: Trump

Observing that he will continue to fight for US autoworkers as it rebuilds the economic strength, Trump said that his strategy is for a phased and responsible reopening that protects high-risk American lives from the virus while allowing those at lower risk, such as young healthy people.

Washington: The COVID-19 pandemic has proven once and for all that to be a strong nation, America must be a manufacturing nation, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday declaring the goal of making his country the world's premier pharmacy, drug store, and medical manufacturer.

"The global pandemic has proven once and for all that to be a strong nation, America must be a manufacturing nation... Today, I'm declaring a simple but vital national goal. The United States will be the world's premier pharmacy, drug store, and medical manufacturer. We are bringing our medicines back, he said in Michigan.

"The United States, he said, must produce critical equipment, supplies, pharmaceuticals, technologies for itself. We cannot rely on foreign nations to take care of us, especially in times of difficulty," he said.

"In previous decades, he alleged, politicians shipped away jobs, outsourced supply chains and offshored industries. They sent them abroad and we're bringing them back and we've been doing that long before this crisis. We're bringing them back. That's why we have so many plants being built all over the United States that make a beautiful product called cars. Bringing them back. You see it," he said.

In his speech, Trump spoke on a number of political topics only tangentially or not at all related to the coronavirus manufacturing, trade, his 'Buy American' initiative, "America First" mantra and, while asking union members why they continue to support Democrats.

Observing that he will continue to fight for US autoworkers as it rebuilds the economic strength, Trump said that his strategy is for a phased and responsible reopening that protects high-risk American lives from the virus while allowing those at lower risk, such as young healthy people.

"A permanent lockdown is not a strategy for a healthy state, for a healthy country. Our country wasn't meant to be shut down. We did the right thing, but now it's time to open it up. A never-ending lockdown would invite a public health calamity," Trump said.

"To protect the health of our people, we must have a functioning economy. And as I said, and I'll say it a hundred times, we're going to have an incredible near next year right at the beginning. Even our fourth quarter is going to be very good. There's a tremendous pent-up demand, and that includes for your cars," he said.

"Americans who need and want to return to work should not be vilified. They should be supported, he asserted. Unlike many politicians and journalists, for those who are not living with their own two hands, working remotely is just not an option. You don't have the option of doing that. Our plan emphasizes safety and protection for returning employees," he said.

Trump commended Ford along with General Motors, General Electric, Fiat Chrysler, and so many other companies, a lot of them in the Michigan area, for blazing a trail to safely restart America's economic engines.

"You are demonstrating that we can open our country while taking precautions like social distancing, daily medical screenings, strict hygiene. You can get tremendous numbers of very quick temperature checks. Whoever heard the aim a camera right there in two seconds later they tell your temperature more accurately than the old days when you put it under your tongue for two and a half minutes. This is a little better. But you get temperature checks," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)