WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – President Donald Trump spoke at a special Salute to Service at The Greenbrier on Tuesday night. It's part of the PGA tournament's new look as a military tribute event.
The president told the crowd he would be announcing a new Supreme Court nominee Monday, among a laundry list of other accomplishments.Â
President Trump spoke on a number of topics including border control, the economy and of course our nation's service men and women. A few times throughout the speech he did compare those political topics to the work that the golfers will be putting in here at a PGA event this weekend, but overall the crowd in this room received the president very well.
Tuesday night marked the president's his fifth visit to West Virginia since being elected into office.
With a number of potential topics on the table, he dove right into strengthening the border and tried to draw parallels for his golf enthused crowd.
"It's like you're liberating towns we send ICE in, and for ICE it's just another day like Phil, John and Keegan all of the guys and Bubba, like the way they play golf, they go they play," said Trump.
With tanks out on the front lawn of the resort, the president helped kick off the professional golf event now marketed as a military tribute.
Virginia Rep. Morgan Griffith, who represents the 9th District, was an invited guest and liked what he heard.
"I thought he focused well on our veterans and our military folks who were here and present for the speech and the purpose of the speech tonight, I was also pleased to hear him talking about how things are doing better in West Virginia but also in coal country which also includes the 9th District of Virginia," said Griffith.
The president stuck to his normal topics, including pointing out what he sees as the fake news media.
He also promoted the benefits of coal over pipelines.
"We always say clean coal, what they can do now is incredible with coal, clean coal exports skyrocketed by more than 60 percent nationwide and I'm so proud of that," said the president.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is a personal friend of the president's and hopes he can draw upon that to boost his state.
"When you have the ear of the White House, I can pick up the phone and call any day and he will answer and everything, or call me back, it's just unbelievable the things that we're working on all the time," said Justice.
Justice said the Greenbrier Classic's new theme, A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, is one that he wants to see stay here for the PGA event coming up in years to come. He also says he hopes to raise millions of dollars through the event to be able to give back to military across the country.