Trump visits Baltimore County for multi-billion dollar deal, protesters vocalize opinions
By Morgan Lane, Editor-in-Chief
President Donald Trump visited Baltimore County on Tuesday to announce a multi-billion dollar investment toward American defense and shipbuilding.
Trump spoke at Tradepoint Atlantic, a global logistics center that sits on over 3,000 acres in Sparrows Point. Defense technology company Anduril Industries is investing $3.7 billion into the shipyard project, called Arsenal-2.
The project will bring 3,100 jobs to Americans by 2034, the largest Maryland job creation in over a decade, according to Anduril’s website.
The facility was originally named the Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard, a national producer for steel from 1887 until 1995. At its peak in the 1950s, the steel mill employed 30,000 people.
About 200 yards away from the Tradepoint perimeter, protesters– both for and against Trump and his plans for the industrial site– lined Bethlehem Boulevard to vocalize their opinions.
The Peoples Power Assembly organized the Trump out of Baltimore protest, while the pro-Trump protesters did not have a specified coordinator.
“We need to also combat the polluter-in-chief,” said Dustin Branch, the Baltimore Coordinator with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked and cancelled wind projects that would help lower our skyrocketing energy bills, and we need to stand up, fight back and be heard right now.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore was originally scheduled to speak at the event, but Trump blocked him from speaking.
According to one of the governor’s spokespersons, Moore is “proud to welcome Anduril to Baltimore County,” and that thousands of permanent jobs will come out of the investment.
Moore did not attend the event.
“I seriously doubt that he wanted to speak at that convention. It’s like walking into a lion’s den for him,” said Baltimore resident Andre Powell. “They don’t want to hear what Wes Moore has to say.”
On the other end of the road, Pro-Trump advocates waited to see if president’s motorcade would drive past the protesting site.
“I think it’s 100% terrific,” said pro-Trump advocate Bobby Berger. “He’s gonna put 8,000 jobs back down on this port, which means a lot for the community.”
Jonathan Jelks, the president of the Chesapeake Youth Republican Club, said he attended the protest because he views many of the state’s policies as bipartisan issues.
“Remember why you’re there: the people,” he said, referring to Trump. “The people voted you in.”