This is the w. News live from berlin im brian thomas for the entire team here thanks so much for joining us well see you again next on. The. Story spread the world over information. Opinions they want to express g. W. On facebook and twitter up to date and in touch and follow us. Do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States also this president of the United States oh how. I was a correspondent in washington when donald trump took his oath of office. More than two months had passed since his election which seemed to come Out Of The Blue both for american and european journalists. To know which official donald trump did it herself. Yes big surprise for everyone probably even for himself. In the meantime Fact Checkers have
exposed thousands of lies told by donald trump get that does not seem to bother his supporters indeed and apparently outrageous claim he once made on the Campaign Trail could actually be true i have the most loyal people did you ever see that where i could stand in the middle if if they have a new and shoot somebody and i wouldnt lose any voters ok its like incredible the Trump Phenomenon to begin with. Is the dissolved thing of any objective reality in our politics central to donald trump is the big lie. Thats why you see the ethics. Of history just two years after trumps election triumph i am back in the u. S. To investigate the apparently unshakeable alliance between trump and his supporters i drive through the midwest fly over country as the americans call it the journey
takes us through small towns and agricultural regions with largely white populations. These constituencies once back to rock obama. In Two Thousand And Sixteen donald trump conquered nearly all of them. Were turned in west virginia. Once home to one of the biggest steel mills in the world it used to employ Fourteen Thousand workers now they barely count seven hundred. The rundown industrial towns of the rust belt are home to the forgotten man and women as donald trump called them. He promised to give them a voice. The former steel worker john both shows us some of the signs of decay. This is called movie theater. Building closed. Ok see it is the downtown see how close starts to get one industry went twenty seven years ago. So but its reviving now to start a comeback. I was in weirton at the beginning of last year shortly after Donald Trumps president ial inauguration there was hope that things would start looking up under the new president. The mayor of the town predicted that trying to restore the u. S. To its rightful place as number one in the world we ask how he feels about it twenty months later. I did support the support of
a trump even the union guys are no theyre all still they are you know i can see calls that what it is you know no its. Excuse my language i hear all right all that bad stuff i said. But. Then you really know where hes coming from. He doesnt have a political agenda i dont believe he really wants to make the cover of this country great again. There are some signs of progress the company has bought a large part of the old steel mill complex and is demolishing it with a view to setting up a modern industrial park. More than one hundred workers were hired in we are two and in recent months that may be a far cry from the towns glory days but these are the first new industrial jobs
here for more than twenty years. I arranged to meet an acquaintance at the headquarters of the local steel union. Hi mike good to see you again thank you as well thanks for having me in Two Thousand And Sixteen against the advice of his superiors union leader mark clipped as endorsed donald trump in an interview last year he promised golden times for we are. Im expecting. Many jobs that are going to be family sustaining jobs and we could be one of the biggest growth areas in the in the in the east so very optimistic i think good times are ahead for this area it is slower than they had hoped that things are going to come. I think theres any doubt that. Were still no was in the plan has been sold is going to be developed to do things to sustain jobs. In the meantime President Trump has imposed tariffs on steel and
aluminum imports mark glib just sees it as the only way to tackle unfair. Their Business Practices in china and other countries he blames for the downfall of u. S. Industry. Fifty bankruptcies didnt occur because Fifty Companies were mismanaged their career because the government turned their back on america and its workers both democrats and republicans i was never afraid of a trade war and we were the greatest country in the war world and you see people talk im im afraid of a trade war i dont want to trade war however i wanted to be fair. The head of the Congressional Elections donald trump has gone to battle again. And its just like two years ago wherever he makes an Appearance Thousands flocked to see him. In. His missouri this last year really to. Play expecting to. Hear. The words. Nothing. Thank you. Just like the demonstrative projection of the media and the appeal to make America Great again the small band of counterdemonstrators is part of the ritual. Donald trump is not on the ballot but its all about him. That. Nobody shows up and everybody comes complacent. So we need to show up and let them know that were still out here and we still dont agree with them and never willing to do something that. Some people are
calling the midterms a referendum on trumps presidency supporters meanwhile are already working toward his reelection in two years time. Yeah well you know i support the president but i supported trent before he was president but thats why i got in the business was because it was trumped so had it been like being car santa take various problems and its a pride in the country you know we have country we have borders. And this is you know a true change to you we went from zero zero President Obama who was you know all boys on board he was pushing now weve come back and the focus has been on the citizens of the United States. So. Thats why all these people are here is because they feel their Voice Matters that. You are making america. Jobs are up taxes are down defense are strong again hes working hard on crime hes showing all the things that we put him in office to do. That by the way he got thousands of people outside and you have thousands of people who i just saw it a lovely room but i said next time you have to get here a couple of days earlier i. Trump is a is a very charismatic figure he has great skill is as a showman and as an entertainer and he feels things into the anxiety of a Certain Group of americans who believe the country is passing them by and this is no longer the america that they know and love that america is being undermined
by Illegal Immigrants by gays and lesbians by. Minorities demanding Special Privileges and trump is not a conservative he is a reactionary he is a throwback to an earlier time and that appeals greatly to this largely white older segment of the population. Donald trump doesnt just mobilize his supporters he mobilizes his opponents to revisit do buke iowa a typical small town in towns like this and the Outer Boroughs of cities trump ruled the roost in Two Thousand And Sixteen but the pendulum may be swinging in the opposite direction surveyed say women especially are turning away from the president. We visit Lindsay Chambers was entered politics
herself. The trigger for her came on the day after trumps election victory. I mean. Do we have to build a wall. So that career talking about your to the next president was what was it you were concerned. Other people just coming to a state. I often say that kids are most important responsibility in our most precious resources so really you know i knew in that moment when to me asked me whether or not we needed to build a wall that was when i knew that i needed to do something more and so that was what activated me to run for the seat. What do you think about mom running now. You know. Im going. To muse my best supporter for you. And luke is a realistic in the family. Keeps me grounded and right. James is running for a seat in the iowa house of representatives. Never before have democrats in the state been able to recruit so many women for politics. In a documentary i have bad and. Utterly moved by the amount of women who have you know stepped up and said we are not going to stay silent there are protests that happened you know womens marches around the country that are you know showing that women are awake and theyre activated and they are going to you know push an advocate for doing what is good and right and just for for women but for everyone so i am really proud of being a part of that we see that in
a local level that organizations and you know the people the activists are coming out they are led by women and six of the main goals is to get out the vote for the democrats. Alone. You know i would you would mobilizing women against donald trump shouldnt be too difficult hes repeatedly made sexist remarks about women the right of the me to movement and bragged about committing sexual abuse years before he became president and then later on. In the deeds. But signing up to vote is one thing how people actually vote is another you voted republican three years ago yeah donald trump wife. Just the last one and would you vote for him again. Yeah yeah. Thank you. The women that i talk to who will still defend. You know trump as president has more to do with the decisions that hes making as opposed to the content of his character now i think that thats horrifying to me because i want the leaders of our country to be. Leaders of incredible integrity so its really disappointing for me. And i think it does. Push an oppressed women you know even more and i think grateful that their women stayed up saying no we wont allow that for that. In. Washington d. C. The center of power in america this selfstyled antiestablishment man donald trump
said he would shake up congress from the white house now he has to be seen on capitol hill more often the republican majority in congress which was initially against him does not dare to challenge the winner especially at election time. A tax reform mainly favoring businesses and the wealthy is the trumpet ministrations model project. But one of the forgotten Men And Women. Nothing the tax cuts are going to help the forgotten Men And Women deregulation is not going to help the forgotten Men And Women yes unemployment is low when jobs are being created but thats been true for many many years this is not a trend unique to the Trump Administration and real. Wages but really helps the forgotten people have been pretty much stagnant. Its a big day in cascade iowa. Theres an auction on at the local beef market. Farmers here have always been grass roots republican voters. We want to know whether that still applies now that the Trade Dispute with china is dividing. The auctioneers efforts to drive the price up meat with limited success the prices for the calves are pretty low but there is no guarantee that raising them will be a profitable venture. Many of the farmers here prefer to sit back and watch his trump to blame for their financial doldrums he needs to do something to help. The team do oh. I dont know regulate the prices
a woman like other countries. Did you vote for. Here which. China has imposed tariffs on Agricultural Products in retaliation for trumps trade restrictions now there is not enough demand to meet supply. Its hard to make it ever you get by but you know youre going to get rejected that way sometimes you break even sometimes you know audie by the way right here and. There were injured it during the pour it in for is what boils down to. But he promised Something Different and he said hes going to tackle the well they make them pay more taxes but actually he i dont like it. I dont like it actually going to im sure if you. The beef action yielded some ten percent less than the previous one just
a few months ago still the head of the Auction House says trump is on the right track i mean i guess we just. For the longest time just kind of did whatever they said and then. We got. Donald trump and there is just nothing is enough and. I mean what comes around goes around i guess you know so it will be rough for the next few years but i think once once it comes around itll be really good for. New york though Donald Trumps native city did not elect him. The people in this overwhelmingly democratic city have a little more in common with those in the midwest than their mutual mistrust. The austrian Investment Consultant hands christiane has been working in new yorks financial district for more than twenty years even here donald trump was not the
favorite candidate for president but after the election wall street went from strength to strength. We dont accomplish when trump actually won i slept rather badly but then the market went up because the stock market is not stupid they immediately started what mr trump said. Made three promises. To tax cuts a trillion Dollar Investment in infrastructure. And deregulation first look to work with the and thats want drove the markets out that was exactly winning back the following day given that. With trumps Trade Disputes causing concerns wall street has been aware your place in recent weeks. It seems investors havent quite gotten used to surprises. From the white house after all. If. On get out of and with trump you dont know what will happen know what he will say
from one day to the next if you cant sleep for fear of his slip ups then you have invested badly in my opinion you have not diversified your portfolio enough Police Department always happen and its only a question of time before the next one comes. Is not if i can say that i was. In washington from recently had to defend the reputation of his nominee for the Supreme CourtBrett Kavanaugh. He was accused by a woman of attempted rape decades ago when she was fifteen and he eighteen. Donald trump who has himself been accused of Sexual Assault by several women went on the counter offensive. People. Just democrats. I have been trying to destroy judge Brett Kavanaugh since. The very
first second he was announced and he was announced for one simple reason he is an incredible intellect and incredible person and incredible power there are. Most of the people here are not the losers of globalization many of them are from the relatively well off middle classes. What unites them is an aversion to Political Correctness the coastal elites and the conviction that their man is a straight shooter really most time supporters regard allegations of collusion with russia for hush money to cover up affairs as politically motivated. Her the way hes speaking about women. Is the first thing i am at her and. Im. Kind of same thing you met your wife when its just on laugh you too hot dog
its ok. If. Men versus women and men are more talking. If it doesnt happen everything i know its wrong bad things happen like. Happens every day. But. Even if you supported me my serving our country yeah like i said look all these people who. Support what hes doing to make our country better. Back in iowa. Dont know why when the Democrats Campaign had. Borders interview Lindsay James rallies are mostly female support. They plan one last push to get out the vote. Especially the female vote. This is everything to set it right
i dont know. One of the biggest goals is to reverse the republican majority in congress. That would do a lot to reduce the president s ability to fulfill his electoral promises and legislative. And the like to the fellow at last. Its always encouraging to see many faces thank you for being here. But if you think so yes i know so were going nowhere so you know so were working for are doing that is what was said two years ago this is different now theres theres women coming out of the woodwork that never campaigned before and if we were talking about these alleged healthiness and theyre saying no were going to vote democrat this time so you never heard that much before. For some activists mobilizing the electorate is the only way to defeat trunk. This is so important. To many people that cant be bothered and you look at the number of people who did not vote in the last election theyre the ones that elect them i am grateful that you are in this with me and Lindsey James and her supporters are convinced that they are on the path to victory. And that their approach is a right just one. I am surrounded by people who are you know cheering on Women Leaders and cheering on democrats across up and down the ballot who are seen the importance of being involved in our political systems and structures and i think people are recognizing that democracy is at stake and the Freedom Of The Press is at stake and Womens Rights are at stake and our kids are sick. For a different angle we go back to the steel town of beer to him in west virginia. The oldest bar in town used to be a busy place the drinkers here now are all regulars who have been coming here for years many of them used to come in here for a drink after their shifts at the mill. Were not forgotten were put away. By her they dont want nothing to do with anybody what is going on all of the others who have got all the coal mines that they were going down or conquer and that. The men here acknowledge that even trump wont be able to bring back the glory days but they say he is on their side nonetheless. I believe he looks out for the people. I mean if you think about it the man did not have to run for presidency. The far as im concerned. Is more money than what you could shake a stick at and he is faced trying to help out to the country hes looking out for the country i know a lot of people dont believe that but thats my opinion and im a democrat and im saying that i am a crash. Because youre supposed to work with private you got to present requests to work with them. I mean there. Were to how long youve been married to your. Pretty close to two years. They havent done anything. Anything but. So frank opposing the president is unamerican he says it wouldnt have happened in the past. Or it may very. Well matter go was great. But it will not get great again yet grade why not come in with a lot of very. Great again that was the bridge before. Why greg. It was very very i was wrong that shit. Was you know that. Everybody makes good money. Youre not used to going as a body go fund a political symbol of. The people everywhere. We have reached the end of our journey through a divided country. It wasnt trying to cause the divisions but he has certainly deepened. After the deadly Shooting Attack at
a synagogue in the letter bomb sent to prominent democrats in recent weeks the president has called for unity but that call cannot gloss over the allegation that the Trump Phenomenon has been instrumental in the growth of. The fast pace of life in the digital. Shift has the lowdown on the web showing new developments and providing useful information the witness finds and interviews with the makers and users. Next on d. F. W. The u. S. Midterm elections a battle for control of the u. S. Congress a referendum on the trump presidency. What could