A White House aide said President Trump will make an “important announcement” while he’s in Cedar Rapids this evening and it’ll be about “internet connectivity” in rural America.
President Trump’s first scheduled stop early this evening is at Kirkwood Community College. He’s to see a demonstration of a “combine simulator” for students there. Trump’s aides told reporters yesterday that the president will use the visit to highlight the “infrastructure effort” he’s working on with congress — and how important technology and “internet connectivity” are to farmers who use GPS systems in their equipment.
The president’s senior White House advisor on ag issues said internet access “has obviously lagged in rural areas” and the president wants to explore how to “best address that challenge.”
The president is scheduled to speak at a rally in Cedar Rapids this evening after his stop at the college. Ambassador Terry Branstad is scheduled to be along for the events in Cedar Rapids. It’s a sort of send-off before Branstad leaves for China. The president’s aides told reporters yesterday that Trump has “high expectations” for Branstad in China, but Trump is confident Branstad will deliver.
U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are scheduled to fly to Iowa today as well. Eric Branstad, the son of Iowa’s former governor, is a White House aide who works in the Department of Commerce.