U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi says he is still hopeful about Donald Trump turning his campaign around to win the November election.
The Republican congressman from Genoa Township was the keynote speaker at a Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday. After his presentation, he answered questions from members.
He pointed out that the two major presidential candidates are not talking about the issues.
“They’re not addressing the big issues,” he said. “You have two presidential candidates telling people what they want to hear.”
“If people are only looking for the information they want to hear on the internet and listening to the talk show hosts, on the left or the right, then nothing changes,” he said. “Congress becomes what the people become.”
“Neither of the candidates are talking about our structural budget deficit, our debt and our mandatory spending,” Tiberi said. “Those are just issues that have been around far too long now. They just get worse every year they go by.”
Tiberi said neither candidate is addressing the issue of dysfunction in Washington.
“They’re both not dealing with the major issues of the dysfunction in Washington,” he said. “I think the dysfunction is likely to continue.”
When asked to predict the state of the country four years from now, Tiberi replied: “In four years, whoever wins is going to have a challenge getting re-elected.”
Regarding Republican nominee Trump, Tiberi said he had seen polls Thursday morning where he is not doing well in many states. “That means this could be a really bad election for him,” he said.
However, Tiberi said he doesn’t support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in any way. “I’m certainly not for Hillary Clinton,” he said. “I think it would be a Obama third term.”
He said he continues to be hopeful that Trump will turn his campaign around. “My hope is that he can turn this around,” he said. “I continue to be hopeful that he focuses on a united message in attracting swing voters. If you’re not going to attract swing voters, you’re going to lose.”
