Trump touts plan for US air show, seeks to turn page on midterm

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump sought to shrug off his Republican Party’s disastrous midterm defeat during a visit to Florida, touting plans to launch a new US air show as an example of how his economic agenda is revitalising American industry.The Nov 6 event at the John F. Kennedy Space Centre marked Trump’s first scheduled address since the party lost control of both chambers of Congress and key state-level races across the country on Nov 5.Speaking at the UP Summit – a gathering of transportation and aerospace investors – Trump championed NASA’s bid to challenge longstanding air industry showcases in Britain, France and Dubai, where companies have flocked to unveil new aircraft and secure deals.Trump pledged that in about two years the US would host the “biggest air show anywhere in the world,” drawing major industry players.“You’ll have all of the big commercial flights and companies, Boeing, everybody’s going to be here.”“Those foreign air shows have drawn the biggest crowds and big contracts, big headlines,” Trump said. “But those foreign countries do not dominate aviation, and they don’t dominate aerospace.”The new US event, called CapeWeek, will debut in 2028 at the Kennedy Space Centre and is being developed by a public-private partnership including NASA, the state of Florida and Space Florida.Yet, the cloud cast by the midterms over his administration was not far off.Trump deflected blame for the result, defended his decision to strike Iran, a conflict that stoked voter anger, and bemoaned the selloff in artificial intelligence and tech-related shares this week over worries that Democrats will more tightly regulate the industry. “You know our country lost US$3 trillion all because of an election,” Trump said. “By the way, I was not on the ballot. Just in case you had any question, because if we were on the ballot, we would have won.”The election results will leave Trump facing more checks on his power, with Democrats vowing to heighten oversight of his administration in the next Congress.Also in Democratic crosshairs will be private businesses perceived to have profited from ties to the White House amid voter anger over allegations of corruption and high costs of living.Turning the page from the midterms will not be easy.Earlier on Nov 6, Trump announced a major staff shake-up with longtime aide Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles as chief of staff.Choosing Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration crackdown, offered a signal that the president is not likely to moderate his approach or seek compromises with Democrats. The visit to Cape Canaveral was Trump’s first trip since the midterms and took him to a lone bright spot for the party.Florida Republicans were able to avoid some of the sweeping loses that party members in other states saw. Representative Byron Donalds, a Trump ally, won the race for governor and Senator Ashley Moody secured reelection.Trump had rallied for both as polls showed closer-than-expected races and the winning candidates were at Nov 6’s event.Those results delivered a boost to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, another potential 2028 contender.DeSantis, who ran unsuccessfully against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, called the midterm results an “extinction level event for Republicans in many parts of the country” and had predicted it would take years for the party to recover. BLOOMBERG