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Jenkins says voting for Trump meant backing coal industry

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Third District Congressman Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) says it was a ‘clear choice’ to vote for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in last week’s Primary Election.

Trump ran unopposed in the election, but Jenkins said that wasn’t the only reason why he supported him.

3rd District Congressman Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.)
3rd District Congressman Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.)

“On the Republican side, he’s the only candidate, but I will tell you I’m motivated mostly by looking at the plight of our West Virginia workers, our West Virginia families, communities and I will tell you — it is very tough,” Jenkins said on last week’s MetroNews “Talkline.”

Jenkins said the future of the coal industry would likely fall to Trump because “there’s not much hope” with Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Clinton previously told coal miners in Williamson she had a $30 billion plan to revitalize the coal community, but Jenkins said the plan had “no substance” to it after he took the time to review it.

“There is no plan. The first sentence of her plan is, essentially, I’m going to put $30 billion dollars and then she just runs through a kind of a laundry list of things,” he said. “There is not a single dollar amount tied to one item in her ‘plan’ that adds up to $30 billion.”

Jenkins also mentioned Sanders plan to use $41 billion for revitalization efforts.

“Maybe I just need to announce right now I’ve got a $50 billion plan,” he said sarcastically. “That’s all that Hillary and Bernie are doing are throwing a big number out with no substance behind it.”

All three candidates visited West Virginia this month before Tuesday’s Primary. Trump won the Republican ticket. Sanders defeated Clinton on the Democratic side.





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