Visit to the World's Largest Wind Tower Manufacturer CS Wind
"Mr. Moon and Friends" Slip of the Tongue
U.S. President Joe Biden visited a Korean company’s factory located in the United States to promote the achievements of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a key bill of 'Bidenomics,' ahead of next year’s presidential election. With former President Donald Trump, who is expected to have a 'return match,' pledging to repeal the IRA, Biden’s visit is interpreted as an effort to actively promote the IRA’s achievements and counter Trump’s stance.
On the 29th (local time), President Biden visited CS Wind, a Korean wind tower manufacturer located in Pueblo, Colorado. A banner reading "Bidenomics, Invest in America" was displayed at the factory, and President Biden received a briefing on the production process.
CS Wind, visited by President Biden that day, is the world’s largest wind tower manufacturer. Earlier this year, CS Wind began a factory expansion project involving an investment of over $200 million, which the White House stated is expected to create 850 new jobs by 2026. In his speech after touring the factory, President Biden expressed gratitude by addressing Chairman Kim Seong-gwon of CS Wind. However, during the process, he made a verbal slip by referring to former President Moon Jae-in as "your leader, Mr. Moon, my friend," instead of President Yoon Suk-yeol.
This is the second time President Biden has visited a Korean company’s factory in the U.S. since taking office. In November last year, he visited the SK Siltron factory located in Michigan. The purpose was to promote Bidenomics by highlighting the investment achievements of foreign companies in the U.S. driven by the CHIPS and Science Act (CSA) and the IRA.
According to the White House, since the Biden administration took office in January 2021, thanks to the enactment of the IRA and CSA, investments totaling $200 billion (approximately 260 trillion KRW) have been made from the Asia-Pacific region to the U.S. Recently. In particular, Korean companies’ investment scale was at least $55.5 billion (approximately 72 trillion KRW), accounting for more than one-quarter of the total Asia-Pacific investment.
During the visit, President Biden emphasized the achievements of Bidenomics and made pointed remarks targeting former President Trump. He criticized Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, who represents the district where CS Wind is located, calling her "one of the leaders of the extreme MAGA (Make America Great Again, Donald Trump’s campaign slogan) movement," and accused the Republican Party of opposing his policies that benefit the U.S. economy. This can be seen as a direct criticism of Trump, who has long criticized the IRA as "the largest tax increase in history."
Additionally, President Biden strongly criticized former President Trump’s pledges to repeal Obamacare and his tax cut policies for the wealthy.
Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November next year confirms former President Trump’s lead. According to a recent presidential poll released by Emerson College, in a hypothetical two-person race, former President Trump leads with 47% support compared to President Biden’s 43%.
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