Missouri Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley talks while President Donald Trump listens at the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars national convention Tuesday, July 24, 2018, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

President Trump traveled to Kansas City today to address a VFW convention.  4,000 plus veterans were in attendance to hear the President speak. The President was accompanied by newly-confirmed VA Secretary, Robert Wilkie.

In his remarks, Trump addressed a number of topics, including the recent Duck Boat tragedy in southwestern Missouri, North Korea, Iran, the embassy move to Jerusalem, and “standing up” for America.

President Trump, in the wake of questions about his conciliatory summit with Vladimir Putin, insisted on Tuesday he stands up for the United States.

“We don’t apologize for America anymore. We stand up for America,” Trump said at the VFW convention in Kansas City. “We stand up for the patriots that defend America.”

After a round of applause, Trump appeared to allude to the NFL national anthem controversy. “We stand up for our National Anthem,” Trump said.

Following the speech, Trump will be attending a fundraiser for Josh Hawley, Missouri’s Attorney General. Hawley is expected to be the winner of Missouri’s upcoming Senate primary and will be taking on Claire McCaskill for her seat in November.  (Note: RedState has previously endorsed Hawley.)

During his speech to the VFW convention, Trump invited Hawley to join him on stage and briefly address the crowd. Hawley praised Trump for his leadership and courage, after which, Trump had a little fun (watch to the end):

(Okay – even I thought that was kind of funny.)

The President will be returning to the area on Thursday, when he’s slated to appear at U.S. Steel’s Granite City Works facilities in Granite City, Illinois (just across the river from St. Louis.)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday will visit the Granite City Works, a steel-producing factory that has re-opened as a result of trade tariffs that Trump has put on China, Mexico and other nations.

….

The Granite City Works is in the district of Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, who is one of the Democrats’ top congressional targets in 2018. He is in a tight race with Democratic St. Clair County Attorney Brendan Kelly, who has been endorsed by the steelworkers’ union. Southern Illinois University professor Randy Auxier is also running to represent the 12th District as a Green Party candidate.