Trump says a strong economy is vital to maintaining a healthy environment

President Trump touted his administration's environmental work and stressed the importance of having a strong U.S. economy and a vibrant energy sector to work successfully for a healthier environment.

"A strong economy is vital to maintaining a healthy environment. When we innovate, produce and grow, we're able to unleash technologies and processes that make the environment better," he said during a speech in the East Room on Monday.

Trump said the Obama administration waged a relentless war on American energy with ineffective global policies that allowed the worst-polluting countries to continue with their practice.

“These radical plans would not make the world cleaner. They would just make and put Americans out of work,” he said.

In his “America’s Environmental Leadership” speech, Trump noted that U.S. companies were forced to abide by lower standards in foreign countries that drove up the price of electricity and gas for American consumers.

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“Punishing Americans is never the right way to produce a better environment or a better economy,” he said.