By Patrick Baron

PONTIAC – State Senator Jason Barickman is pleased President Donald Trump came to Illinois last week to announce the reopening of the steel plant in Granite City.

During his time in Illinois, Trump said around 800 workers would be getting their jobs back at the steel plant. Speaking with WJEZ’s Todd Wineburner, Barickman noted it should always be a momentous occasion when a president visits the state, regardless of what side of the political aisle they sit on.

“It’s always good news, whether the president is a Republican or a Democrat, to have their attention,” said Barickman. “They’re focused on worldly affairs and national affairs, and when they come to our state and spend a little time here, it doesn’t matter who it is, it’s a day for celebration.”

Barickman acknowledged that while Trump’s popularity in Illinois varies, media outlets seemed more focused on the controversies surrounding him. Barickman explained he would have liked to see more outlets be supportive of what the president was in Illinois to do – announcing that hundreds of people would be put back to work.

“This made news in Illinois more from the fact that Trump is a controversial figure in our state than, what we would have rather seen is the news talk about, the actual substance of his visit – that these people are being put back to work,” Barickman said.

Barickman said Trump’s visit reminds the public that Illinois can do more for its residents.

Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].