Kirsten Gillibrand hopes to win over voters in Trump country on 2-day bus tour

The bus she's campaigning on says, "He broke it, I’ll fix it," on the side.

July 12, 2019, 1:12 PM

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is hoping to win over voters in areas President Donald Trump took in 2016. She’s so determined, she’s rented a bus with the words, "He broke it, I’ll fix it," emblazoned on the side.

It’s all a part of the campaign’s "Trump Broken Promises Tour." It’s a two-day three-state tour aimed, according to the campaign, at highlighting promises Trump made on the campaign trail and hasn’t fulfilled.

Most of the stops feature a roundtable discussion with a small group. At each, Gillibrand focuses on a specific issue, highlights her plan to address it and draws a contrast between her plan and the actions of the president. In Pittsburgh she talked about holding pharmaceutical companies accountable and the rising cost of healthcare.

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., greets attendees at a roundtable with health care workers during a campaign stop, July 11, 2019, in Pittsburgh.
Keith Srakocic/AP

In Youngstown, Ohio, she tackled the outsourcing of labor and job creation.

In Cleveland she shared how she would shore up social security.

At stops throughout Michigan on Friday, the senator addressed gun violence and is expected to talk about reproductive rights.

Gillibrand’s campaign has struggled to gain traction, polling between 0 and 1 percent in most polls for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"It’s great that you’re speaking to 30 people in Cleveland, Ohio," said one attendee. "But, how are you going to get your name out there?"

The campaign bus for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand arrives for a roundtable with health care workers during a campaign stop, July 11, 2019, in Pittsburgh.
Keith Srakocic/AP

Gillibrand said she believes this tour is a vehicle to not only draw a direct contrast between herself and the president it’s also a chance to call attention to the policy proposals that are driving her campaign.

"Every Democrat I know wants to know who's going to be President Trump and who's the best person to beat President Trump. I'm showing them that I'm the best person to be President Trump," said Gillibrand in Cleveland. "It's all about taking the fight to the voters who feel so deeply left behind who took a chance on Trump, but were lied to."

In response a senior Trump campaign official offered a statement, "No one takes Kirsten Gillibrand seriously because she practically holds the world record for broken promises — she broke her promise to always stand with the NRA in support of gun rights, she broke her promise to build the border wall, and she broke her promise to oppose free health care for illegal immigrants."

Gillibrand’s tour concludes in Lansing, Michigan Friday night.