President Trump signed an order Friday in Maine to reopen for commercial fishing a vast tract of the Atlantic Ocean that had been closed by President Barack Obama.
The president also took aim at Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, over her pace of reopening the state from the coronavirus.
“She’s like a dictator,” Mr. Trump said during a Bangor, Maine roundtable. “She’s going to destroy your state. I’m not a fan.”
The president signed the order to allow fishing to resume in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, an area of about 5,000 square miles which was created in 2016 by Mr. Obama. Fishing companies back the move, which faces a legal showdown from environmentalists.
The area is about 130 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, far out of range of most Maine fishermen.
The president also threatened to impose tariffs “immediately” on automobiles from the European Union unless the EU stops charging tariffs on lobster and other seafood from the U.S.
He told the fishermen at the roundtable meeting, “You’ve been treated very badly. You’d better remember your president. You’ve been regulated out of business.”
It was Mr. Trump’s first trip as president to Maine, where he won one of the state’s four electoral votes in 2016.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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