Trump will address VFW at the Municipal Auditorium amid protests

President Donald Trump will travel to downtown Kansas City Tuesday to talk to about 4,000 veterans after the Senate confirmed his new Veterans Affairs Secretary

. Trump was scheduled to speak at the Municipal Auditorium of Veterans Affairs. National War Convention, which is expected to attract about 10,000 auxiliary delegates VFW and VFW. The speech was originally planned for the Kansas City Convention Center, but later moved to the auditorium.

Hundreds of people signed protests in the days leading up to Trump's appearance.

After his remarks at the VFW, Trump will attend a fundraising luncheon for Republican Senate candidate Josh Hawley, the Missouri Attorney General. The Department of Veterans Affairs has been grappling with a reorganization of long-standing department heads and ongoing staffing issues. To veterans organizations, Trump's speech is an opportunity to talk about how he can improve the VA and fight terror abroad

"That's what it is we want to know, "said Joe Davis, director of communications and public affairs. . "We want to know how are you going to fix the VA and how are you going to deliver the fight to the enemy."

Davis noted that it has been nearly 17 years since the World Trade Center was attacked on September 11, 2001, and the United States has long been fighting terrorism.

"The high school graduate in 2018 was 1 year old when he landed in the Pentagon and the Twin Towers and field," said Davis

. AVs are also important for veterans groups. The Washington Post reported in April that the AV had 33,000 vacancies, which relates to the American Legion, another veterans organization

"If the VA does not hire no qualified staff to fill these positions quickly, it is a problem. " Plenzler, director of media relations for the American Legion.

The Post also reported that Trump's Loyalists are purging or reassigning staff members perceived to be disloyal to Trump. More than a dozen senior civilian workers in the VA had been moved to less visible roles, including some talented called Plenzler. Plenzler said he would look to see how quickly Trump's new secretary, VAW Wilkie, is filling these positions.

"We have seen several initiatives stalled over the past four months," Plenzler said.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, said that he had not yet seen the departures become a big problem.

"But as some veterans have said, look – because it's not on the table does not mean it will not be placed there," Cleaver said.

Cleaver said that he hoped Trump would use the VFW convention as an opportunity to appreciate the veterans and bring the nation closer together.

"This is not a political convention of red meat," Cleaver said. "These are people who are far more responsible for the freedoms we enjoy than any of us on the political scene today, including the President – or any of the following. President."

Cleaver and Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri about Trump's administration pursuing the privatization of the VA, although Wilkie insisted that he would not support privatization.

Wilkie is Trump's third choice to lead the VA. He approved the Senate's confirmation on a vote 86-9 Monday afternoon.

McCaskill said in a statement that she had been working to find a deal with the Trump administration to extend the benefits to veterans and ensure that veterans from the Second World War exposed to mustard gas benefit. McCaskill sponsored the Arla Harrell Act to extend VA benefits to those exposed to mustard or lewisite gas during the Second World War.

"I supported the two presidential candidates to lead the VA and look forward to working with Secretary Wilkie to ensure the law Arla Harrell is fully implemented and ensures that the increasing efforts to privatize the VA, against the wishes of most veterans, fail, "said McCaskill.

US Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, said that Trump and Senators were working together to improve the VA through the VA MISSION Act, which allows veterans to seek care outside the VA system to reduce waiting times and improve the quality of care.He said that he was also happy to see the US Department of Labor go ahead with HIRE Vets program to connect veterans with career opportunities.

"There is still work to be done," said Blunt. "I was proud to vote for the confirmation of Robert Wilkie as VA Secretary, and I am confident that under his leadership, Congress and the Administration will continue to move forward to improve the VA and ensure that we keep our promises to those who have served "

Both Blunt and McCaskill voted for Wilkie's confirmation. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, McCaskill's likely Republican opponent in the mid-term elections, said in a statement that McCaskill had not done enough to serve the veterans because 40,000 of them are homeless and suffer from post-traumatic stress.

"We can do better," Hawley said. "We need to ensure that health providers and government agencies are ready and able to provide Veterans with the health and employment services they need – more options and more flexibility." [19659002] Hawley and Blunt did not comment. 19659002] Trump's visit was to attract a host of events throughout the day. Two posted on Facebook attracted more than 600 combined RSVPs, and thousands were "interested".

Martha Gershun of Fairway helped organize the Kansas City Women's Walk chapter after the inauguration of Trump in January 2017. She said that she wanted to send the message that Donald Trump n & # 39; He is not our legitimate president. "

" He pissed off, offended, insulted so many groups of Americans – children, disabled people, women, people of color, veterans, veterans' families, "Gershun said.

According to a press release, six groups staged the event, called "Protest Trump – Bring Your Own Balloon (BYOB)" on Facebook.The groups were Indivisible KC, the Kansas Human Rights Campaign City, the Women's Walk to Washington in Kansas City, Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains, Heartland Alliance for Progress and Kansas City Veterans for Peace.Gershun said that she was waiting for hundreds – maybe some Thousands – Participants

"When the rest of America turns on its televisions and sees that Donald Trump came to Kansas City, we also want to see that Kansas City said," Gershun said.

The group plans to protest late in the afternoon, even though Trump is expected in the morning.

Gershun said, "We do not do that so Trump hears it.We are doing this for the rest of America to hear.The goal is not to change the spirit of Donald Trump.I think it's a crazy race.The goal is to mobilize Americans who have the feeling to act differently, protest, resist and vote. "

Yoder on board

The Associated Press contributed to this report.