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YOUNGSTOWN -- President Donald Trump's speech gives residents here renewed patriotism and offers them hope that a depressed area will see a renewal of industry and prosperity, said the chair of the Trumbull County Republican Party.
"We have been made to be ashamed over the last few years of having pride in this country. We are told it's shameful to be proud to be American, but we are lucky to be American and we needed to hear that," said Kevin Wyndham.
The president, during an hour-long speech Tuesday night inside a filled Covelli Centre, earned roaring applause and chants from the audience.
"He loves flag and country as much as an Eagle Scout, like me, does," said Josh Lang, 17, of McDonald.
His father, Brad Lang, said Trump knows how to take care of his family, like a scout does. Lang and his wife Lucinda said they believe Trump will use those values as a foothold, to make the country, and the Valley, a good place for her son to live and work in.
"I'd like to see (Trump) bring businesses and jobs back here, to make things here, in America again," Josh Lang said.
The area's job market is so destitute, it isn't even a target for illegal immigrants to settle -- a point Trump spoke about at length, Wyndham said.
Wyndham said Trump's call to use American steel, iron and aluminum, and a push for new infrastructure projects, could be one of the things that revives the local economy.
"One of the biggest things he talked about was a new infrastructure bill, calling for American iron and steel and aluminum. That is extremely important to us here in the Valley," Wyndham said.
With a little pressure on the lawmakers representing the Valley to support Trump's infrastructure initiatives, Trumbull and Mahoning counties could see a manufacturing revival, Wyndham said.
"Maybe we won't see the huge steel mills and manufacturing operations we had before, maybe more like mini, petite mills," Wyndham said. "We have a lot of engineering expertise and talent in this area… We still have talented people, space and the engineering resources to manufacture. We are good at making things here. The infrastructure is dwindling, but we still have it. We better hold on to it while we can."
Tanya Taylor, North Jackson, recently moved to the area from California and held her son Everett, three months old, above the crowd in in an American flag onsie as Trump spoke.
"He is doing a good job so far. He knows about business, and he supports veterans, that is important to my family, we have a lot of veterans," Taylor said.
Trump touted the passage of the Department of Veteran Affairs Accountability, a measure he said was a long time coming in ensuring the country's veterans are taken care of, earning a loud and long roar from the crowd.
Taylor said she hoped the president could help foster a good health care bill for the country -- in California she couldn't get an appointment with a doctor until five months into her pregnancy, she said.
Trump praised the Republicans who passed the bill -- without any bi-partisan support -- in a 51-50 vote Tuesday in the U.S. Senate, opening up debate on legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
"I hope they can do something. It is really bad," Taylor said.
Warren Councilman John Brown, D- 3rd ward, was one of four people Tuesday who met Trump when Air Force One landed at the Vienna Air Base.
Brown, a military veteran, was on the tarmac to greet the president.
"I thanked him for coming to the valley," Brown said. "As a veteran, I asked him if he could help in bring jobs to the area."
Brown said President Trump responded that he will like what is coming, but was not specific.
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Reporter Raymond Smith contributed to this report