Trump's speech: A recap of his visit to discuss his tax plan in Indianapolis

Here's a recap of the news before, during and after President Trump's speech Tuesday in Indianapolis.

Update 5 p.m.

Senator Joe Donnelly released this statement after traveling with the president for today's speech:

"I work for Hoosiers, not President Trump or any political party. As it stands, the framework released today (for tax reform) is missing many details that will be critical to determining whether working- and middle-class families truly stand to benefit. These Hoosiers will be foremost in my mind as I continue to engage with my colleagues in the Senate and also with the White House to try to craft a tax reform bill that will provide greater economic security to these families and also create and protect jobs here in Indiana."

Update 4:55 p.m.

The press pool report from the president's motorcade to the airport said there was a potential motorcycle crash. Here is the complete report:

"During motorcade to airport, a motorcycle officer crashed. It was unclear if the motorcycle hit one of the vans in the motorcade or the officer simply laid down the motorcycle.

"The Beast (the limo with the president) did not appear to be involved. 

"From the press van, the motorcycle could be seen lying on the right side of the highway. The officer was on the shoulder on the left side of the highway. The officer was moving.

"Will update if more information become available."

Update 4:13 p.m.

The speech ends with no mention of the NFL and no attack on the media.

Update 4:08 p.m.

Trump light-heartedly threatened Democratic senator Joe Donnelly, who accompanied the president on this trip. Trump said if Donnelly votes against the tax plan, there will be a campaign against him in 2018 "like you wouldn’t believe."

Update 4:04 p.m.

Here are the Hoosiers that Trump mentioned during his speech.

Update 3:58 p.m.

Here is a fact-check on Trump’s claims about Pence’s tax cuts in Indiana.

Update 3:56 p.m.

---Trump says most people will be able to file taxes on "a single sheet of paper."

---Trump on the rich: "They can call me all they want. It's not going to help. I'm doing the right thing and it's not good for me, believe me."

Update 3:50 p.m.

Here’s a story with the details on Trump’s tax plan.

Update 3:44 p.m.

---”It’s time for Washington to learn from the wisdom of Indiana.”

---"Your government is working for you once again, not for the donors, not for the special interests.”

---Must update “outdated, extremely complex, burdensome tax code.”

---”There’s never been tax cuts like what we’re talking about.”

Update 3:37 p.m.

---Trump called Rep. Luke Messer “Mike Messer.”

---“Hearts and prayers go out to people in Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico"

---Obamacare will be repealed and replaced before 2018 election

---“Indiana is tremendous example of prosperity unleashed when we cut taxes.”

Update 3:33 p.m.

President Trump has started speaking. These are excerpts from what he will say:

"Under our framework, we will dramatically cut the business tax rate so that American companies and American Workers can beat our foreign competitors and start winning again.  We will reduce the corporate tax rate to... below the average of other industrialized nations.  This is a revolutionary change, and the biggest winners will be Middle Class workers as jobs start pouring into our country, as companies start competing for American labor, and as wages continue to grow."

"This will be the lowest top marginal income tax rate for small and mid-size businesses in more than 80 years."

"Tax reform has not historically been a partisan issue – and it does not have to be a partisan issue today... There is no reason that Democrats and Republicans in Congress should not come together to deliver this giant win for the American people and begin the Middle Class Miracle once again."

Update 3:22 p.m.

President Trump arrived at the Farm Bureau Building at the State Fairgrounds at 3:08 p.m., according to a press pool report.

"During the ride from the airport, many gawkers came out of homes and business to watch the motorcade. There were no sizable protests or demonstrations of support.

"However, a colleague spotted a woman with a hand-painted sign that read 'F— Trump.'”

Update 3:20 p.m.

Update 3:15 p.m.

Update 3:11 p.m.

IndyStar’s Chris Sikich reports traffic backed up on eastbound 38th Street near State Fairgrounds.

Patriotic music is playing where the President will speak.

Update 3:09 p.m.

Update 3:01 p.m.

Update 2:56 p.m.

From IndyStar's Kaitlin Lange:

Rep. Luke Messer, who’s running for a senate seat, on Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly and Trump’s tax plan: “my prediction is Joe Donnelly is feeling the pressure. ..I think he’ll end up voting for it.

Update 2:52 p.m.

Update 2:43 p.m.

IndyStar’s Robert King reports from Indianapolis International Airport that Trump gave a few fist pumps from the stairs of Air Force One and disappeared into a limo. Indiana Democratic senator Joe Donnelly went into the limo with him.

Update 2:42 p.m.

Update 2:33 p.m.

Update 2:30 p.m.

Air Force One has landed in Indianapolis.

Update: 2:28 p.m.

Protesters outside State Fairgrounds.

Update 2:26 p.m.

Update 2:24 p.m.

Update 2:22 p.m.

IndyStar's Robert King reports that Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch is among those at the airport awaiting President Trump’s arrival.

IndyStar’s Amy Bartner reports that there are about 50 protesters outside the State Fairgrounds. One of their chants: “We need a leader, not a creepy tweeter.”

Update 2:12 p.m.

Update 2:04 p.m.

Statement on Trump's tax plan from Justin Stevens, Indiana state director for Americans For Prosperity:

"The president's framework matches his promises and delivers on Hoosiers' demands — a bold tax reform plan that will unrig the economy and make the tax code simpler, fairer, and more honest. We are thrilled the president's first stop in promoting his plan is Indiana. We are hopeful the White House can count on Senator Donnelly's support and our activists are ready, willing, and able to swiftly bring to bear the full weight of our grassroots infrastructure to get this plan to the president's desk this year."  

Update 1:58 p.m.

USA Today's Maureen Groppe reports that President Trump will do an interview with Fox while he's in Indiana, but it won't air until Thursday morning's Fox & Friends.

Update 1:55 p.m.

Update 1:49 p.m.

IndyStar's Tim Swarens reports that journalists are not allowed to ask questions of the audience gathering to hear President Trump's speech.

Journalists and the audience are separated by fences.

Update 1:47 p.m.

Update 1:41 p.m.

Update 1:35 p.m.

Indiana's experience is mentioned in a Washington Post story about President Trump backing off the idea of making public-private partnerships a key part of his infrastructure plan.

"A White House official said there are 'legitimate questions' about a public-private approach to revamping the nation’s infrastructure. The official said that although the administration has researched such approaches, 'they are certainly not the silver bullet for all of our nation’s infrastructure problems and we will continue to consider all viable options.' ...

"In 2014, for example, then-Gov. Mike Pence arranged a deal with Isolux Corsan, a Spanish construction firm, to extend a stretch of interstate in the southern part of Indiana. But the firm, despite offering the lowest bid, had never undertaken a road project in the United States and it quickly fell behind schedule. The state dissolved its partnership with the company in June and will now issue public debt to finish the approximately 40 percent that remains incomplete."

Update 1:28 p.m.

Update 1:22 p.m.

From USA Today's story on Trump's tax plan:

"One Democrat who has said he’s willing to listen to Trump’s ideas is Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, who was expected to fly to the speech with the president on Air Force One.

"Donnelly, one of Republicans’ best chances of expanding their narrow Senate majority in next year’s elections, was also one of only three Democratic senators who did not sign onto an August letter sent by Democratic leaders outlining what conditions must be met for the minority to support tax reform." 

Update 1:15 p.m.

Update 12:58 p.m.

President Trump's schedule as released by the White House:

• 12:55 p.m. — Flight leaves from Washington
• 2:25 p.m. — Flight arrives at Indianapolis International Airport
• 2:35 p.m. — President departs airport
• 2:55 p.m. — President arrives at the State Fairgrounds
• 3:20 p.m. — Speech
• 3:55 p.m. — President departs State Fairgrounds
• 4:25 p.m. — Plane leaves Indianapolis International Airport
• 5:50 p.m. — Plane arrives in Washington
• 6:10 p.m. — President arrives at the White House

Update 12:48 p.m.

Update 12:45 p.m.

From the National Review: "Roy Moore’s victory in the Alabama Republican primary is a piece of evidence against the claim that the GOP in 2017 is a Trumpian cult of personality. President Trump invested some political capital in this race on behalf of Luther Strange."
 

Update 12:20 p.m.

Here's an excerpt from the speech President Trump will give today in Indianapolis:

"Indiana is a tremendous example of the prosperity that is unleashed when we cut taxes and set free the dreams of our citizens. This state has claimed a powerful competitive edge built on low taxes and less regulation. ...  All of this is possible because the people of this state have made a decision. They chose to make Indiana competitive again. That choice included electing a governor who signed the largest income tax cut in the state’s history, our terrific Vice President, Mike Pence."

In 2016, Fortune published this fact check on the "largest income tax cut" in Indiana history.

Update 12:15 p.m.

Statement from Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer:

"President Donald Trump’s visit to Indiana to unveil his federal tax reform plan is an historic recognition that the Indiana model of putting taxpayers first works. And now, with his leadership and our proven blueprint at hand, we are on track to put American taxpayers first, too. 

"Indiana has proven time and time again that cutting, capping and eliminating taxes directly contributes to job growth and economic prosperity. I’m confident that by enacting President Trump’s plan to simplify the code and bring tax relief to the middle class and job creators, we will increase our global competitiveness, add jobs and grow economy for years to come, just as we’ve done in Indiana.

"It’s the Hoosier Way, and we’re about to take it national."

Update: noon

Robert James, president of the union representing Carrier Corp. workers, said his steelworkers won’t get behind President Donald Trump’s tax plan.

Carrier Corp. made national news during the 2017 presidential campaign, when the company threatened to close its Indianapolis plant and ship jobs to Mexico. Trump used the threats as campaign fodder, saying he would work to keep jobs in America.

Trump struck a deal with the company in December to prevent deeper job cuts at the plant, but some jobs were still eliminated at the Indianapolis factory.

James and Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly have called for Trump to do more to keep American jobs by punishing companies that move jobs to other countries. Donnelly will be joining Trump today for his Indianapolis speech.

"(This tax plan) doesn't do anything for their workers, it doesn’t do anything to keep the jobs here in the United States," James said in a teleconference with reporters. "I don't think this is something that benefits the people; I think it does more damage. And that's not the promise President Trump made to the people."

Update 11:45 a.m.

Here's USA Today's analysis of the president's tax plan.

Here's the tax plan document, "Unified Framework For Fixing Our Broken Tax Code," from the New York Times.

Update 11:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is deleting his past tweets supporting Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, according to the New York Times.

The tweets were deleted after Strange lost Tuesday to culture warrior Roy Moore in Alabama’s Republican primary. Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had thrown their support behind Strange.

In addition to deleting his pro-Strange tweets, Trump posted new messages last night and this morning congratulating Moore, who he called "a really great guy who ran a fantastic race."

The outcome of the hotly contested race is not on the formal agenda for Trump’s speech in Indianapolis today. Nor are several other hot-button topics, such as North Korea and Trump’s criticism of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

But as we know, Trump’s speeches are rarely predictable and often prone to verbal fireworks.

Update 11:10 a.m.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody is using President Donald Trump's stop in Indianapolis today to take a stab at Vice President Mike Pence.

During Trump's speech at the Indiana State Fairgrounds later today, he is expected to tout the tax cuts Pence signed into law as governor. But Zody argued those tax cuts would be a poor model.

"The 'historic' tax relief that Vice President Pence promised Hoosiers only added up to a paltry $50 per household last year—barely enough for one tank of gas," Zody said Wednesday morning. "If President Trump is serious about crafting a deal that helps the working-class men and women who voted for him, he’d be better off using Pence’s tax rules as a lesson in what not to do."

As governor, Pence reduced state taxes by over $580 million per year by the time they are fully implemented in 2022, though some of those cuts began under his predecessor, former Gov. Mitch Daniels.

A Trump administration official said the president would highlight those tax cuts in his speech.

"Really, his time as governor there showed what is possible when you cut taxes and burdensome regulations," the official said Tuesday.

Zody also criticized the Trump administration for its record the first nine months of Trump’s presidency.

"It would be easier to believe that this tax proposal would bring relief to Hoosiers if, after nine months of promises, Republicans had a fully fleshed-out plan that Americans could see—but once again, Vice President Pence, President Trump and their allies in Washington have put more importance on scoring political points than actually achieving results," Zody said.

Update 10:30 a.m.

Here's what the polls are saying about Americans' perception of President Donald Trump's tax plan:

• According to a Washington Post-ABC News Poll,  about half of Americans believe Trump's tax plan will help wealthy Americans even more than the current tax structure.
• Nearly three-quarters of adults say America's tax system already favors the wealthy more than the middle class, the poll shows.
• A separate CNN poll conducted by SSRS shows that just 12 percent of Americans say tax reform should be Congress's highest priority over the next few weeks, compared to 31 percent for healthcare and 36 percent for disaster relief. 
• Over two-thirds of Americans surveyed say federal tax laws need revamped, including 77 percent of Republicans and 62 percent of Democrats.

Update 9:34 a.m.

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing a tax plan that they say will be simple and fair.

In a document obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, they outline a blueprint for almost doubling the standard deduction for married taxpayers filing jointly to $24,000, and $12,000 for individuals.

The plan calls for cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The GOP proposal also calls for reducing the number of tax brackets from seven to three with a surcharge on the wealthiest Americans.

The plan also leaves intact the deduction for mortgage interest and charitable deductions. —- Associated Press

The White House and Republicans plan a formal roll out later Wednesday.

Update 9:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump will try to turn the page in Indianapolis today after a pair of political losses the day before. 

Trump is expected to roll out details of a tax reform plan during a 3 p.m. event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. 

The speech comes after the latest plan to repeal and replace Obamacare collapsed on Tuesday, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell conceding that Republicans didn't have enough votes to support it.

Also on Tuesday, conservative firebrand Roy Moore defeated Trump's preferred candidate, Sen. Luther Strange, in Alabama's GOP U.S. Senate primary. 

In Indianapolis, Trump will try to refocus attention on a Republican plan to overhaul the federal tax code. He's expected to discuss new details about the proposal during his speech. 

With health care off the table for now, the tax reform effort represents perhaps the best opportunity for the administration to score a major legislative victory before the end of the year. 

Previously

President Donald Trump will visit Indianapolis Wednesday to unveil some details of his tax reform plan. 

IndyStar will be covering all the action throughout the day, so check back here for frequent updates.

Trump is scheduled to arrive to Indianapolis International Airport on Air Force One at 2:30 p.m. He will then speak in the Farm Bureau Building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds around 3 p.m.

The event is by invitation only, but you can watch a live stream of the speech on IndyStar. You can also follow a cadre of IndyStar reporters on Twitter as they cover all aspects of the event.

Trump has released few specifics so far, but plans to unveil a "comprehensive report" on Wednesday. That plan will include condensing the seven tax brackets to just three and reducing the corporate tax rate to 20%, according to a lobbyist who saw the plan. 

A senior White House official said Trump will point to Vice President Mike Pence's history of cutting taxes as Indiana governor as an example of the benefits of tax reform.

More:Why President Trump is coming to Indiana to push his tax reform efforts

Tax reforms:3 Indiana businessmen to help Trump make his case for tax reform package

More:What we know about Trump's speech

Check back here for updates throughout the day.