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Trump delivers remarks to Marines in California

Trump tours border wall prototypes
Trump inspects border wall prototypes 14:07

As part of his first presidential visit to California, President Trump addressed members of the military at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego Tuesday evening.

On a day filled with White House staffing shake-ups, the president remained mostly on-script in his 25-minute remarks, commenting on the positive developments with North Korea and the potential for expanding the U.S. Space program.

Mr. Trump's trip to California, the first of his presidency, comes on the same day he fired Secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who will be replaced with current CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Filling Pompeo's spot at the CIA is Gina Haspel, the first female director of the agency.

In the speech, Mr. Trump made a slight joke about White House chief of staff John Kelly.

"And you know, we have General Kelly here -- four star and he's doing a great job in Washington," he said, pausing for applause. "I think he likes what you do better than what he does, but he's doing a great job. He misses you."

donald trump california
President Trump arrives speaks to service members at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, on Tue., March 13, 2018, in San Diego. AP

Earlier Tuesday, Mr. Trump reviewed the Mexican border wall prototypes, although he still needs to secure the funding from Congress for the project.

"The state of California is begging us to build walls in certain areas," Trump said, emphasizing the need for increased border security in order to keep crime out of the country.

trump border wall san diego california
President Trump inspects border wall prototypes in San Diego, Calif., on Tue., March 13, 2018. Mr. Trump -- making his first trip to California as president -- warned there would be "bedlam" without the controversial wall he wants to build on the border with Mexico, as he inspected several prototype barriers. The trip to the "Golden State" -- the most populous in the country and a Democratic stronghold -- was largely upstaged by his own announcement that he had sacked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Getty
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