Obama Jokes White House Is Building ‘Iron Man’ Suit

President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks about his Promise Zones Initiative, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The Promise Zone Initiative is part of a plan to create a be... President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks about his Promise Zones Initiative, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The Promise Zone Initiative is part of a plan to create a better bargain for the middle-class by partnering with local communities and businesses to create jobs, increase economic security, expand educational opportunities, increase access to quality, affordable housing and improve public safety. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) MORE LESS
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Before announcing the creation of two Pentagon-led manufacturing hubs to foster innovation, President Obama joked Tuesday the White House was undertaking a special project — comic book hero Tony Stark’s “Iron Man” suit.

“Basically I’m here to announce that we’re building Iron Man,” he said, drawing laughs at a White House event. “I’m going to blast off in a second.”

“Not really. Maybe. It’s classified,” he joked.

The two hubs, located in Chicago and Detroit, were pledged in Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address and will receive a federal infusion of $140 million. They will focus on light metal manufacturing and high-tech digital manufacturing and design.

“I don’t want the next big manufacturing innovation to come from Germany, Japan or France. I want it to be here in America,” Obama said.

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