Wednesday, September 11, 2019

1600 Daily The White House • September 11, 2019 President Trump Leads Moment of Silence for September 11 Victims

1600 Daily
The White House • September 11, 2019

President Trump leads moment of silence for September 11 victims

Eighteen years ago, America and the world were forever changed. Confronted by a series of cowardly acts of terror, the United States once again demonstrated to the world the unmatched strength of our resolve and the indomitable power of our character.

This morning, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump—along with Americans all across our country—honored and mourned the nearly 3,000 lives we lost.

On the South Lawn of the White House, the President and First Lady led a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m.—the exact time when the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. They were joined by families of victims from that day, looking out onto the National Mall as the White House flag flew at half-staff behind them.

Shortly after, the First Couple traveled to Arlington, Virginia, where the President spoke at the September 11th Pentagon Observance Ceremony. Addressing both victims’ families and members of our Armed Services, he explained how this day is seared into the soul of every American who lived through it. For President Trump, the day carries particular significance, as he witnessed the events in New York as a resident of the city.

“I vividly remember when I first heard the news,” he said, adding that he was looking out a Midtown Manhattan window when he watched the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Soon after, like many other New Yorkers, he went down to Ground Zero, looking to help out in any small way he could.

“But for the families who join us, this is your anniversary of personal and permanent loss. It's the day that has replayed in your memory a thousand times over,” he said.

“You waited, you prayed, you answered that most dreaded call, and your life changed forever. To each of you: The First Lady and I are united with you in grief. We come here in the knowledge that we cannot erase the pain or reverse the evil of that dark and wretched day, but we offer you all that we have: our unwavering loyalty, our undying devotion, and our eternal pledge that your loved ones will never, ever be forgotten.”

In the midst of the attack, the world also witnessed the awesome power of American strength and resolve. It could be seen in the perseverance of the brave first responders in both New York and at the Pentagon, as well as in the 40 passengers and crew aboard Flight 93.

One such hero was retired Army Colonel Rick Rescorla, who gave his own life to save many others. After a decorated military career serving in the Vietnam War, Rick went on to become the Vice President for Security at Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center. On September 11, Rick died while leading people in the South Tower to safety.

It’s estimated that his actions that day saved 2,700 lives. This morning, President Trump honored Rick’s incredible sacrifice by awarding him the Presidential Citizens Medal.

“The future of our nation is secured through the vigilance of our people: The brave men and women who tore through the gates of hell to save the hurt and the wounded . . . Each of your lives tells the story of courage and character, virtue and valor, resilience and resolve, loyalty and love,” the President said.

“This morning, we make a sacred vow to carry on this noble legacy.”

What the World Learned on September 11, 2001

 President Trump: On 9/11, “the world witnessed the power of American defiance”

Photo of the Day

Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, joined by members of the White House staff, observe a moment of silence on the South Lawn in remembrance of September 11, 2001 | September 11, 2019

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP IN MEETING WITH HHS SECRETARY AZAR, FDA ACTING COMMISSIONER SHARPLESS, AND THE FIRST LADY ON E-CIGARETTES Oval Office

Office of the Press Secretary

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
IN MEETING WITH HHS SECRETARY AZAR,
FDA ACTING COMMISSIONER SHARPLESS,
AND THE FIRST LADY
ON E-CIGARETTES

Oval Office

 
12:30 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much.  I just want to say that the First Lady and myself, we just came back from an incredible experience at the Pentagon.  It was an incredible -- really, a beautiful ceremony.

I was very honored, and I think I can definitely speak for the First Lady, to have partaken in a ceremony that was just so, so lovely, representing September 11th.  Three thousand lives.  And, if you think about it, that number really got, as you know, Alex, it got a lot higher than that, indirectly.  Directly and indirectly, a lot of people.  A lot of great people.

So, that was a tremendous job everybody did this morning, letting the world know that we're ready for anything if we have to be.  We're ready for anything.

So, thank you.  And I know a lot of you were there, and I appreciate you being there very much.

We have a problem in our country.  It's a new problem.  It's a problem nobody really thought about too much a few years ago, and it's called "vaping" -- especially vaping as it pertains to innocent children.  And they're coming home and they're saying, "Mom, I want to vape."  And the parents don't know too much about it.  And nobody knows too much about it, but they do know it's causing a lot of problems.  And we're going to have to do something about it.

One of the words and one of the reasons we're meeting today is to let you know that it's out there.  And we want to have parents understand that we're studying it very carefully.  It's, again, very new and potentially very bad.  There have been deaths and there have been a lot of other problems.  People think it's an easy solution to cigarettes, but it's turned out that it has its own difficulties.

So, I'm going to ask Secretary Azar to say a few words.  And then, if I could, Acting Director of the FDA Sharpless.  And you've been doing a fantastic job.  I want to thank you.

And we want to discuss the situation because not only is it a problem overall but, really, specifically, with respect to children, we're getting some stories that we don't want to hear.  And we may very well have to do something very, very strong about it.

So, if I could ask you, Mr. Secretary, to say a few words.

SECRETARY AZAR:  Thank you, Mr. President.  So we briefed the President and First Lady today on as yet undisclosed, new data that we have from the National Youth Tobacco survey.

This information shows a continued surging in adolescent usage of e-cigarettes.  It also shows that the youth are drawn to flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol.

Currently, about 8 million adults use e-cigarettes, but 5 million children are using e-cigarettes.  This is exceptionally harmful to our children.  An entire generation of children risk becoming addicted to nicotine because of the attractiveness, appeal-ability, and availability of these vaping products.

So, with the President's support, the Food and Drug Administration intends to finalize a guidance document that would commence enforcement to require that all flavors, other than tobacco flavor, would be removed from the market.

This would include mint and menthol flavoring, as well as candy flavors, bubblegum flavor, fruit flavor, alcohol flavor.  You get the drift.

So, once the FDA would finalize this guidance, we would begin enforcement actions to remove all such products from the marketplace.

We would allow tobacco flavoring to remain, subject to their filing -- the manufacturers of the tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products -- filing for pre-market tobacco approval with the Food and Drug Administration to assure that the availability of their product is consistent with the public health under the standards set by the Tobacco Control Act.

Any of the other products, which would be removed from the market, would be able to apply under the similar regulatory pathway for approval but have to meet that standard.

But I want to caution that with the President's support, while we would allow the tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes to remain on the market to be available for adults who are seeking to stop the use of combustible tobacco, if we find that children are being attracted to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, if we find that manufacturers are marketing the tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes to children, or placing them in settings where they get them, we will take enforcement action there also.

     Let me turn it over to Dr. Ned Sharpless, the Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, for any additional details and comments that he would have.

     ACTING COMMISSIONER SHARPLESS:  Thank you, Secretary.  The data gathered by the CDC and the FDA, as the Secretary described, it shows a very concerning, alarming trend of use by children of flavored e-cigarette products.

     The President is directing the FDA to take decisive action against this problem and to finalize our plans that we have been working on.  This would have the effect, as the Secretary mentioned, of severely curtailing access to flavored e-cigarette products, which we believe drive childhood use, and will help use get a handle on this alarming and concerning trend.

     THE PRESIDENT:  And I will say that Commissioner Sharpless has been working on this very hard.  But he’s now going to double and triple up.  We’re looking at very strong rules and regulations.  We already have laws as we need them.  But we want to get to the bottom of a very unusual situation.  It’s so new, and it’s become so big, so fast.  And it could be a potential very severe problem.

So, Commissioner, you know what to do.

     ACTING COMMISSIONER SHARPLESS:  Yes, sir.

     THE PRESIDENT:  You know what to do.  And it’s something that, frankly, should have been looked into a few years ago in a much more advanced way.  It wasn’t.  And we have something that will be very interesting to see what turns up.  But you’ll be able to report back in the fairly near future because you’ve done a lot of work on this.  And we’ll see what happens.  Okay?

     ACTING COMMISSIONER SHARPLESS:  Yes, sir.  The FDA is on it.

     THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.

     Any questions on this, please?

     Q    Mr. President, is the Taliban -- excuse me.  Is the Taliban talks completely dead still?  Or is there still a possibility --

     THE PRESIDENT:  The talks with the Taliban are dead.

     Jeff.

     Q    A follow-up on your decision yesterday with regard to Mr. Bolton.  What led you to decide to part ways?

     THE PRESIDENT:  So, John is somebody that I actually got along with very well.  He made some very big mistakes.  When he talked about the Libyan model for Kim Jong Un, that was not a good statement to make.   You just take a look at what happened with Qaddafi.  That was not a good statement to make, and it set us back.

     And, frankly, he wanted to do things -- not necessarily tougher than me.  You know, John is known as a tough guy.  He’s so tough, he got us into Iraq.  That’s tough.  And -- but he’s somebody that I actually had a very good relationship with, but he wasn’t getting along with people in the administration that I consider very important.  And I hope we -- we’ve left in good stead, but maybe we have and maybe we haven’t.

I have to run the country the way we’re running the country.  We’re doing very well.  We’re respected all over the world again; respected like we haven’t been respected in many, many years.  You look at Iran and you look at so many of the things that are happening.  Iran wants to talk.  They all want to talk.

We’re doing very well with China.  And you probably saw the numbers that have come out and come out -- some of them coming out just today.  But China is -- their supply chain is breaking up.  The supply chain of China, which was this unbreakable, powerful tool that they had, is breaking up like a toy because companies are moving out.  And China wants to make a deal.  We’ll see what happens.  We have to make the right deal for this country.  China has been taking out hundreds of billions of dollars a year out of our country.

And, you know, I read -- I read papers like the Wall Street Journal.  They don’t have a clue.  They haven’t got a clue.  They don’t make any excuses for the fact that China has been literally ripping off the United States in the worst manner for so many years.  Five hundred billion dollars pouring out of the United States.  And I hear people -- I don’t even know.  Do these people have any education on anything?  It’s common sense maybe more than anything else.

But I look at some statements that are made from so many different people.  And, you know, John wasn’t in line with what we were doing.  And actually, in some cases, he thought it was too tough, what we were doing.  Mr. Tough Guy.  You know, you have to go into Iraq.  Going into Iraq was something that he felt very strongly about.  So we’re right now in for over $7 trillion into the Middle East.  And I don’t say it was his decision.  You had a President and you had other people also.  But he was very out there, I can tell you, and wanting to have them do it.

And I disagreed with that decision from the beginning, even though I was a civilian, so nobody cared.  But I was out there.  I was outspoken about it.  I thought it was a terrible mistake.  Here we are, many, many years later -- decades later -- and we’re still there.  And we’ve been acting as policemen.

And I’ll tell you one thing: We are hitting the Taliban right now harder than they’ve ever been hit.  And what they did was horrible.  When they killed a great American soldier, when they killed 12 people -- innocent people -- essentially, innocent people.  Because, if you look, I mean, many of these people were civilians.  You also had a NATO soldier, in addition to our great soldier.

But when they did what they did, in order to create what they thought was a better negotiating stance, I said, “That’s the end of them.  Get them out.  I don’t want anything to do with them.”  And they’ve been hit very hard.  And I know for a fact they said that was a big mistake that they made, and it was.  But that was my decision.  And what we’re doing now is my decision.

So we have a lot of great people that want that position.  A lot of great people want a lot of positions.  They want to be a part of this administration.  We've done more in this administration, in less than three years, than I believe any President.  You look at the accomplishments; even today what we're doing.  You look at what we're doing today -- these are big things.  Nobody else would be doing this.  They're big things.

But we've done more than any administration probably in the history of the country.  You just look at one point after another point, whether it's regulation cuts, whether it's tax cuts.  You look at Right to Try, with these two gentlemen.  So important.  Right to Try -- where people are able to use some of the incredible innovations that we've developed with the greatest labs and the greatest doctors in the world.  And they can use them, instead of being forced to move to -- and leave -- to other countries that don’t have a clue, compared to us.  And now they have Right to Try.

     And, by the way, a lot of people are being saved.  A lot of great things are happening with Right to Try.

     But what we've done for the vets, what we've done for our great military -- we're spending 700 this year -- $718 billion.  And, by the way, that's also jobs, secondarily.  But it's also jobs.  Nobody has done what we've done.  And we're very honored to have done it.  We're in a very good footing.  Our country is respected again.

     Q    Who are your top picks to replace Bolton?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I have five people that want it very much.  I mean, a lot more than that would like to have it.  But there are five people that I consider very highly qualified.  Good people I've gotten to know over the last three years.  And we'll be announcing somebody next week, but we have some very highly qualified people.

But we were set back very badly when John Bolton talked about the Libyan model.  And he made a mistake.  And as soon as he mentioned that, the "Libyan model," what a disaster.  Take a look at what happened to Qaddafi, with the Libyan model.  And he's using that to make a deal with North Korea?  And I don’t blame Kim Jong Un for what he said after that.  And he wanted nothing to do with John Bolton.  And that's not a question of being tough; that's a question of being not smart, to say something like that.

     So I wish John the best.  We actually got along very well.  I'm sure he'll, you know, do whatever he can do to, you know, spin it his way.  John came to see me the night before.  In fact, I think a lot of you people were out there waiting for me to get on the helicopter.  I'm sure you have a shot somewhere along the line.  And he sat right in that chair.

     And I told him, "John, you have too many people, and you're not getting along with people.  And a lot of us, including me, disagree with some of your tactics and some of your ideas.  And I wish you well, but I'd like you to submit your resignation."  And he did that.  And I really -- I know he's going to do well.  I hope he's going to do well.  And I wish him well.

     Q    Mr. President, what are you prepared to do on guns, on background checks?  What are you prepared to announce?

     THE PRESIDENT:  So I just spoke with Senator Toomey and Senator Murphy and Joe Manchin, Senator Joe Manchin.  Just had a long talk with them, just before this meeting.  Just hung up.  And we are working very, very hard together, all of us, and we're seeing if we can come up with something that's acceptable to everybody.  It's a subject that's been going on for decades.  Decades they've been talking about it.

     So we're looking at background checks, and we're looking at putting everything together in a unified way so that we can have something that's meaningful.  At the same time, all of us want to protect our great Second Amendment.  It's very important to all of us.

     So we are now in meetings.  The meetings are going to go on tonight.  I'm going to speak with them again tomorrow.  And I think progress is being made.  I hope so.

     Q    Are you willing to put background checks on all private gun sales?

     THE PRESIDENT:  We're going to take a look at a lot of different things.  And we'll be reporting back in a fairly short period of time.  There are a lot of things under discussion.  Some things will never happen, and some things can, really, very much -- some very meaningful things can happen.

It's really "gun sense," if you think about it.  What we're looking at is -- and maybe that's what we should call it, "The Gun Sense Bill."  But we will have some -- we're having great dialogue.  We'll see what happens.

     Q    And did you tell your Chief of Staff to have NOAA disavow those forecasters who said that Alabama was not in the path of the storm?

     THE PRESIDENT:  No, I never did that.  I never did that.  That's a whole hoax by the fake-news media, when they talk about the hurricane and when they talk about Florida, and they talk about Alabama.  That's just fake news.  It was, right from the beginning, it was a fake story.

     And while we're here and while we're talking about that, I want to congratulate Dan Bishop last night on an incredible win.  He was -- Dan was 17 points behind, three weeks ago.  The media thought he was going to lose.  They were all set to have a big celebration with their partners from the Democrat Party.

And Dan Bishop worked really hard.  And I worked very hard with him.  And he made up a 17-point lead in a few weeks.  And he won a great election last night.  And also, Greg Murphy -- which nobody is even reporting -- but Greg Murphy won a great congressional election in North Carolina last night.

     And I want to congratulate, between Dan and Greg, what a job they did.  We picked up two seats, and Greg was, you know, anticipated to win by two or three points, maybe less, but two or three points.  And he won by many, many points.  I don’t know what the final tab is, but he won by a lot.  And he campaigned brilliantly, and Dan campaigned brilliantly.  And so we're very happy about that.  That’s a tremendous win for the Republican Party.  Okay?

     Yeah, go ahead.

     Q    Now that John Bolton is gone, is your policy on Venezuela going to change?  Are you open to meeting with Maduro?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we have a policy on Venezuela that’s a firm policy.  But Venezuela is really hurting.  And we're trying to help people in a humanitarian way.  That’s probably not good in terms of crushing a terrible regime.  But you have people dying.  This is a country that, 15 years ago, was one of the wealthiest countries, and now it's dying.  They don’t have water, they don’t have food, they don’t have medical.  They have nothing.  So we're trying to help as much as we can.

     We're also working with Colombia, and he's -- their leader of Colombia is a friend of mine and he's doing a really good job, I can tell you that.  We're working with Colombia.  We're working with Brazil.  We're working with other countries on a humanitarian basis.  Venezuela is in very sad shape.  That shows you about socialism.  I mean, that shows you what happens.  You take a country that was so wealthy 15 years ago, and today they don’t have water, and they don’t have basic food.

     So, we'll see what happens.  No, I disagreed with John Bolton on his attitudes on Venezuela.  I thought he was way out of line.  And I think I've proven to be right.  But we are always watching Venezuela very, very closely.

     Q    And would you be open to meeting with Maduro?

     THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t want to comment.  I don’t want to talk about that.

     Q    Mr. President, about your announcement today, are you concerned that the companies that were making these products will be treated unfairly by taking more of these products off the market?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, they've become very rich companies very fast.  And the whole thing with vaping is a -- it's been very profitable.  And I want companies; look, you know that.  I fight for our companies very hard.  I fight -- that’s why I'm fighting with China.  That’s why I'm fighting other countries.  If you look at European Union, and if you look at Japan, and if you look at so many others, including South Korea and many others, we're constantly dealing with them to make it good for our companies because I view it as jobs.  I view it as income for our country and jobs.

     Vaping has become a very big business, as I understand it.  Like a giant business in a very short period of time.  But we can’t allow people to get sick, and we can't have our youth be so affected.  And I'm hearing it.  And that's how the First Lady got involved.  I mean, she's got a son -- together -- that is a beautiful, young man, and she feels very, very strongly about it.  She's seen it.  We're both reading it.  A lot of people are reading it.  But people are dying with vaping.

So we're looking at it very closely.  And, you know, if nothing else, this is a conference that's going to let people know about it, because people are going to watch what we're saying.  And parents are going to be a lot tougher with respect to their children.

A lot of people think vaping is wonderful, it's great.  It's really not wonderful.  That’s one thing, I think, we can say definitely, Commissioner.  It's not a wonderful thing.  It's got big problems.  We have to find out the extent of the problem.  It's so new.  It's so new.  But we're going to find out.

And I hope that parents that -- you know, they have children, and the children are a certain age -- I hope they’re going to be able to make wise decisions, maybe based on what we're saying today.  But the Commissioner and Alex Azar, they're going to be coming back over the next pretty short period of time, couple of weeks, with some very strong recommendations.

Q    Can you tell us what the timeline is for taking those flavors off the market?

THE PRESIDENT:  Alex?

SECRETARY AZAR:  Yeah.  So, it'll take several weeks for us to put out the final guidance that would announce all the parameters around the enforcement policy.  And then there will likely be about a 30-day delayed effective date, as is customary with FDA's good guidance practices.  And, at that point, all flavored e-cigarettes, other than tobacco flavor, would have to be removed from the market.  Tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes -- their manufacturers would, by May 2020, have to file for approval for FDA of their products.  The other flavored product manufacturers can, at any time, also file, but they would be off the market until approved by FDA.

     The Obama administration had allowed these products to go onto the market in an unregulated way by delaying any enforcement in the hopes that people who are using combustible tobacco would transition to a less harmful form of nicotine delivery through e-cigarettes.

But what we’ve seen is the data just shows the kids are getting access to these products in spite of our best efforts at enforcement, at retail enforcement, at controlling locations, at over 8,000 warning letters to retailers and others, in spite of moving products off shelves.  They’ve been going at it, so we simply have to remove these attractive flavored products from the marketplace until they secure FDA approval, if they can.

     Q    Mr. President, are you looking at arranging a meeting with Iranian President Rouhani at UNGA?

     THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not looking at anything.  Iran is a different country than it was two and a half years ago.  Two and half years ago, they were given a lot of money by President Obama.  Previous to that, $150 billion; $1.8 billion in cash -- in actual cash.  It’s very impressive.

But they are a much different country right now than they were two and a half years ago when I came into office.  And I do believe they’d like to make a deal.  If they do, that’s great.  And if they don’t, that’s great too.  But they have tremendous financial difficulty, and the sanctions are getting tougher and tougher.

We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, and they never will have a nuclear weapon.  And if they’re thinking about enrichment, they can forget about it, because it’s going to be very -- it’s going to be very dangerous for them to enrich.  Very, very dangerous, okay?

So you can -- you can --

     Q    So do you want to meet with him, or no?

     THE PRESIDENT:  -- you can spread the word to Iran.

     Q    Would you consider easing sanctions to let them -- to make a meeting happen?

     THE PRESIDENT:  We’ll see what happens.  We’ll see what happens.  I think Iran has potential, and I think North Korea.  Those are two countries we’re dealing with right now at a very high level.  And I think Iran has a tremendous, tremendous potential.  They’re incredible people.  They have -- we’re not looking for regime change.  We hope that we can make a deal, and if we can’t make a deal, that’s fine too, okay?  That’s fine too.  But I think they have to make a deal.  They’ve never been in this condition.

     By the way, China is having the worst year they’ve had now in 57 years, okay?  Fifty-seven.  It was 27.  It was 22 and then 27.  It’s 57 years.  This is the worst year they’ve had.  And it’s only going to get worse.  So I think they want to make a deal too.  We’re dealing with them, but I think they want to make a deal.

     As you know, they’re coming in sometime in early October.  And we’re speaking to them constantly.  And they also -- they made a couple of moves last night that were pretty good.  You saw that, right?  They were pretty good.

     Q    Which moves do you mean, sir?

     THE PRESIDENT:  They were pretty respectful to our people.  You’re going to see it, because you were one of the people that reported it.  You -- your group.

     But China is -- China is -- about to having to do with tariffs, Jeff.  Having to do -- you saw what they did.

     Q    With purchases?

     THE PRESIDENT:  They took tariffs off certain things.  A lot of things.

     Q    And you’re happy about that?

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think they did the right thing.  I think it was good for them.  But they took them off.  Yeah, I think it was a gesture, okay?  But it was a big move.  People were shocked.  I wasn’t shocked.  But I deal with them, and I know them and I like them.  And I hope we can do something.

And with respect to Iran, I think they have to do something, because they have the potential to have an unbelievably great country.  But the way it’s going right now, it’s disintegrating, and I don’t think -- I don’t think they should allow that to happen.

North Korea has tremendous potential.  North Korea is in between Russia, China, and South Korea.  It’s an incredible -- incredible people.  I think that they really will -- they have this truly unbelievable potential, and I think they want to get to it.  We’ll see what happens.  I mean, maybe they do and maybe they don't -- won’t.  I mean, you’re just going to just see.  But I really believe that North Korea would like to see something tremendous happen.

This could be one of the most unbelievable -- if you look at a country, in terms of upside, this could be one of the most unbelievable experiments ever: North Korea.

And I also say the same with Iran.  Iran can get back to business.  They can do unbelievably well with all of the natural things that they have.

So on vaping, just to finish, this is all about vaping.  This is a meeting that gets off a little track because you ask us questions about other things.  And I think we’re better off answering them than not.

But we are looking at vaping very strongly.  It’s very dangerous.  Children have died.  People have died.  And the Acting Commissioner is somebody that’s a true expert on it, as much as you can be an expert on a brand-new subject.

And we’re going to have some very strong rules, regulations.  And more importantly, I think we’re going to have some very important information come out very shortly, okay?  And we’ll be reporting that over the next couple of weeks.

And I want to thank you.  And, Commissioner, I want to thank you very much.  Okay?  Thank you very much.

ACTING COMMISSIONER SHARPLESS:  Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, your reaction to Netanyahu’s promise to annex more of the West Bank?

THE PRESIDENT:  What?

Q    The West Bank -- Netanyahu and the West Bank.  Do you have any reaction to what --

THE PRESIDENT:  No.  No reaction.

                        END            12:58 P.M. EDT  

 

One Nomination Sent to the Senate

Office of the Press Secretary
NOMINATION SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Eugene Scalia, of Virginia, to be Secretary of Labor, vice R. Alexander Acosta, resigned.

The GoldFish Report No. 387: 9/11 Special Edition: The Public Demands The Truth


The GoldFish Report No 387 YouTube Video Link

The GoldFish Report No 387 BitChute Video Link

Published on Sep 11, 2019


On The GoldFish Report No. 387, Louisa and Jim present a review of the facts that contradict the official account of what happened on that fateful day. These are not conspiracy theories, but conspiracy fact that we present and you decide using your own discernment. What ever the case, the public deserves to know the truth, however difficult and shocking it may be. To learn more about Jim Fetzer's research, books and articles, visit www.jamesfetzer.org. Google 'Nobody Died at Sandy Hook' to find a free DVD of the facts. To receive our Reports you can subscribe to our BITCHUTE Channel at https://www.bitchute.com/profile/qrAL... and to become a Patron of The GoldFish Report you can go to our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10007100 . You can also subscribe to our "NEW" YouTube channel at, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO-A..., follow us on Twitter at @ReportGoldfish, www.thegoldfishreport.wordpress.com you can also follow us and like us on our 24/7 research news page at www.facebook.com/thegoldfishreport and to help support these and other programs please visit www.thegoldfishreport.com to make a donation. Thank you for your support and Thank you for viewing. Visit our NEW Vimeo on Demand to view our Educational Country Roads Reports at this link here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thegoldfis... To View our NEW Educational Bullet Points Reports use this link here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/174952 For viewer support of The GoldFish Report's Project "The Road to the White House", Please donate at www.thegoldfishreport.com at out PayPal or become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10007100. Jim Website page: jamesfetzer.org To View The GoldFish Report's POTUS Reports, you can visit our BitChute page or view the unlisted report on YouTube from our POTUS Report page on our website at www.thegoldfishreport.com Weblink to Moon Rock Books Here: http://moonrockbooks.com/ Jim Fetzer on Twitter: @JimFezer DISCLAIMER The following videos were created for educational purposes only. The content of this material strictly for research purposes, and readily available to the general public via the Internet. Viewing of the GoldFish Reports acknowledges that senders and recipients hereby agree to this disclaimer, thus releasing the source author from any and all personal liability. Also, individuals who alter or deviate from this source material, may be exposing themselves to the full extent of law. THE OPINIONS AND HYPOTHESES OF OUR GUESTS AND GUEST CO-HOSTS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GOLDFISH REPORT POTUS UPDATE. AN OPINION AND HYPOTHESIS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH NEWLY PRESENTED RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE. THE GOLDFISH REPORT POTUS REPORT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INFORMATION THAT MAY BE UNKNOWINGLY INACCURATE, ALTHOUGH WE DO OUR BEST TO PRESENT FACTS, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF WORLD EVENTS AND HOW THOSE MAKING THE DECISIONS MAY IMPACT OUR LIVES. VIEWER DISCERNMENT IS ADVISED. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of criminal justice, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Copyright 2019 The GoldFish Report. All rights Reserved.

West Wing Reads President Trump, First Lady Lead 9-11 Memorial Service at White House


West Wing Reads

President Trump, First Lady Lead 9-11 Memorial Service at White House 


“President Donald Trump participated in somber memorial services on the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with first lady Melania Trump at his side,” Debra J. Saunders reports for the Las Vegas Journal-Review.

The White House flag flew at half-staff, while families of victims joined the First Couple on the South Lawn, facing the National Mall. “Trump led a moment of silence that began at 8:46 a.m., the moment the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.”

After the ceremony, President Trump traveled to the Pentagon to give remarks.

Click here to see the moving photo.
“By important measurements life is getting better in the United States, especially for those at the bottom of the income ladder,” James Freeman writes in The Wall Street Journal. “The great news of the day arrives in a report from the Census Bureau: . . . ‘In 2018, for the first time in 11 years, the official poverty rate was significantly lower than 2007.’”
“Many Americans may not know it, but our hemisphere is experiencing one of the largest humanitarian crises it has ever seen. The failed Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela has ended in the way so many corrupt socialist regimes have: in bankruptcy, lies and suffering,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar writes for Fox News. “The Trump administration has made it a top priority to aid the people of Venezuela and support governments across the region.”
“It’s National Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCU] Week, and President Trump is marking the occasion like no president in history,” including with yesterday’s speech at the annual HBCU Conference, Paris Dennard writes in The Daily Caller. “Unfortunately, President Trump will never get the credit he deserves for all he has done for HBCUs,” from giving HBCU representatives a foot inside the White House to relieving more than $300 million of past hurricane debt for four schools.
“The third quarter report of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Index shows ‘employers are experiencing high levels of confidence about the state of their local economies and their financial future’ during President Donald Trump's tenure,” Cameron Cawthorne reports for The Washington Free Beacon. The index also suggests that “over two-thirds of U.S. small business owners are optimistic about the local and national business environment, as well as about their own companies' future.”

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AT SEPTEMBER 11TH PENTAGON OBSERVANCE CEREMONY The Pentagon Arlington, VA

Office of the Press Secretary
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
AT SEPTEMBER 11TH PENTAGON OBSERVANCE CEREMONY

The Pentagon
Arlington, VA


9:54 A.M. EDT

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much, Secretary Esper.  Today, our nation honors and mourns the nearly 3,000 lives that were stolen from us on September 11th, 2001.  On these grounds, 184 people were murdered when al Qaeda terrorists overtook American Airlines Flight 77 and crashed it into the Pentagon.

For every American who lived through that day, the September 11th attack is seared into our soul.  It was a day filled with shock, horror, sorrow, and righteous fury.

I vividly remember when I first heard the news.  I was sitting at home watching a major business television show early that morning.  Jack Welch, the legendary head of General Electric, was about to be interviewed when all of a sudden they cut away.  At first, there were different reports: It was a boiler fire, but I knew that boilers aren’t at the top of a building.  It was a kitchen explosion in Windows on the World.  Nobody really knew what happened.  There was great confusion.

I was looking out of a window from a building in Midtown Manhattan, directly at the World Trade Center, when I saw a second plane, at a tremendous speed, go into the second tower.  It was then that I realized the world was going to change.  I was no longer going to be -- and it could never, ever be -- that innocent place that I thought it was.

Soon after, I went down to Ground Zero with men who worked for me to try to help in any little way that we could.  We were not alone.  So many others were scattered around trying to do the same.  They were all trying to help.

But for the families who join us, this is your anniversary of personal and permanent loss.  It's the day that has replayed in your memory a thousand times over.  The last kiss.  The last phone call.  The last time hearing those precious words, "I love you."  Then the attack.  The anguish of knowing your family member had boarded one of these flights or was working in the World Trade Center or serving right here at the Pentagon.

You waited, you prayed, you answered that most dreaded call, and your life changed forever.  To each of you: The First Lady and I are united with you in grief, we come here in the knowledge that we cannot erase the pain or reverse the evil of that dark and wretched day, but we offer you all that we have: our unwavering loyalty, our undying devotion, and our eternal pledge that your loved ones will never, ever be forgotten.

Eighteen years ago, the terrorists struck this citadel of power and American strength.  But the enemy soon learned that they could not weaken the spirit of our people.  In times of distress, the heart of the American patriot only grows stronger and more determined.

Even in the midst of the attack, the world witnessed the awesome power of American defiance.  Forty passengers and crew on Flight 93 rose up, fought back, and thwarted the enemy’s wicked plans.  In their final moments, these American heroes thunderously declared that we alone decide our fate.

We saw American perseverance in the valiant New York firefighters, police officers, first responders, military, and everyday citizens who raced into the crashing towers to rescue innocent people.

One such American was retired Army Colonel Rick Rescorla, who gave his life on 9/11.  Rick earned the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.  He later became the Vice President for Security at Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center.  On the day of the attack, Rick died while leading countless others to safety.  His selfless actions saved approximately 2,700 lives.

Today, I am honored to announce that I will soon be awarding the late Rick Rescorla the Presidential Citizens Medal for his extraordinary sacrifice.  Though Rick has left this Earth, we will ensure that the memory of his deeds will never, ever be forgotten.  His memory will forever endure.  Thank you.  Thank you, Rick.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Rick.  Thank you, Rick.

Here on the western side of the Pentagon, we saw brave men and women rush into the fire and race into the scorching flames to rescue their colleagues.  When evil seeks to do us harm, the incredible men and women of the United States military answer with unyielding valor and unstoppable resolve.

Navy Admiral David Thomas crawled through live wires and helped lift a wall of debris to save the life of a colleague. As Admiral Thomas remembers, “It was the worst day of my life, but the heroism and selfless disregard I saw that [horrible] morning is forever burned in my heart.”  Admiral Thomas, America salutes you and every patriot who defied evil that day.  Thank you very much, Admiral.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.

Army Ranger Chris Braman repeatedly went back inside the burning building, rescuing one injured person after another. Before he entered, he said a prayer and asked God to give him strength, and then he dove into the suffocating smoke and fumes and flames.  At the same time, Sheila Moody had just prayed that someone would find her.  Then, she heard Chris’s voice.  As Sheila says, God sent Chris as her guardian angel.

To Sheila and Chris, America is strengthened by your goodness and your grace and your bravery.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.

To fulfill our unbreakable promise to every survivor and family of 9/11, earlier this year, we fully reauthorized the Victims Compensation Fund to the tune of billions and billions of dollars.

Since September 11th, nearly 6 million young men and women have joined the United States Armed Forces.  They have crossed seas, climbed mountains, trekked through deserts, and rushed into enemy compounds to face down the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.

Nearly 7,000 service members have laid down their lives to protect our home, our flag, and our American way of life.  American freedom survives only because there are patriots willing to sacrifice everything in its defense.  No tribute is sufficient to convey the infinite depth of our nation’s gratitude.

On this solemn day of remembrance, our thoughts also turn to the 200,000 valiant soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines who are now, at this very moment, stationed overseas.

We do not seek conflict, but if anyone dares to strike our land, we will respond with the full measure of American power and the iron will of the American spirit.  And that spirit is unbreakable.

We had peace talks scheduled a few days ago.  I called them off when I learned that they had killed a great American soldier from Puerto Rico and 11 other innocent people.  They thought they would use this attack to show strength.  But actually, what they showed is unrelenting weakness.  The last four days, we have hit our enemy harder than they have ever been hit before, and that will continue.  (Applause.)

And if, for any reason, they come back to our country, we will go wherever they are and use power the likes of which the United States has never used before.  And I'm not even talking about nuclear power.  They will have never seen anything like what will happen to them.

No enemy on Earth can match the overwhelming strength, skill, and might of the American Armed Forces.  And we have rebuilt and strengthened the last two and a half years, spending $700 billion, $716 billion, and now, just approved, $738 billion -- more money, by far, than ever spent on our armed forces.  You are the fearless sentinels who stand watch over all that we cherish and everything we hold sacred, priceless, and dear.

This morning, we also give thanks to the dedicated men and women at the Department of Homeland Security.  Their Department was created after 9/11 to help secure our immigration system and ensure that those who threaten our people are denied entry to our shores.  We're indebted to every law enforcement official -- state, local, and federal -- who devotes their life to keeping America safe.

As we gather at this moment, and at this incredible memorial, we are reminded that there is no greater testament to our fallen heroes than the presence of their families who knew and loved them so much.

Among the family members here today is Stephanie Dunn.  Her husband, Navy Commander Patrick Dunn, was one of the patriots who gave his life, right here, 18 years ago.  Before he left that morning, Patrick gave Stephanie a big, beautiful kiss.  Then, for the first time, he leaned down and kissed her pregnant stomach.  Stephanie was just two months along with their first child.  Earlier this year, their daughter Allie celebrated her 17th birthday.

Allie grew up into a strong, truly remarkable young woman.  She mentors the children of our nation’s wounded warriors, and recently, I was honored to give Allie the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her hundreds of hours of community service.  We are blessed to have Allie here with us at today’s ceremony.  Thank you, Allie.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

And, Allie, I know your dad is watching over you.  He's right up there.  He's watching from Heaven, looking down right now with love and pride.  He is so proud of you.  Thank you very much.  Incredible.  (Applause.)

Also joining us is the Vigiano family.  For generations, the Vigiano family has served in our military and in the New York City Fire and Police Departments.  These are two great departments.  I grew up with them.  I know.  On September 11th, NYPD Detective Joseph Vigiano rushed into the World Trade Center, and died rescuing his fellow citizens.  His brother, John, was a New York firefighter.  He also gave his life that day at Ground Zero.

At the time, Joseph’s three sons were just young boys, ages eight, six, and three months old.  This morning, they are with us.  The youngest, John, just started his freshman year of college at SUNY Maritime College, and he plans to join the military.  Joseph, Jr. is a Marine reservist and, just like his father, he is a proud member of the NYPD.  And James is a corporal in the Marines.  On his last deployment, James was stationed on the USS New York, a ship made using 24 tons of steel from the World Trade Center.  Every time he left the mess hall on his way to his bunk, he passed a picture of his dad.

To John, Joseph, and James, and to the Vigiano family, you have sacrificed beyond measure, and you will never, ever stop giving back to this country.  And thank you very much for being here.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Very proud of you.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.

The heroes present today remind us of an immortal truth. The future of our nation is secured through the vigilance of our people: The brave men and women who tore through the gates of hell to save the hurt and the wounded.  The service members who honor the friends who perished by continuing their exceptional life of service.  The moms and dads who endure the loss of their soulmates, and fill their children’s lives with all of the adoration in the world.  The sons and daughters who suffered grave loss, and yet through it all, persevere to care for our neighbors, defend our homeland, and safeguard our nation.  Each of your lives tells the story of courage and character, virtue and valor, resilience and resolve, loyalty and love.

This morning, we make a sacred vow to carry on this noble legacy.  Today and every day, we pledge to honor our history, to treasure our liberty, to uplift our communities, to live up to our values, to prove worthy of our heroes, and above all, stronger than ever, to never, ever forget.

We are now, and will forever be, one American family united by patriotism, bound by destiny, and sustained by the faith of Almighty God.

Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless our military.  And God bless the United States of America.

Thank you all.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

                         END                 10:14 A.M. EDT