1600 Daily The White House • December 18, 2019 America spoke. House Democrats never listened.

The White House • December 18, 2019

America spoke. H0use Democrats never listened.     Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats are about to go down in history. Their legacy will be sealed tonight with an unfair, hyper-partisan impeachment vote that is unprecedented for all the wrong reasons.  President Donald J. Trump committed no crime. House Democrats agree: Their Articles of Impeachment against him do not claim a single criminal violation. For the first time in history, a President will be impeached for solely political reasons.   Also for the first time ever, an American President will be impeached without any votes from the minority party. A couple Democrats may join in opposing it, too.   The Pelosi-Schiff blitz will go down as the fastest impeachment in U.S. history. Why the rush? Because public support has dropped steadily throughout the process. Most Americans are against it. Democrats can’t afford to let it continue.   If House Democrats are remembered for anything else, it will be their rank hypocrisy. Obvious political double standards tend to get lost in the moment—especially with a Democrat-friendly media helping the cause—but history judges them harshly. During the Clinton impeachment, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)—now chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee—warned that a partisan impeachment would be illegitimate. Such a ploy would “call into question the very legitimacy of our political institutions,” he said. He went so far as to lambast an impeachment attempt that didn’t have the “legitimacy of a national consensus” as a “partisan coup d’etat.” The amazing irony, of course, is that the Clinton impeachment was bipartisan, with five Democrats voting in favor of 3 of the 4 articles introduced. The Pelosi-Schiff impeachment of President Trump, however, is only bipartisan in the opposition to it. Americans have delivered their verdict. A new poll from Gallup finds that support for impeachment and removal has dropped 6 points. Other polls corroborate it: Recent ones from USA Today and Quinnipiac show that a majority of Americans oppose impeaching and removing President Trump from office. At town halls across America, constituents are demanding that House Democrats stop with impeachment and focus on the real issues facing our country. It should be obvious, and it is to everyone outside the Beltway Swamp: Americans are sick of Washington’s never-ending partisan circus. They’re tired of the excuses for obstructionism and inaction. They aren’t buying the phony, sanctimonious lip service to our Constitution and Founding Ideals from career politicians who never bother to defend either when it counts. Americans know House Democrats will go silent the moment they’re confronted with the Swamp’s own corruption, whether it be from FBI officials who used false information to spy on the Trump campaign or from Democrats’ own family members who got rich off conflicts of interest in Ukraine. Our citizens simply want their Government to work for them, not against them. Under President Trump, it finally is. The working-class boom is lifting wages for blue-collar workers, dropping the unemployment rate to a 50-year low, and slashing income inequality. On trade, this President renegotiated NAFTA and held China accountable for years of unfair and abusive practices that Washington ignored. Beyond that, illegal immigration is down, crime rates are down, and American service members are finally coming home while our NATO allies step up and contribute their fair share to the Alliance. But instead of listening to Americans and helping make Washington better, Democrats ignored them. The left sought impeachment from day one. They chased conspiracy theories to discredit the voices of 63 million Americans. They’ve called President Trump “illegitimate” and “not my President.” They’ve turned the most sacred power of Congress into a political weapon. They’ve made it clear democracy only counts if they win.  The message of the 2016 election was straightforward for anyone who listened: Put the American people first. Tonight, House Democrats will prove they never heard a word of it. In case you missed it: Read President Trump’s letter to Speaker Pelosi. Watch: “This has been rigged from the start.”

West Wing Reads These Have Been the Best Few Weeks of Trump’s Presidency

These Have Been the Best Few Weeks of Trump’s Presidency House Democrats will vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump tonight. “Yet these past few weeks have arguably been the best of Trump’s presidency — not despite impeachment, but in no small part because of it,” Marc Thiessen writes in The Washington Post. The accomplishments are many: USMCA is set to replace NAFTA, China has agreed to a major Phase 1 trade deal with America, and our booming economy is lifting wages and slashing income inequality. Even some Democrats are figuring that out: One of them, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (N-DJ), just announced he is switching to the Republican Party. Click here to read more. Meltdown: CNN legal analyst says ‘I don’t believe’ CNN poll showing support for impeachment is down “Ford Motor Co. is adding 3,000 jobs at two factories in the Detroit area and investing $1.45 billion to build new pickup trucks, SUVs, and electric and autonomous vehicles . . . Hiring will begin next year for the jobs that will pay on average about $61,000 a year,” Tom Krisher and David Eggert report for The Associated Press. Once again, Democrats’ partisan politics have backfired: “President Trump’s job approval rating has ticked up 6 percentage points since the Democrats' impeachment inquiry began, according to a new survey.” A majority of Americans also oppose impeachment and removing President Trump from office, Owen Daugherty reports in The Hill.   The top judge on the federal court overseeing U.S. surveillance activities just issued a stunning and unprecedented rebuke of the James Comey–led FBI. Judge Rosemary Collyer scolded the FBI for providing false and misleading information in applications to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser, Chuck Ross reports for The Daily Caller.

Text of a Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Serious Human Rights Abuse and Corruption

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2019

NOTICE - - - - - - - CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE AND CORRUPTION        On December 20, 2017, by Executive Order 13818, the President declared a national emergency with respect to serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world and, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), took related steps to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.      The prevalence and severity of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on December 20, 2017, must continue in effect beyond December 20, 2019.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13818 with respect to serious human rights abuse and corruption.      This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.                                 DONALD J. TRUMP   THE WHITE HOUSE,     December 18, 2019.

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2019 President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individual to key positions in his Administration: Neil Andrew Jacobs of North Carolina, to be the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere at the Department of Commerce. Dr. Jacobs is currently the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, where he is responsible for advancement of United States weather prediction, space innovation, unmanned systems, and developing the blue economy.  Dr. Jacobs previously served as Chief Scientist at Panasonic, where he directed research and development of aviation weather observing and forecast programs.  Before joining Panasonic, Dr. Jacobs worked on various projects including NASA's Earth Systems Science Program, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Program, and the Department of Energy's Ocean Margins Program.  He was Chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Forecast Improvement Group, and served on the World Meteorological Organization’s observing systems expert team.  Dr. Jacobs holds bachelor degrees in mathematics and physics from the University of South Carolina and an M.S. in air-sea interaction and a Ph.D. in numerical weather prediction from North Carolina State University.  He resides in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife Dr. Jennifer Modliszewski and sons Nicolaus and Theodore.   --- Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to key positions in his Administration: Bryan S. Ware of Virginia, to be the Assistant Director for Cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security. Bryan S. Ware currently serves as the Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, and Resilience Policy at the Department of Homeland Security.  Mr. Ware is responsible for leading department-wide efforts to reduce national risks, with a focus on critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, Federal network security, countering cyber-crime, and improving the security and resilience of the global cyber ecosystem.  In 1998, Mr. Ware founded an artificial intelligence company, which he led until it was acquired in 2013 by Haystax.  After serving as Chief Technology Officer of Haystax, he served as CEO from 2016 until 2018.  Mr. Ware started his professional career with leading defense contractors working on advanced technology programs, including the Star Wars program, early UAV payloads, and counterterrorism technologies.  Mr. Ware has been issued multiple patents in artificial intelligence and mobile technology.  He holds a degree in Applied Optics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Jeffrey A. Koses of Virginia (GSA Rep) to be a Member of the Committee for Purchase from People who are Blind or Severely Disabled (AbilityOne Commission). David Bohigian of Missouri to be a Member on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. Randolph R. Lowell of South Carolina to be a Member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. Robert D. Alverson of Washington State, to be a Member of the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Jay D. Vogt of South Dakota to be a Member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The following individuals to be Members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Paul Hsu of Florida Michelle Park Steel of California Doris Flores Brooks of Guam Keiko Matsudo Orrall of Massachusetts Helen Van Etten of Kansas Edward Jerome Calvo of Guam Jennifer Carnahan of Minnesota David B. Cohen of California Grace Y. Lee of Michigan George Leing of Colorado Jan-le Low of Nevada Herman Martir of Texas Prem Parameswaran of New York Amata Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa Chiling Tong of Maryland The following individuals to be Members of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board: Susan Braden of the District of Columbia Margaret Chai Maloney of California Alphonso Jackson of Virginia John M. Viola of New York The following individuals to be Members of the Commission on Presidential Scholars: Elizabeth Gunther of South Carolina James Zaleski of California The following individuals to be Members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council: Alan D. Listhaus of Pennsylvania Howard M. Lorber of New York Eli Henry Miller of Massachusetts The following individuals to be Members of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: Robert S. Graham of Arizona Melinda Hildebrand of Texas