Wednesday, January 8, 2020

President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to Key Administration Post

Office of the Press Secretary
President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to Key Administration Post
 
Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key position in his Administration:

John Chase Johnson of Oklahoma, to be the Inspector General at the Federal Communications Commission.

Mr. Johnson is an attorney at Covington & Burling LLP, where he practices in the commercial litigation and government contracts groups.  He also serves as a Major and Military Judge in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.  Before joining Covington, Mr. Johnson served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps and deployed to Afghanistan.  He clerked for Judge Edith Clement of the Fifth Circuit and Judge Victor Wolski of the Court of Federal Claims.  A native of Oklahoma, Mr. Johnson holds a B.A. in history from Duke University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
 

President Trump Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Guatemala to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla

Office of the Press Secretary
President Trump Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Guatemala to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla
 
President Donald J. Trump today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Guatemala to attend the Inauguration of
His Excellency Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla on January 14, 2020, in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The Honorable Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., U.S. Secretary of Commerce, will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation:

The Honorable Luis E. Arreaga, United States Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala

The Honorable Chad F. Wolf, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The Honorable Adam S. Boehler, Chief Executive Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP ON IRAN Grand Foyer

Office of the Press Secretary
 REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP
ON IRAN
 
Grand Foyer
 

11:28 A.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  As long as I am President of the
United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

     Good morning.  I'm pleased to inform you: The American people should be extremely grateful and happy no Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime.  We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.

     Our great American forces are prepared for anything.  Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world.

     No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well.  I salute the incredible skill and courage of America’s men and women in uniform.

     For far too long -- all the way back to 1979, to be exact -- nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the Middle East and beyond.  Those days are over.  Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilized world.  We will never let that happen.

     Last week, we took decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist from threatening American lives.  At my direction, the United States military eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani.  As the head of the Quds Force, Soleimani was personally responsible for some of the absolutely worst atrocities.

     He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets.  He fueled bloody civil wars all across the region.  He viciously wounded and murdered thousands of U.S. troops, including the planting of roadside bombs that maim and dismember their victims.

     Soleimani directed the recent attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq that badly wounded four service members and killed one American, and he orchestrated the violent assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.  In recent days, he was planning new attacks on American targets, but we stopped him.

     Soleimani’s hands were drenched in both American and Iranian blood.  He should have been terminated long ago.  By removing Soleimani, we have sent a powerful message to terrorists: If you value your own life, you will not threaten the lives of our people.

     As we continue to evaluate options in response to Iranian aggression, the United States will immediately impose additional punishing economic sanctions on the Iranian regime.  These powerful sanctions will remain until Iran changes its behavior.

     In recent months alone, Iran has seized ships in international waters, fired an unprovoked strike on Saudi Arabia, and shot down two U.S. drones.

     Iran’s hostilities substantially increased after the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, and they were given $150 billion, not to mention $1.8 billion in cash.  Instead of saying "thank you" to the United States, they chanted "death to America."  In fact, they chanted "death to America" the day the agreement was signed.

     Then, Iran went on a terror spree, funded by the money from the deal, and created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq.  The missiles fired last night at us and our allies were paid for with the funds made available by the last administration.  The regime also greatly tightened the reins on their own country, even recently killing 1,500 people at the many protests that are taking place all throughout Iran.

     The very defective JCPOA expires shortly anyway, and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout.  Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism.  The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, and China to recognize this reality.

     They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal -– or JCPOA –- and we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place.  We must also make a deal that allows Iran to thrive and prosper, and take advantage of its enormous untapped potential.  Iran can be a great country.

     Peace and stability cannot prevail in the Middle East as long as Iran continues to foment violence, unrest, hatred, and war.  The civilized world must send a clear and unified message to the Iranian regime: Your campaign of terror, murder, mayhem will not be tolerated any longer.  It will not be allowed to go forward.

     Today, I am going to ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process.  Over the last three years, under my leadership, our economy is stronger than ever before and America has achieved energy independence.  These historic accompliments [accomplishments] changed our strategic priorities.  These are accomplishments that nobody thought were possible.  And options in the Middle East became available.  We are now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world.  We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil.

     The American military has been completely rebuilt under my administration, at a cost of $2.5 trillion.  U.S. Armed Forces are stronger than ever before.  Our missiles are big, powerful, accurate, lethal, and fast.  Under construction are many hypersonic missiles.

     The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it.  We do not want to use it.  American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent.

     Three months ago, after destroying 100 percent of ISIS and its territorial caliphate, we killed the savage leader of ISIS, al-Baghdadi, who was responsible for so much death, including the mass beheadings of Christians, Muslims, and all who stood in his way.  He was a monster.  Al-Baghdadi was trying again to rebuild the ISIS caliphate, and failed.

     Tens of thousands of ISIS fighters have been killed or captured during my administration.  ISIS is a natural enemy of Iran.  The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran, and we should work together on this and other shared priorities.

     Finally, to the people and leaders of Iran: We want you to have a future and a great future -- one that you deserve, one of prosperity at home, and harmony with the nations of the world.  The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.

     I want to thank you, and God bless America.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  Thank you.

                                       END                11:37 A.M. EST

President Donald J. Trump Approves Puerto Rico Emergency Declaration

Office of the Press Secretary
President Donald J. Trump Approves Puerto Rico Emergency Declaration
 
Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from earthquakes beginning on December 28, 2019, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 78 municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Pete Gaynor, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Alexis Amparo as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT:  FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV
 

West Wing Reads President Trump to Address the Nation on Iran Attacks

West Wing Reads

President Trump to Address the Nation on Iran Attacks


President Donald J. Trump will speak on the Iran crisis at 11 a.m. this morning, “after Iran attacked two military bases in Iraq that house American troops,” David Jackson reports for USA Today.

Last night, the President announced on Twitter that "All is well,” adding that "missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!"

Click here to read more.

Watch: President Trump address the nation live at 11 a.m. ET
While the Iranian regime portrays Qasem Soleimani as a hero, “ordinary Iranians and many others in the region know him as a murderous and brutal killer responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Iran and across the region.” In the wake of his death, “Iranians on social media have been thanking President Trump by posting photos and videos,” Raman Ghavami writes in the Washington Examiner.
“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it official Tuesday: He’s calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bluff, and refusing to guarantee impeachment trial procedures of her choosing.” Speaker Pelosi’s stall tactics reveal “the blatant, politically driven contradiction between her rush to a House vote on impeachment and her subsequent delay of any Senate trial,” the New York Post editorial board writes.  
Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump delivered a keynote address yesterday at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, touting innovation as an engine for American job growth, James Rogers and Stephanie Bennett report for Fox News.