Monday, July 6, 2020

1600 Daily The White House • July 6, 2020 10 Must-See Moments from President Trump’s Mt. Rushmore Speech

1600 Daily
The White House • July 6, 2020

10 must-see moments from President Trump’s Mt. Rushmore speech


President Trump visited Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered “one of the best speeches of his Presidency,” according to The Wall Street Journal editorial board.

🎬 WATCH: Highlights from President Trump’s visit to Mt. Rushmore

“Contrary to the media reporting, the America Mr. Trump described is one of genuine racial equality and diversity,” they continue. The President told the story of America through its many national heroes—presidents such as Washington and Lincoln, as well as other brave patriots such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr.

“No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America,” President Trump said. “And no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation.”

Here are 10 of the top moments from his speech:
  1. 🎬 An eternal tribute to our forefathers. In contrast to the far-left mobs tearing down and desecrating monuments across our country, President Trump honored the lives of the four men whose faces are forever carved into Mount Rushmore.
     
  2. 🎬 America’s history will not be surrendered. Anarchists and extremists “think the American people are weak, and soft, and submissive. But no—the American people are strong and proud, and they will not allow our country, and all of its values, history, and culture, to be taken from them.”
     
  3. 🎬 All men are created equal. Fifty-six patriots, 244 years ago, set in motion “the unstoppable march of freedom” by stating boldly that “all men are created equal.”
     
  4. 🎬 Today, we set the record straight. “The radical view of American history is a web of lies—all perspective is removed, every virtue is obscured, every motive is twisted, every fact is distorted, and every flaw is magnified until the history is purged and the record is disfigured beyond all recognition.”
     
  5. 🎬 We will not be silenced. “No person who remains quiet at the destruction of this resplendent heritage can possibly lead us to a better future,” President Trump said. No one who loves this country would seek to demolish its legacy.
     
  6. 🎬 Our children can achieve anything. “We will raise the next generation of American patriots . . . We will teach our children to know that they live in a land of legends, that nothing can stop them, and that no one can hold them down.”
     
  7. 🎬 Made in the holy image of God. Americans believe in equal opportunity, equal justice, and equal treatment for every person. “Every child, of every color—born and unborn—is made in the holy image of God.”
     
  8. 🎬 A surprise announcement. President Trump announced the creation of a new national monument, the National Garden of American Heroes. It will be a vast outdoor park featuring statues of the greatest Americans who have ever lived.
     
  9. 🎬 The father of our country. “From head to toe, George Washington represented the strength, grace, and dignity of the American people.”
     
  10. 🎬 The best is yet to come. “Centuries from now, our legacy will be the cities we built, the champions we forged, the good we did, and the monuments we created to inspire us all . . . America’s future is in our hands.”
Press Secretary: Teaching our children to love America is not a “culture war.”

FULL SPEECHRead President Trump’s full address from Mt. Rushmore

    Photo of the Day

    President Trump at the 2020 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration | July 3, 2020

    PRESS BRIEFING BY PRESS SECRETARY KAYLEIGH MCENANY James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

    Office of the Press Secretary
    PRESS BRIEFING
    BY PRESS SECRETARY KAYLEIGH MCENANY

    James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

     
    1:29 P.M. EDT

         MS. MCENANY:  All right.  Hello, everyone.  Over the holiday weekend, President Trump delivered two defining, unifying, and patriotic speeches, which drew widespread praise by those who cherish our values, honor our history, and seek to advance policies that lift up all Americans.

         The President outlined a vision for the future.  The President outlined a vision for stronger and safer communities.  President Trump said, “After all, what do we want?  We want a strong military, great education, housing, low taxes, law and order.”  He went on to say, “We want safety, we want equal justice, we want religious liberty, we want faith and family, and living in the great communities and happy communities and safe communities.  And we want great jobs, and we want to be respected by the rest of the world, not taken advantage of by the rest of the world.”  He went on to say, “We should all want the same thing.  How can it be any different than those things?”

         This message is now more important and more timely than ever.  Radical left-wing mobs seek to tear down our monuments and our memorials -- everyone from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglass, and even Gandhi.  Misguided movements, such as “Defund the Police,” seek to leave our communities more vulnerable than ever.  Case in point: This weekend alone, in New York, there were 44 shootings with 11 killed; in Chicago, 75 people were shot with 13 killed; and tragically, at least five of these individuals were children who were killed in cities across the country.  An absolutely devastating loss, and we grieve for those families.  Crimes such as this is dark and it is divisive.

         This July 4th, the President said, “Our movement is based on lifting all citizens to reach their fullest God-given potential.  Never forget: We are one family and one nation…We will teach our children to cherish and adore their country so…they can build its future.”

         This vision is not a culture war, as the media seeks to falsely proclaim; it's an embrace of our American family, our values, our freedom, and our future.

         And with that, I'll take questions.

         Peter.

         Q    Kayleigh, I want to ask you just a couple questions.  The first one: Why is the President so supportive of flying the Confederate flag?

         MS. MCENANY:  So I think you're referring to a tweet this morning.  Is that right?

         Q    Correct.

         MS. MCENANY:  Well, I think you're mischaracterizing the tweet.  The tweet was aimed at pointing out that the FBI report of the alleged hate crime at NASCAR concluded that the garage door pull, which had been there since last fall, was obviously not targeted at a specific individual because, in fact, it was a garage pull and, in fact, it was there since last fall, long before these 43 teams arrived.  And it was concluded by the FBI that this was, quote, “not an intentional racist act.”

         Q    For clarity, I’m asking you about the Confederate flags.  My question is: Why is the President so supportive of flying the Confederate flag?

         MS. MCENANY:  The President never said that.  Again, you're taking his tweet completely out of context.

         Q    The President said that NASCAR saw bad ratings because they took down the Confederate flag, banned the Confederate flag.  Does he believe NASCAR should fly the Confederate flag?  And why don't they fly it here?

         MS. MCENANY:  The whole point of the tweet was to note the incident, the alleged hate crime that, in fact, was not a hate crime.  At the very end, the ban on the flag was mentioned in the broader context of the fact that he rejects this notion that somehow NASCAR men and women who go to these sporting events are racist when, in fact, as it turns out, what we saw with the FBI report and the alleged incident of a hate crime -- it was a complete indictment of the media's rush to judgment once again, calling this a hate crime when the FBI completely dismissed that.

         Q    Let me ask you about some of the President's comments this weekend.  The President said that 99 percent of coronavirus cases are totally harmless.  Which members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force agree with that statement?

         MS. MCENANY:  So what the President was pointing to -- and I'm glad you brought it up -- was a factual statement, one that is rooted in science and one that was pointing out the fact that mortality in this country is very low.  And I have two charts that we'll pull up to illustrate that.

         The first chart is the case fatality rate in the United States.  And as you can see, the mortality rate has gone like this -- (motions downward) -- the case fatality rate.  And also, in the second chart you'll see -- hopefully they have it up behind me -- but the case rate -- fatality rate in this country vis-à-vis other European countries is much lower than, let's say, France and Italy.  And what that speaks to is the great work of this administration with therapeutics and remdesivir and dexamethasone.  And that's what the President was pointing out.

         Q    So I want to get back to --

         MS. MCENANY:  Jon.

         Q    -- just to follow up quickly, though.  So if you don't die, is it not harmless?

         MS. MCENANY:  The President was noting the fact that the vast majority of Americans who contract coronavirus will come out on the other side of this.  Of course, he takes this very seriously.  Of course, no one wants to see anyone in this country contract COVID, which is why the administration has fought hard to make sure that's not the case with our historic response effort.

         Jon.

         Q    Kayleigh, to follow on Peter’s question, what is the President's position?  Does he think NASCAR made a mistake by banning the Confederate flag?

         MS. MCENANY:  So he said he -- I spoke to him this morning about this, and he said he was not making a judgment one way or the other.  The intent of the tweet was to stand up for the men and women of NASCAR and the fans and those who have gone, and this rush to judgment of the media to call something a hate crime when, in fact, the FBI report concluded this was not an intentional racist act.  And it very much mirrors other times when there have been a rush to judgment, let's say with the Covington boys or with Jussie Smollett.

         Q    But let’s drill down on the Confederate flag.  Does he think it was a mistake for NASCAR to ban it?

         MS. MCENANY:  The President said he wasn’t making a judgment one way or the other.  You’re focusing on --

         Q    But what is his position on it?

         MS. MCENANY:  -- one word at the very bottom of a tweet that’s completely taken out of context and neglecting the complete rush to judgment on this.

         Q    Wasn’t he saying that NASCAR’s rating were down because they banned the flag?  That’s what he said.

         MS. MCENANY:  The President was noting the fact that, in aggregate, this notion that NASCAR men and women who have gone and who are being demeaned and called racist, and being accused in some venues of committing a hate crime against an individual, those allegations were just dead wrong.

         Q    Does he think --

         MS. MCENANY:  Paula.

         Q    Does he think his supporters should not take the flag to Trump rallies?  Has he considered banning the Confederate flag from Trump rallies?

         MS. MCENANY:  Well, at Trump rallies, all flags that are not official campaign gear are banned.

         Yes.

         Q    Kayleigh, why is it Bubba Wallace’s responsibility to apologize for an investigation into a noose that he didn't report and he never even saw?  It was NASCAR that found this, that reported this.  And even the FBI referred to it as a noose, even if they said it wasn't a specific crime against Mr. Wallace.  Why is the President even suggesting that Mr. Wallace should apologize?

         MS. MCENANY:  Well, look, the FBI, as I noted, concluded that this was not a hate crime, and he believes it’d go a long way if Bubba came out and acknowledged that as well --

         Q    He has. 

         MS. MCENANY:  This was not --

         Q    He has.

         MS. MCENANY:  -- a hate crime, as noted --

         Q    In interviews, he’s been very clear that --

         MS. MCENANY:  -- by the FBI.  So, the President --

         Q    -- the FBI found this was not intentional.

         MS. MCENANY:  One of the things --

         Q    Why is he directing this at Mr. Wallace?

         MS. MCENANY:  So one of the things that --

         Q    He was a victim of a suspected hate crime.

         MS. MCENANY:  One of -- this is where the President comes from, and this is where the President stands, and he actually hinted at this in his July 4th speech: “To those in the media who falsely and consistently label their opponents as racist, who condemn patriotic citizens who offer a clear and truthful defense of American unity, we want a clear and faithful defense of American history and unity.  And when you level false charges, you not only slander me, you slander the American people.”  He believes --

         Q    Who was charged?  It was an open investigation, Kayleigh --

         MS. MCENANY:  -- the American people are good.  And the allegations --

         Q    -- into a noose.  The FBI said --

         MS. MCENANY:  -- and the rush to judgement --

         Q    -- it was a noose.

         MS. MCENANY:  -- with Jussie Smollett and the Bubba Wallace case and with the Covington Catholic boys, we shouldn't be so quick to jump onto those narratives.  Those are just three examples of those --

         Q    But you’re suggesting that Mr. Wallace --

         MS. MCENANY:  that have been proven false.

         Yes.

         Q    -- should apologize for an investigation that someone else initiated, suggesting he was possibly the victim of a hate crime?

         MS. MCENANY:  (Calls on next reporter.)  Yes.

         Q    The Governor of South Dakota flew back on Air Force One after having contact with somebody who had tested positive for the virus.  Why was that allowed to happen?  Did she have contact with the President on the trip back?  And has the President continued to test negative since that interaction?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes, the President is tested constantly, has tested negative, and those around him are tested as well.

         Q    But why -- the original question is: Why was she to allowed to fly back on Air Force One with the President, when it was known that she had had contact with somebody who had tested positive for the virus?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, I’d have to refer you to Secret Service on that.  But I'll tell you this: They take the President's health very seriously.  They would never put him in a situation that would put him in harm's way.

         Q    And just one follow-up, please.

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes.

         Q    On executive orders, the President has set a pretty brisk pace on those this year.  And as a candidate, he had been critical of President Obama's use of executive orders, but he seems to have really stepped up the pace on these.  And I wanted to ask, you know, what does he find -- what is the strategy behind issuing more than one a week so far this year?  And I know he's getting ready to issue more in the coming weeks.

         MS. MCENANY:  Well, he will use the powers in his executive toolkit to further the agenda of the American people.  That's his intent with these executive orders.  And I would just note that, with regard to the DACA decision, the Supreme Court has suggested he has pretty wide discretion to act.

         Yes, Jeff.

         Q    Hi, Kayleigh.  With regard to the President's reference about the 99 percent being harmless, does the President worry at all that by downplaying the severity of the virus, that it will lead Americans to be less careful?

         MS. MCENANY:  The President isn’t downplaying the severity of the virus.  What the President is noting is that, at the height of this pandemic, we were at 2,500 deaths per day.  We are now at a place where, on July 4th, there were 254; that's a tenfold decrease in mortality.  On July 5th, 209 individuals, down 23 percent from last Sunday and the lowest Sunday since March 28th.

         The President has made clear: We grieve when just one life is lost, but he wants to note the progress that we've made in treating this very serious virus when we have therapeutics like convalescent plasma, remdesivir, dexamethasone.  Convalescent plasma, in particular, was spearheaded by this administration.

         He's used -- he's pulled down bureaucracy and allowed us to get to a place where we can have this declining mortality rate.

         Q    And just to follow up on the NASCAR thing: You were saying that we're taking the tweet out of context, but this is what he tweeted.  He says, “Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?  That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!”

         How -- how are we misinterpreting that?

         MS. MCENANY:  I've explained to you -- this is, I guess, the fourth attempt, but we'll try it again -- in aggregate, what he was pointing out is this rush to judgment to immediately say that there is a hate crime, as happened in this case, as happened with Jussie Smollett, as happened with the Covington Catholic boys.  In an aggregate, those actions made it seem like NASCAR men and women were racist individuals who were roving around and engaging in a hate crime.

         The President's intent was to say, no, most American people are good, hardworking people, and we should not have this rush to judgment, kneejerk reaction before the facts come out.  The FBI did their job and determined there was no hate crime.

         Mario.

         Q    Is the President comparing Smollett to Wallace?

         Q    Hold on.  Hold on.  Just that one thing it wasn't clear in your response -- and that’s why I asked about it again, and it follows up on Paula’s question -- is: Why should Mr. Wallace have to apologize for that when his whole team and all of these colleagues came around him to show support?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, and that's the best of America, is coming around when the media alleged a hate crime; coming around and supporting Bubba Wallace as they should have done.  I think that shows how loving NASCAR fans are and the fellow drivers.

         But I think it's important that we point out the fact that there was no hate crime; the FBI concluded that.  And President Trump was merely saying that Mr. Wallace should agree with that consensus.

         Yes, Mario.

         Q    No, he’s saying he has to apologize.

         MS. MCENANY:  Mario, yes.

         Q    He’s saying he has to apologize.  That’s what we’re trying to ask you, Kayleigh, is --

         MS. MCENANY:  Mario, yes.

         Q    -- why should he have to apologize about that?

         MS. MCENANY:  I’m not going to answer a question a sixth time.

         Mario.

         Q    But you haven’t answered that question.  I mean, you’ve been asked it, but you haven’t answered it.

         Q    You haven’t answered it.

         MS. MCENANY:  Mario, go ahead.

         Q    Kayleigh, on the Confederate part: Why would the President not praise NASCAR for removing the Confederate flag, particularly given the history of that flag, the symbol that it has for African Americans, and also what it represents in terms of just the treasonous acts and the insurrection against the Republic?

         MS. MCENANY:  So --

         Q    Why would he not praise them for taking that down, even if it’s a ratings (inaudible)?

         MS. MCENANY:  The President takes great offense when Americans -- our kneejerk reaction summed up as racist.  And in aggregate, the picture being painted here in this instant -- incident seemed to be that there was that suggestion there, when, in fact, what we're seeing across the nation is this vast cancel culture where we're going to tear down our monuments, we're going to tear down Gandhi, we're going to tear down George Washington, we're going to tear down Lincoln.

         It's really quite appalling what we've seen happen across the country, and the President wants no part in cancel culture.  He wants to no part in the tearing down and defacing of Matthias Baldwin, an abolitionist; Philadelphia Civil War soldiers; John Greenleaf Whittier vandalized, an abolitionist.  He wants no part in this, and he stands against the demonization of Americans, and he stands firmly on the side of preserving our history.

         Yes.

         Q    But, Kayleigh, the Confederate flag is a different issue.

         MS. MCENANY:  He's not -- I said from the very top of this briefing: He has not given an opinion one way or the other on that.  I just spoke to him this morning.

         Yes.

         Q    Kayleigh, why -- what exactly does the President see as positive or uniting then about the Confederate flag?  Why does he -- why did he decide to tweet about it then, this morning?

         MS. MCENANY:  The President never used those words.  Those are the words of a reporter, not that of the President of the United States.

         Q    And, Kayleigh, to follow up --

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes, Phil.

         Q    Thank you.  The President argued on Friday, and then again on Saturday, that many of the problems the country faces stem from, quote, “extreme indoctrination and bias” in the education system.  If that's the case, is he working with Secretary DeVos to address what he sees as a major problem?

         You know, what -- what steps is he taking to (inaudible) this?  And could you give us an example?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, I’d have to inquire about that, about specific steps that he's taken.  I'm not aware of his conversations with Secretary DeVos, but I will certainly follow up.

         But, look, we've got a real problem in this country.  When you have rioters who -- I have listed off some of the examples of abolitionists -- there seems to be zero understanding of history when you're defacing the statue of Matthias Baldwin and John Whittier and Ulysses S. Grant.

         There seems to be a lack of understanding and historical knowledge when the Armenian Genocide Memorial, remembering victims of all crimes against humanity including slavery, is vandalized.

         There seems to be a lack of understanding of history when the first responders sculpture is damaged, when the Polish war hero statue, the World War I Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and absolutely the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Washington [Massachusetts] Memorial that honored African American soldiers who fought valiantly in the Civil War was damaged in Boston.  We need to have a better historical understanding.

         And I'll follow up with you about specific conversations.

         Yes, Toluse.

         Q    Thank you, Kayleigh.  I have question about masks.  The President has, sort of, equivocated on the issue of masks, and we know that a number of Republicans are starting to say that it's the single-most important thing that Americans can do to protect each other.  What is the President's message to Americans who hear those messages and say that they simply don't want to wear a mask?  What does the President say to those (inaudible)?

         MS. MCENANY:  Well, the President was very clear last week that if he were in a situation where he wasn't tested daily and he was in close proximity and unable to social distance, that he would wear a mask.  So he has made that clear.  At his rally this weekend in New Hampshire, masks are not only handed out but they are recommended.

         Yes.

         Q    Thank you, Kayleigh.  I wanted to say, first off, point of fact: Bubba Wallace did not make any kind of false report.  And I'm wondering, in general, why the President thinks that issue is worth his time and focus right now in the midst of a deadly pandemic?  And then also, you’ve said he has no opinion on the Confederate flag.  Why can't this White House unambiguously state whether or not it supports displays of the Confederate flag and --

         MS. MCENANY:  No, I said --

         Q    -- Confederate monuments, which are much more --

         MS. MCENANY:  I said in his --

         Q    -- a part of this question than Gandhi?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, I said that, you know, he was -- his tweet was not to indicate approval or disapproval of that particular policy of NASCAR.  It was in aggregate to stand against the rush to judgment to call something a hate crime before the facts were out, when clearly the media was wrong about this, when clearly --

         Q    But you said Bubba Wallace made a false report; he didn’t.

         MS. MCENANY:  I never said that.  Perhaps one of the reporters said that, but I certainly did not.

         But he believes that we should be -- that the truth matters and that the truth was: The FBI did a thorough investigation, and what was concluded -- that there was no hate crime here.  And we should all be grateful for that; grateful that NASCAR fans came together in a great display of American unity around Mr. Wallace.  But then we should also be equally unequivocal about the truth of this situation here and that most Americans are great, hardworking people.

         Yes.

         Q    But why is this cultural stuff worth his time and --

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes.

         Q    -- focus during the pandemic?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes, he’s focused on two things at once, something we’re all capable of doing.

         Q    And what about on an unambiguous statement on the Confederate flag?  Are we capable of doing that?

         MS. MCENANY:  Look, the President has made clear he was not taking a position one way or the other in that tweet.

         Q    Exactly.  But why not?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes.  Yes.

         Q    Thanks, Kayleigh.  Two quick questions, if I may.  Does the President support the Cleveland Indians and the football team here in Washington considering changing their names?

         MS. MCENANY:  I haven't spoken to the President on that.

         Q    And the other question: Who came up with the list of historical figures that the President wants honored in his -- in his garden of statues that he put out this executive order about?  Who came up with the list of people to be included?

         MS. MCENANY:  So, I don’t know exactly who came up with that list.  I can ask about it, but it's a pretty extraordinary list of people.  I think we can all agree on the fact that great American heroes are people like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr. -- these are incredible men and women in our history -- Susan B. Anthony and Billy Graham.  So I think we can all pretty much widely acknowledge that these are American heroes.

         Yes.

         Q    Thank you, Kayleigh.  The President signed the Payroll Protection Program extension over the weekend.  There's $132 billion in the pot.  What does the President think that that money should be used for if it's still there after August 8th?  And then, in a CARES 4, specifically, what should be there to help small businesses?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, so I don't have any updates on phase four.  I've mentioned that the payroll tax is something of great interest to the President because it would help low -- low- and middle-income Americans most.  PPP funding -- they've done an extraordinary job with that.  Small businesses across the country have gotten this, and we've kept people on payroll.  So he's very pleased with the progress that's been made there and the continuing functioning of the PPP.

         Yes.

         Q    Would he veto a bill then that did not have the payroll tax relief in it?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, I don’t want to set parameters or conditions.  That'll be up to the President when the bill arrives on his desk.

         Yes.

         Q    Thank you, Kayleigh, so much.  As President Trump wants to reopen the country, what will be the criteria to cancel the travel bans?  Because we know that the bans are still in place for European countries where the situation is under control.  And, on the other hand, there is no ban on hotspots like Russia, India, or Mexico, for example.  So what is the criteria?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yeah, so I don't have specific criteria to give you.  I'd have to refer you to the State Department and Secretary Pompeo, and his remarks on the topic during his last press conference, as where we currently stand.

         But President Trump and the administration have taken bold, decisive, and frequent action to secure our homeland, and a big part of that has been these travel restrictions.  And we're working with countries around the world, and we hope to have a day where international travel is open.  But right now, this is about putting America first.

         And I want to say this --

         Q    Kayleigh, can I ask one more question?

         MS. MCENANY:  Yes.

         Q    European countries, and now the UK, are starting to open for touring visitors, but the U.S. is still banned.  How do you think the world is looking at the United States right now?

         MS. MCENANY:   I think the world is looking at us as a leader in COVID-19, because the chart I showed you, where you have mortality rate -- and Italy and UK up here and across Europe, and you have the United States at a low case mortality rate -- it's because of the extraordinary work that we've done on therapeutics and getting PPE and leading on ventilators and having excess ventilators that we were able to deploy around the world and help other countries.  So that's what I would have to say on COVID.

         And finally, I'd end with this: You know, I was asked probably 12 questions about the Confederate flag.  This President is focused on action, and I'm a little dismayed that I didn’t receive one question on the deaths that we got in this country this weekend.  I didn’t receive one question about New York City shootings doubling for the third straight week.  And over the last seven days, shootings skyrocketed by 142 percent.  Not one question.  I didn’t receive one question about five children who were killed.

         And I'll leave you with this remark by a dad -- it broke my heart -- a dad of an eight-year-old lost in Atlanta this weekend: "They say black lives matter…you killed a child.  She didn't do nothing to nobody," was his quote.

         We need to be focused on securing our streets, making sure no lives are lost because all black lives matter -- that of David Dorn and that of this eight-year-old girl.

         Thank you.

                             END                  1:51 P.M. EDT

    Statement from the Press Secretary on the Visit of His Excellency Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of the United Mexican States

    Office of the Press Secretary
    Statement from the Press Secretary on the Visit of His Excellency Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of the United Mexican States

    President Donald J. Trump will welcome President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the United Mexican States to the White House on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, as part of their continued partnership on trade, health, and other issues central to regional prosperity and security. The two leaders will recognize the historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that entered into force on July 1, 2020, and their shared effort to ensure North America continues strengthening its economic ties while working to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

    The USMCA is the largest, fairest, and most balanced trade agreement ever negotiated and contains innovative provisions to help increase global economic competitiveness as a region, grow the economy, and support American jobs, including those in manufacturing and agriculture. Additionally, the USMCA includes groundbreaking provisions to address digital trade, services, small business, and more, which will protect America’s competitive edge in technology and innovation.

    West Wing Reads ‘Trump Punches Back At Totalitarian Left’ at Mt. Rushmore

    West Wing Reads

    ‘Trump Punches Back At Totalitarian Left’ at Mt. Rushmore


    “Which is more divisive? Tearing down our nation’s heroes and monuments, demeaning the accomplishments of a great country, casting patriotic Americans as relics from a bygone era, painting the United States as profoundly racist … or railing against these things, as President Trump did at Mount Rushmore?,” Liz Peek writes for Fox News.

    The New York Times calls that defense of America a “divisive culture war” message.

    “We ask the Times, who declared that war?”

    Click here to read more.
    “On the same weekend in which famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass 168 years ago delivered one of his most historically resonant speeches, a statue of Douglass was toppled,” Gary Craig and Ryan Miller write in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
    “After making the decision to disband its plainclothes ‘anti-crime’ unit, New York City has seen a 205% increase in shootings in comparison to the same time period last year,” Haley Victory Smith reports. “‘I feel like we are giving the streets back to the criminals,’ said the mother of one shooting victim.” Read more in the Washington Examiner.
    “Contrary to claims from both Chinese officials and the World Health Organization, China did not report the existence of the coronavirus in late 2019 . . . Rather, international health officials discovered the virus through information posted to a U.S. website,” Adam Kredo writes in the Washington Free Beacon.

    Presidential Message on National Air Traffic Control Day, 2020

    Office of the Press Secretary
    Presidential Message on National Air Traffic Control Day, 2020
    Across nearly 30 million square miles of American-controlled airspace, passengers fly safely and efficiently thanks to the diligent work of the men and women of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  On National Air Traffic Control Day, we recognize these dedicated professionals for the ingenuity and skill they use to safeguard America’s reputation for aviation excellence. 
    As our country continues to combat the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the FAA and its workforce have worked tirelessly to keep the skies open and safe.  Nearly 900 flights helped more than 80,000 United States citizens traveling in 133 countries return home, and more than 800 FEMA flights delivered roughly one billion gloves, gowns, and other essential supplies to medical workers.  Our Nation’s vigilant air traffic controllers are at the heart of these operations and have worked around the clock, as they always do, to keep flights operating safely, reliably, and on time. 
    In the months to come, the aviation industry will be integral in helping our Nation recover from the effects of the coronavirus and restoring our country’s robust economy.  To assist in these efforts, my Administration has provided approximately $10 billion through the CARES Act to support airports during these difficult times.  These funds will be used to help our airports—the foundation of our Nation’s air transportation system—remain operational and safely up-to-date. 
    On this National Air Traffic Control Day, we express our sincerest gratitude to the air traffic controllers and technicians who keep America’s air travel system open, safe, and efficient.  Their dutiful and diligent efforts help bolster our country’s economy, strengthen their local communities, and connect millions of Americans to their jobs, friends, and families each and every day.

    White House Photo's of the Week for June 28 - July 5, 2020

    Office of the Press Secretary
    Photos of the Week


    Sunday, June 28, 2020

    Vice President Mike Pence, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx listen as Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivers remarks during a COVID-19 press briefing Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

     
    Tuesday, June 30, 2020

    Vice President Mike Pence meets with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in the Secure Media Suite of the White House. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

     

    Vice President Mike Pence takes questions from reporters Tuesday, June 30, 2020, at the United States Public Health Service Commission Corps Headquarters in Rockville, Md. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

     
    Thursday, July 2, 2020

    President Donald J. Trump, joined by Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, delivers remarks during a press conference Thursday, July 2, 2020, in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Katie Ricks) 

     

    President Donald J. Trump greets small business owners during the Spirit of America Showcase Thursday, July 2, 2020, in the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    President Donald J. Trump greets small business owners during the Spirit of America Showcase Thursday, July 2, 2020, in the Cross Hall of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during the Spirit of America Showcase Thursday, July 2, 2020, in the Grand Foyer of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    Vice President Mike Pence places his hand on his heart as United States Army Staff Sgt. Edmund Milly sings the National Anthem during a Naturalization Ceremony Thursday, July 2, 2020, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen) 

     

    Vice President Mike Pence, joined by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, poses for a photo with new citizens after participating in a Naturalization Ceremony Thursday, July 2, 2020, on the Navy Steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

     

    Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis participate in a COVID-19 briefing Thursday, July 2, 2020, at the University of South Florida Health, Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation in Tampa, Fla. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

     

    Vice President Mike Pence takes notes during a COVID-19 briefing with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Thursday, July 2, 2020, at the University of South Florida Health, Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation in Tampa, Fla. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

     
    Friday, July 3, 2020

    First Lady Melania Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Friday, July 3, 2020, en route to a Fourth of July celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    Marine One carrying President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump flies by Mount Rushmore Friday, July 3, 2020, before a Fourth of July celebration at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D.  (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

     

    The United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover during a Fourth of July celebration with President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D.  (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour) 

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive to a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

     

    President Donald J. Trump salutes and First Lady Melania Trump places her hand on her heart as the United States Air Force Academy Concert Band performs the National Anthem during a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    The United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover as President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participate in a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participate in a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D.  (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a Fourth of July celebration Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D.  (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    Fireworks are seen during a Fourth of July celebration with President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Friday, July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, S.D.  (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     
    Saturday, July 4, 2020

    Air Force One performs a flyover during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to guests attending the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump point up to members of the United States Army Golden Knights as they parachute toward the Ellipse Saturday, July 4, 2020, during the 2020 Salute to America event on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump place their hands on their heart during the National Anthem as members of the United States Army Golden Knights parachute toward the Ellipse Saturday, July 4, 2020, during the 2020 Salute to America event on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump place their hands on their heart during the National Anthem at the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    Members of the United States Army Golden Knights parachute toward the Ellipse as President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participate in the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and guests look on as smoke from red, white, and blue fireworks is seen on the Ellipse Saturday, July 4, 2020, during the 2020 Salute to America event on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Carlos Fyfe) 

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch a flyover during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    Guests attending the 2020 Salute to America event listen as President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    First Lady Melania Trump looks on as President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

     

    An Honor Guard stands at attention during a flyover by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels Saturday, July 4, 2020, at the 2020 Salute to America event on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    The United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels perform a flyover during the 2020 Salute to America event Saturday, July 4, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Carlos Fyfe)

     

    President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watch fireworks from the Truman Balcony of the White House Saturday, July 4, 2020, during the Salute to America event on the South Lawn. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

     

    The North Portico of the White House is illuminated in red, white, and blue lights Saturday, July 4, 2020, in honor of Independence Day. (Official White House Photo by Katie Ricks)

     

    Fireworks appear above the North Portico of the White House illuminated in red, white, and blue lights Saturday, July 4, 2020, during the 2020 Salute to America event. (Official White House Photo by Keegan Barber)