White House Photo's of the Week February 16 -22, 2020

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 22, 2020

Photos of the Week Sunday, February 16, 2020 President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump applaud the crowd after delivering remarks at the Daytona 500 Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   President Donald J. Trump, joined by First Lady Melania Trump, delivers remarks before the start of the Daytona 500 Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are greeted by drivers and personnel while attending the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   President Donald J. Trump, the 2020 Daytona 500 grand marshal, delivers the command to start the race alongside First Lady Melania Trump Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump place their hands on their hearts as the Thunderbirds fly overhead before the start of the Daytona 500 Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   As the Thunderbirds fly overhead, President Donald J. Trump, the 2020 Daytona 500 grand marshal, delivers the command to start the race alongside First Lady Melania Trump Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)    The Presidential limousine carrying President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump takes a lap around the track at Daytona International Speedway Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pose for a photo with members of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds at Daytona Beach International Airport in Daytona Beach, Fla. Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, after attending the Daytona 500 where the Thunderbirds performed a flyover. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)   Tuesday, February 18, 2020 President Donald J. Trump meets with former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., his family members, and supporters in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, where DeBartolo was granted a full pardon. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)     President Donald J. Trump displays his signature on the full pardon for former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who is joined by his family members and supporters, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)   President Donald J. Trump waves as he disembarks Air Force One Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump disembarks Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, and is greeted by Representative Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Lancaster Mayor R. Rex. Parris, and Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump greets supporters at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, before departing for Santa Monica, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump, joined by United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland, signs a document pledging Federal support of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, during a briefing with Olympics organizers at the Montage Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif.  (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Wednesday, February 19, 2020 President Donald J. Trump waves as he disembarks Air Force One at Palm Springs International Airport in Palm Springs, Calif. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, en route to Rancho Mirage, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Palm Springs, Calif. public safety officers salute as President Donald J. Trump’s motorcade approaches Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, on its way to the Palm Springs International Airport in Palm Springs, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump, joined onstage by Representative Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, delivers remarks to rural stakeholders on California water accessibility Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the JACO Hangar in Bakersville, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks to rural stakeholders on California water accessibility Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the JACO Hangar in Bakersville, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump, joined by California Republican Representatives Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes, and Tom McClintock, Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, and Central Valley farmers, signs a United States Interior Department Record of Decision to improve California water accessibility for rural stakeholders Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the JACO Hangar in Bakersville, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)    First Lady Melania Trump poses for a photo with the past recipients of the Women of Distinction Award Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, prior to attending the Women of Distinction Luncheon at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)   First Lady Melania Trump delivers remarks at the Women of Distinction Luncheon Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, where she receives the Women of Distinction Award at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)   First Lady Melania Trump and Palm Beach Atlantic University President William M. B. Fleming pose for a photo with the Women of Distinction Award Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, during the Women of Distinction Luncheon at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)   First Lady Melania Trump receives the Women of Distinction Award during the Women of Distinction Luncheon Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)   Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence arrive to the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence greets service members after disembarking Air Force Two Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at Langley Air Force Base, Va. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence tours the Wind Tunnel Testing Facility Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. From left: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, NASA Johnson Space Center Deputy Center Director Vanessa Wyche, Wind Tunnel Manager Frank Quinto, and NASA Langley Research Center Director Clayton Turner. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)    Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos tour the Structures Lab Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence, joined by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, participates in a Proton Therapy Institute roundtable Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at Hampton University in Hampton, VA. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence meets with Naval Special Warfare members Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Virginia Beach, Va. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence meets with Naval Special Warfare members Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Virginia Beach, Va. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   Vice President Mike Pence meets with Naval Special Warfare members Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Virginia Beach, Va. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)   President Donald J. Trump disembarks Air Force One at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, and is greeted by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, right, and State and local officials. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)    President Donald J. Trump poses for a selfie after disembarking Air Force One Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)    President Donald J. Trump’s motorcade drives along the Las Vegas strip Wednesday evening, Feb 19, 2020, en route to Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Thursday, February 20, 2020 As Hope for Prisoners founder and CEO Jon Ponder looks on, President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at a Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner joins Las Vegas law enforcement officers as they listen to President Donald J. Trump deliver remarks at a Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Graduates listen to President Donald J. Trump deliver remarks at a Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump and Hope for Prisoners founder and CEO Jon Ponder present a diploma to a Hope for Prisoners graduate Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Graduates applaud President Donald J. Trump at the conclusion of his remarks at the Hope for Prisoners graduation ceremony Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in Las Vegas. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   President Donald J. Trump is joined by Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC),  as they disembark Air Force One Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)   Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with United States Marine Corps Cpl. James Blane (Ret.), who served in the Battle of Iwo Jima, before taking a photo with veterans Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Spring, Colo. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)    Friday, February 21, 2020 President Donald J. Trump walks from Marine One on the South Lawn to the White House Friday, Feb.21, 2020, following a 4-day trip to California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

President Donald J. Trump Amends West Virginia Disaster Declaration

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2020 President Donald J. Trump Amends West Virginia Disaster Declaration Today, President Donald J. Trump made additional disaster assistance available to the State of West Virginia by authorizing an increase in the level of Federal funding for Public Assistance projects undertaken in the State of West Virginia as a result of severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides during the period of June 22-29, 2016. Under the major disaster declaration issued for the State of West Virginia on June 25, 2016, Federal funding was made available for Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, and Other Needs Assistance at 75 percent Federal funding of total eligible costs.          Under the President's order today, the Federal share for Public Assistance has been increased to 90 percent of the total eligible costs. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2020 President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Appoint Individual to a Key Administration Post Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key position in his Administration: Roger D. Carstens of Virginia, to be the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Roger D. Carstens is currently a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the Department of State, where he oversees the Bureau’s work in Near Eastern Affairs, Western Hemisphere Affairs, and the Office of Security and Human Rights.  Mr. Carstens previously worked overseas with international NGOs in Somalia and Jordan, where he provided humanitarian assistance and stability support to Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons.  He was a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Carstens retired from the United States Army as a Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of service, including in the Special Forces, 1st Ranger Battalion, and as Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.  A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he holds a master’s degree from the United States Naval War College and St. John’s College.

BACKGROUND PRESS CALL BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ON PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP'S VISIT TO INDIA

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2020 BACKGROUND PRESS CALL BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ON PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP'S VISIT TO INDIA Via Teleconference   2:02 P.M. EST      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Thanks to everyone for joining this call.  The topic of the call: This is a background briefing with senior administration officials on President Donald J. Trump's travel to India.      The briefing is embargoed until 2:30 p.m. and it's offered on background attributed to a "senior administration official."      Now, for your information only, we have two senior administration officials with us today.  We have [senior administration officials].      Now, please, again, this is on background, attributed to a "senior administration official," so that will be your information only.      So, at this point, I will turn it over to [senior administration official], who will begin our briefing.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Hello, and thank you for being here.  First, I'll run through the official delegation for the trip to India.  With the President and the First Lady, there will be a 12-person official delegation.  That will include: Ambassador Ken Juster, the United States Ambassador to of India Secretary Wilbur Ross, of Commerce Department Secretary Dan Brouillette, of the Energy Department Mick Mulvaney, Assistant to the President and Acting Chief of Staff National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien Ivanka Trump, Assistant to the President and Advisor to the President Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President Stephen Miller, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Policy Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Digital Strategy Lindsay Reynolds, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady Robert Blair, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Telecommunication Policy and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff And the final member of the official delegation is: Stephanie Grisham, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary and Director of Communications for the President and First Lady And additional bilateral meeting participants include: Adam Boehler, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Ajit Pai, Chairman of the FCC Lisa Curtis, Deputy Assistant to the President for South and Central Asian Affairs Mr. Kash Patel, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism And finally, Mr. Mike Passey, Director for India, National Security Council      I'll quickly run through the schedule, give an overview.      The President will arrive in India, in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, on Monday, where he'll deliver remarks at Sardar Patel Stadium with Prime Minister Modi.      The President and the First Lady will then go with Prime Minister Modi to visit the Taj, in Agra.      They will then fly to New Delhi and rest overnight in New Delhi, and have a full program on Tuesday.  This will include ceremonial events, bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister, a business event with Indian investors, with a special focus on companies that are investing in manufacturing in the U.S.      He'll have a meet-and-greet with embassy staff and a meeting with the President of India.  And to cap it off, there will be a state dinner at the presidential palace, called Rashtrapati Bhavan, on Tuesday evening.      And I'll give just a few overview remarks before we go into the Q&A about what the President hopes to accomplish in this visit.      The President is going to India as a demonstration of the strong and enduring ties between our two countries.  These are ties based on shared democratic traditions, common strategic interests, and enduring bonds between our people.  And, in part, this has been exemplified by the very close relationship between the President and Prime Minister Modi.        So the visit will focus on several key areas.  First, we'll focus on building our economic and energy ties.  Just to note that two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $142 billion in 2018, and there's certainly much more room to grow, particularly in energy.      The Strategic Energy Partnership that was launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in 2017 has paid major dividends.  It's improved energy security.  It's encouraged the production of more energy.  And it's facilitated Indian imports of U.S. crude oil, LNG, and coal.      And, certainly, India is the fifth-largest economy in the world, has huge energy needs.  And the U.S. is ready to help India meet those needs.  Indeed, in 2016, U.S. energy exports to India have grown 500 percent to nearly $7 billion.      Second, we will focus on defense and security cooperation to both fight terrorism and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.  The U.S. wants an India that is strong, with a capable military that supports peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.      Indeed, India is a pillar of our Indo-Pacific strategy, and we continue to work together to promote this vision of a free and open international system based on market economics, good governance, freedom of the seas and skies, and respect for sovereignty.      And our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific really goes to the heart of what binds our two countries together, and this is our shared democratic systems that place a premium on citizen-centric governments.  In fact, India has a strong foundation of democracy, going back to the early days, right after independence.  India is a country rich in religious, linguistic, and cultural diversity.  In fact, it's the birthplace of four major world religions.      Prime Minister Modi, in his first speech after winning the election last year, talked about how he would prioritize being inclusive of India's religious minorities.  And, certainly, the world looks to India to maintain religious liberty and equal treatment for all under the rule of law.      So, to sum up, this visit will build upon our many shared values, our strategic and economic interests, and lock in those gains made in the relationship by the administration over the last three years.      And that concludes my opening remarks.  Thank you.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, Operator, I think we're ready now to take a few questions.      Q    Hi, it's Andrew Feinberg with Breakfast Media.  Thanks for doing this call.  Given your remarks just now about your commitment to ensuring religious freedom in India, is the President planning on saying anything to Prime Minister Modi about his government's attempt to keep Muslim migrants from being able to gain Indian citizenship, or the National Registry of Citizens, which is, some reports are saying, excluding Muslim -- people of Muslim descent who have lived in India for many years from retaining their citizenship?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you.  I think President Trump will talk about our shared tradition of democracy and religious freedom both in his public remarks and then certainly in private.  He will raise these issues, particularly the religious freedom issue, which is extremely important to this administration.      As I talked about, we do have this shared commitment to upholding our universal values, the rule of law.  We have great respect for India's democratic traditions and institutions, and we will continue to encourage India to uphold those traditions.      And we are concerned with some of the issues that you have raised.  And I think that the President will talk about these issues in his meetings with Prime Minister Modi and note that the world is looking to India to continue to uphold its democratic traditions, respect for religious minorities.  Of course, it's in the Indian constitution -- religious freedom, respect for religious minorities, and equal treatment of all religions in India.      So this is something that is important to the President and I'm sure it will come up.      Q    Hi, this is Kathleen Stubbs with the Asahi Shimbun.  Thank you for doing this call.  My question is: What will be the nature and structure of the press conferences?  When might they be scheduled for?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  The details will be worked out on the site there.  We can't provide the specific details of the logistics at this time.      Q    Hi, this is Mara Lee from International Trade Today.  I wanted to see if you all had any thoughts on the likelihood that India's participation in the Generalized System of Preferences could be restored.  I take it there's not going to be an announcement during this trip, but might there be enough progress to get that done later in 2020?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  The concerns that led to the revocation, suspension of India's GSP access remains a concern for us.  And to remind those on the call it was really the failure of the Indian government to provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets in numerous sectors.      We continue to talk to our Indian colleagues about addressing these market access barriers.  Our trade teams led by USTR have been in touch with their counterparts over the past several weeks.  That engagement will continue.      The trade and economic relationship with India is critically important to the United States, and I think also access to the United States market is critical to the Indian government.  We do want to make sure that we get this balance right.  We want to address a bunch -- a lot of concerns, and we're not quite there yet.      We will likely have discussion with the Prime Minister about these concerns and continue the discussion beyond this visit.      Q    Hi, there.  This is Jill Colvin from the Associated Press.  I just wanted to be clear: So, do you expect any progress whatsoever on the trade front?  Are there specific discussions that are planned?  The President had sort of alluded that there could be potentially some progress made.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, we have had a number of announcements coming from India in the past several weeks, which are making the discussions a bit more difficult perhaps.  Recent announcements on Make in India have made the protectionism concerns in India even greater.  So we will be discussing those concerns.  And what we see as an increase in barriers, not a decrease, this will certainly come up among the leaders.      Whether or not there will be announcement on a trade package is, really, wholly dependent upon what the Indians are prepared to do.  That said, we have a number of significant commercial deals, which are of great significance that we're very pleased to announce in a number of key sectors.      Q    Yes.  Hi, this is Adam Behsudi with Politico.  Can you say with any more detail on where the sticking points were on some of the trade issues in terms of not being able to come together?  Or was it really down to the actions that India has taken in the last couple months and weeks on trade?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I think many of the concerns about private sector are well documented.  Certainly throughout the GSP process, you had a number of key market access issues raised by stakeholder communities in the United States. But the Make in India push of the Indian government, as I noted, has made the protectionism concerns even more of a concern to us.  We've seen India's budget process recently used to raise tariffs on products of interest in the United States.  We continue to see important divergences on e-commerce and digital trade.  So it's a pretty wide scope, frankly, of important service and goods access barriers that we need to address.      Q    Hi, this is (inaudible) from The Hindu.  I guess my question is to [senior administration official].  Thank you for your comment.  I was wondering, should we expect President Trump to offer to mediate on Kashmir again?  And will there be any discussion on Afghanistan?  There are reports about Indian troops in Afghanistan.  Should we expect some sort of request from the U.S. side on that?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I think what you'll hear from the President is very much encouraging a reduction in tensions between India and Pakistan, encouraging the two countries to engage in bilateral dialogue with each other to resolve their differences.      We continue to believe a core foundation of any successful dialogue between the two is based on continued momentum in Pakistan's efforts to crack down on terrorists and extremists on its territory.  So we continue to look for that.      But I think the President will urge both countries to seek to maintain peace and stability along the line of control and refrain from actions or statements that could increase tensions in the region.      And with regard to the second part of your question, I think was that on the -- what was the second part of your question?      Q    The question was on Afghanistan.  Will there be an ask for India on that?  Will President Trump ask for Indian troops?  There are reports about this.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Right now, the U.S. is focused on the peace process in Afghanistan.  You saw there was a major announcement by Secretary Pompeo where we have finalized an understanding with the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan.  So we see this as a major step forward, and we’re focused on that.      With regard to India, we would just encourage India, as we are all regional countries, to do whatever it can to support this peace process so that it can be successful and we can potentially end 19 years of military, diplomatic, economic engagement.  You know, that we can end the military engagement.  We will be continuing our diplomatic and economic engagement, which has been there over the last 19 years.      But we certainly would look to India to support this peace process -- an important country in the region, important to the overall stability of the region.  So I think if the issue comes up, that is what would be the request from the President.      Q    Hi, this is Alex Lawson from Law360.  There was some talk yesterday in the private sector about the potential for some kind of MOU, a memorandum specifically on intellectual property.  I know there’s been a number of sort of sticking points in the U.S. business community about pharmaceutical patents in India and some other things.      Do you have any details on what might come on that front during the trip?      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I don’t have any specific details on that particular MOU.  We’ll be looking at a few handful of agreements on the defense, (inaudible), energy front, but I don’t have any specific details on the MOU that you mentioned.      OPERATOR:  We have no other questions at this time.      SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Great.  Well, thank you everyone again for joining us.  And again, the backgrounder is from senior administration officials on background.  And you’re now -- we’ll lift the embargo at this point, and you are free to go ahead.      So thank you very much for your time and help.  Bye-bye.                           END           2:21 P.M. EST

Resolute Reads FIVE STORIES PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MISS

FIVE STORIES PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MISS

President Trump Delivers Commencement Address at ‘Hope for Prisoners’ Graduation -KLAS “Graduates of the ‘Hope for Prisoners’ program received a certificate and handshake from President Donald J. Trump on Thursday,” KLAS Las Vegas reports. “We are very honored the President of the United States is recognizing the hard-work of formerly incarcerated men and women here in the state of Nevada who are making their transition back into our community,” Hope for Prisoners CEO Jon Ponder said.  President Trump: “When we say ‘Hire American,’ we mean ALL Americans!” Trump Takes a Stand for the Mentally Ill -The Wall Street Journal America’s long-broken mental health system is “turning business districts into homeless camps [and] causing chaos for families of mentally ill adults,” mental health expert D.J. Jaffe writes. President Trump is trying to close a crucial loophole—“the most important thing federal government could do to improve care for the seriously mentally ill.” President Trump’s Approval Rating Among Small Business Owners Hits All-Time High -CNBC A record-high “sixty-four percent of small business owners approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president,” Riley de Leon reports. “This is a high watermark for President Trump’s job approval, both among small business owners in our survey and among the general public,” SurveyMonkey senior research scientist Laura Wronski said. MORE: The ‘Trump Bump’ is real NASA Astronauts Will Return to Space from US Soil 'Before Summer': Pence -Fox News “NASA astronauts will soon launch into space from U.S. soil for the first time in almost 10 years, vowed Vice President Mike Pence,” James Rogers reports. “Before we even get to the summer, with the strong support of all of you, the United States will return American astronauts to space on American rockets from American soil,” the Vice President said.  Vice President Pence: “We’re going back!” Donald Trump’s Fiscally Conservative Budgets -The Daily Caller “One of the most common misconceptions I hear about Donald Trump is that he is not a fiscal conservative,” former Sen. Jim DeMint writes. “Yet, every year, when the president has presented his budget proposals to Congress, they have contained more spending cuts than any president in history. They sought to achieve balance within 10-15 years.”

President Trump Announces Presidential Delegation to Montevideo, Uruguay to Attend the Inauguration of Dr. Luis Lacalle Pou, President-elect of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2020 President Trump Announces Presidential Delegation to Montevideo, Uruguay to Attend the Inauguration of Dr. Luis Lacalle Pou, President-elect of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay President Donald J. Trump today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Montevideo, Uruguay to attend the Presidential Inauguration of Dr. Luis Lacalle Pou, President-elect of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, on March 1, 2020. The Honorable Andrew R. Wheeler, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, will lead the delegation. Members of the Presidential Delegation: The Honorable Kenneth S. George, United States Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay The Honorable Mauricio Claver-Carone, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, National Security Council The Honorable Michael G. Kozak, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State

Memorandum on the Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2020

February 21, 2020   MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE                THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY                THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE                THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE                THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SUBJECT:    Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby order as follows:     Section 1.  (a)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the functions and authorities vested in the President by the following provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) (the "Act"):         (i)    section 7503(d);         (ii)   section 7503(f);         (iii)  section 7503(h);         (iv)   section 7124, with respect to section 73 of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act (22 U.S.C. 286 et seq.), as amended by the Act;         (v)    section 7131; and                (vi)   section 7143, with respect to section 208 of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-122) (NKSPEA), as amended by the Act.     (b)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the functions and authorities vested in the President by the following provisions of the Act:         (i)    section 7503(c);           (ii)   section 7503(g);         (iii)  section 7121, with respect to section 201B of NKSPEA, as amended by the Act; and         (iv)   section 7122, with respect to section 104(g) of NKSPEA, as amended by the Act.     (c)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 7132 of the Act.     (d)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of the Treasury the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 7141 of the Act.     (e)  I hereby delegate to the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 7133 of the Act.     (f)  I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 1227 of the Act.     Sec. 2.  The delegations in this memorandum shall apply to any provisions of any future public laws that are the same or substantially the same as those provisions referenced in this memorandum.     Sec. 3.  The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.                           DONALD J. TRUMP