Vast majority of American citizens want to pursue their careers, raise their families, and have money in their pockets, peace in their hearts and safety in their homes
Here’s an old, irrefutable chestnut: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!
But Regressives refuse to learn that lesson and are yet again falling into the chasm of a trap President Trump has set for them.
Listen to the uproar the mostly-leftist media bleat every minute of every day: Why aren’t the president and his Republican colleagues saying anything, doing anything about all the destruction and madness that the [Democrat-approved] anarchists are wreaking throughout the country––the arson, smashed windows, destroyed businesses, separatist zones in Seattle and NY City, defund-the-police initiatives, out-of-control thuggery, on and on?
THE MEME THING
Yet the silence persists. Does even one person on the planet think this is a coincidence? A fluke? An historical aberration?
Just as Democrats send out daily talking points––remember the Dick Cheney “gravitas” meme that every media person echoed ad nauseam and then never said the word again after Bush 2 was elected?
Same thing today after Regressives learned that the word “defunding” polled badly so they uniformly switched to “reimagining” police reform.
I’m imagining that the president or his surrogates sent the Republicans and Conservatives a memo to refrain from addressing the vast destruction we’ve been witnessing for weeks. Because even in this Age of Communication––where instant text messages and emojis and YouTube videos and Instagram pictures invade the airways literally billions of times a day–– doing nothing and saying nothing can still be more powerful!
A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
By letting the 24-7 TV pictures speak for themselves, President Trump is providing all 330-million people in America––and the other eight-billion people around the world––an up-front bird’s-eye-view of what leftism/liberalism/regressivism is all about.
All those people are watching the president faithfully adhere to the U.S. Constitution’s mandate to allow the states to conduct their own affairs. He is giving those states the rope he knows will hang them, as is already obvious in the imploding cities of Seattle, Manhattan, Baltimore, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and all the other Democrat-run cities and states where chaos reigns.
He’s allowing all the world to see the startling incompetence and hypocrisy of the Democrat Mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan, who embraced Antifa and Black Lives Matter when they commandeered and blockaded a six-block area of the city and entitled it CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest). Then she told the police force to stand down and, in essence, to ignore the escalating pillaging, rapes and murders. But when the protestors approached her own home, what did she do? She called the police!
The president is providing a front-row seat for the world to witness the aberrational behavior of the man who NY Post columnist Michael Goodwin calls Mayor Putz. That would be Democrat NY City Mayor Bill DiBlasio who just slashed $1 billion dollars from the police budget and put his America-loathing Democrat wife Chirlane in charge of the destruction of historic statues––she who cannot account for another billion she was given for mental-health programs.
In the same way, the president is allowing America and the world to see the ongoing––for years––black-on-black carnage that takes place every week in Chicago, and to wonder why clueless Democrat Mayor Lori Lightfoot is so busy with her platform platitudes of Equity*Diversity & Inclusion* that she personally makes it appear that Black Lives Don’t Matter at all in Chicago.
Not to omit the firsthand look the entire world is getting at the way in which California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom––who is fighting a recall vote––has let the major cities in his state, Los Angeles and San Francisco (Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s turf), to become meccas of homelessness, with thousands of crude tents and cardboard shanties lining street after street after street, while tens of thousands of mentally ill and addicted people lie in the gutters, used needles and disease-carrying filth are everywhere, and there are piles of animal and human feces every few feet.
STILL THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM
All of the above––and hundreds of other equally shameful and sordid examples––is what Democrat leadership actually looks like. Not to be outdone, to be sure, by the aspiring “leader” of the free world, who remains sequestered in his basement, the true victim of a heartless and ambitious wife and a ruthless former boss who is directing his lackeys to continue to prop up the place-holder while he makes sure that is second try at rigging a presidential election will not fail as it did in 2016.
Meanwhile, President Trump can take full credit for issuing the Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues––with a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison––as well as combating recent criminal violence.
Now, on this glorious July 4th weekend, full credit also goes to President Trump for opening up America and seeing:
The U.S. economy add an incredible 4.8 million jobs in June–– beating estimates by 1.7 million jobs––the largest monthly increase ever recorded!
The addition of an amazing 7.5 million jobs over the past two months.
The unemployment rate also fell to 11.1%!
That the nation has now recovered roughly one-third of the 22 million jobs it lost to the pandemic.
The DOW have the best quarter in 33 years (up 17.77%).
NASDAQ up 30.63% in 90 days!
The bottom line is that except for the clinically insane politicians on the East and Left coasts, the vast majority of American citizens want to pursue their careers, raise their families, and have money in their pockets, peace in their hearts and safety in their homes.
President Trump knows this in every fiber of his being. But not one single Democrat has a clue.
Labor Secretary Eugese Scalia appears on Fox News Sunday to discuss the current employment dynamic while attempting to mitigate COVID virus spread. Secretary Scalia notes the fundamentals of the economy and employment are strong, yet the restraining factor remains rules & regulations against economic growth instituted by state governors.
At this point in the politics of COVID it seems abundantly clear how fear is being used as a weapon by an alliance of media, government bureaucrats, politicians & left-wing activists.
Our nation appears frozen in a perpetual state of Orwellian dysfunction; as the resistance extremists continue weaponizing fear (never letting a crisis to to waste) to advance a transparent political objective.
In order to support the most important political objectives of the DNC writ large in the 2020 election, COVID-19 hype is essential:
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats cannot easily achieve ‘mail-in’ voting; which they desperately need in key battleground states in order to control the outcome.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats cannot shut down rallies and political campaigning efforts of President Trump; which they desperate need to do in key battleground states.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats cannot block the campaign contrast between an energetic President Trump and a physically tenuous, mentally compromised, challenger.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats do not have an excuse for cancelling the DNC convention in Milwaukee; thereby blocking Team Bernie Sanders from visible opposition while protecting candidate gibberish from himself.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats do not have a mechanism to keep voters isolated from each-other; limiting communication and national debate adverse to their interests. COVID-19 panic pushes the national conversation into the digital space where Big Tech controls every element of the conversation.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats cannot keep their Blue state economies easily shut-down and continue to block U.S. economic growth. All thriving economies are against the political interests of Democrats.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats cannot easily keep club candidate Joe Biden sealed in the basement; where the electorate is not exposed to visible signs of his dementia.
♦Without COVID-19 panic it becomes more difficult for Big Tech to censor voices that would outline the fraud and scheme. With COVID-19 panic they have a better method and an excuse.
♦Without COVID-19 panic Democrats cannot advance, influence, or organize their preferred presidential debate format, a ‘virtual presidential debate’ series.
[Comrade Gretchen Whitmer knows this plan, hence she cancelled the Michigan venue]
All of these, and more, strategic outcomes are based on the manufactured weaponization of the COVID-19 virus to achieve a larger political objective. There is ZERO benefit to anyone other than Democrats for the overwhelming hype surrounding COVID-19.
It is not coincidental that all corporate media are all-in to facilitate the demanded fear that Democrats need in order to achieve their objectives. Thus there is an alignment of all big government institutions and multinationals to support the same.
The remarks by President Donald Trump at Mount Rushmore last evening established a speech for the history books. Transcript below:
[Transcript] THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. And Governor Noem, Secretary Bernhardt — very much appreciate it — members of Congress, distinguished guests, and a very special hello to South Dakota. (Applause.)
As we begin this Fourth of July weekend, the First Lady and I wish each and every one of you a very, very Happy Independence Day. Thank you. (Applause.)
Let us show our appreciation to the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard, and the U.S. Air Force for inspiring us with that magnificent display of American air power — (applause) –and of course, our gratitude, as always, to the legendary and very talented Blue Angels. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Let us also send our deepest thanks to our wonderful veterans, law enforcement, first responders, and the doctors, nurses, and scientists working tirelessly to kill the virus. They’re working hard. (Applause.) I want to thank them very, very much.
We’re grateful as well to your state’s Congressional delegation: Senators John Thune — John, thank you very much — (applause) — Senator Mike Rounds — (applause) — thank you, Mike — and Dusty Johnson, Congressman. Hi, Dusty. Thank you. (Applause.) And all others with us tonight from Congress, thank you very much for coming. We appreciate it.
There could be no better place to celebrate America’s independence than beneath this magnificent, incredible, majestic mountain and monument to the greatest Americans who have ever lived.
Today, we pay tribute to the exceptional lives and extraordinary legacies of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt. (Applause.) I am here as your President to proclaim before the country and before the world: This monument will never be desecrated — (applause) — these heroes will never be defaced, their legacy will never, ever be destroyed, their achievements will never be forgotten, and Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: We gather tonight to herald the most important day in the history of nations: July 4th, 1776. At those words, every American heart should swell with pride. Every American family should cheer with delight. And every American patriot should be filled with joy, because each of you lives in the most magnificent country in the history of the world, and it will soon be greater than ever before. (Applause.)
Our Founders launched not only a revolution in government, but a revolution in the pursuit of justice, equality, liberty, and prosperity. No nation has done more to advance the human condition than the United States of America. And no people have done more to promote human progress than the citizens of our great nation. (Applause.)
It was all made possible by the courage of 56 patriots who gathered in Philadelphia 244 years ago and signed the Declaration of Independence. (Applause.) They enshrined a divine truth that changed the world forever when they said: “…all men are created equal.”
These immortal words set in motion the unstoppable march of freedom. Our Founders boldly declared that we are all endowed with the same divine rights — given [to] us by our Creator in Heaven. And that which God has given us, we will allow no one, ever, to take away — ever. (Applause.)
Seventeen seventy-six represented the culmination of thousands of years of western civilization and the triumph not only of spirit, but of wisdom, philosophy, and reason.
And yet, as we meet here tonight, there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for, struggled, they bled to secure.
Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities. Many of these people have no idea why they are doing this, but some know exactly what they are doing. They 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. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: One of their political weapons is “Cancel Culture” — driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and our values, and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America. (Applause.) This attack on our liberty, our magnificent liberty, must be stopped, and it will be stopped very quickly. We will expose this dangerous movement, protect our nation’s children, end this radical assault, and preserve our beloved American way of life. (Applause.)
In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished. It’s not going to happen to us. (Applause.)
Make no mistake: this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress.
To make this possible, they are determined to tear down every statue, symbol, and memory of our national heritage.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Not on my watch! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: True. That’s very true, actually. (Laughter.) That is why I am deploying federal law enforcement to protect our monuments, arrest the rioters, and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT: I am pleased to report that yesterday, federal agents arrested the suspected ringleader of the attack on the statue of Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C. — (applause) — and, in addition, hundreds more have been arrested. (Applause.)
Under the executive order I signed last week — pertaining to the Veterans’ Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act and other laws — people who damage or deface federal statues or monuments will get a minimum of 10 years in prison. (Applause.) And obviously, that includes our beautiful Mount Rushmore. (Applause.)
Our people have a great memory. They will never forget the destruction of statues and monuments to George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, abolitionists, and many others.
The violent mayhem we have seen in the streets of cities that are run by liberal Democrats, in every case, is the predictable result of years of extreme indoctrination and bias in education, journalism, and other cultural institutions.
Against every law of society and nature, our children are taught in school to hate their own country, and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes, but that were villains. 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.
This movement is openly attacking the legacies of every person on Mount Rushmore. They defile the memory of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Today, we will set history and history’s record straight. (Applause.)
Before these figures were immortalized in stone, they were American giants in full flesh and blood, gallant men whose intrepid deeds unleashed the greatest leap of human advancement the world has ever known. Tonight, I will tell you and, most importantly, the youth of our nation, the true stories of these great, great men.
From head to toe, George Washington represented the strength, grace, and dignity of the American people. From a small volunteer force of citizen farmers, he created the Continental Army out of nothing and rallied them to stand against the most powerful military on Earth.
Through eight long years, through the brutal winter at Valley Forge, through setback after setback on the field of battle, he led those patriots to ultimate triumph. When the Army had dwindled to a few thousand men at Christmas of 1776, when defeat seemed absolutely certain, he took what remained of his forces on a daring nighttime crossing of the Delaware River.
They marched through nine miles of frigid darkness, many without boots on their feet, leaving a trail of blood in the snow. In the morning, they seized victory at Trenton. After forcing the surrender of the most powerful empire on the planet at Yorktown, General Washington did not claim power, but simply returned to Mount Vernon as a private citizen.
When called upon again, he presided over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and was unanimously elected our first President. (Applause.) When he stepped down after two terms, his former adversary King George called him “the greatest man of the age.” He remains first in our hearts to this day. For as long as Americans love this land, we will honor and cherish the father of our country, George Washington. (Applause.) He will never be removed, abolished, and most of all, he will never be forgotten. (Applause.)
Thomas Jefferson — the great Thomas Jefferson — was 33 years old when he traveled north to Pennsylvania and brilliantly authored one of the greatest treasures of human history, the Declaration of Independence. He also drafted Virginia’s constitution, and conceived and wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, a model for our cherished First Amendment.
After serving as the first Secretary of State, and then Vice President, he was elected to the Presidency. He ordered American warriors to crush the Barbary pirates, he doubled the size of our nation with the Louisiana Purchase, and he sent the famous explorers Lewis and Clark into the west on a daring expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
He was an architect, an inventor, a diplomat, a scholar, the founder of one of the world’s great universities, and an ardent defender of liberty. Americans will forever admire the author of American freedom, Thomas Jefferson. (Applause.) And he, too, will never, ever be abandoned by us. (Applause.)
Abraham Lincoln, the savior of our union, was a self-taught country lawyer who grew up in a log cabin on the American frontier.
The first Republican President, he rose to high office from obscurity, based on a force and clarity of his anti-slavery convictions. Very, very strong convictions.
He signed the law that built the Transcontinental Railroad; he signed the Homestead Act, given to some incredible scholars — as simply defined, ordinary citizens free land to settle anywhere in the American West; and he led the country through the darkest hours of American history, giving every ounce of strength that he had to ensure that government of the people, by the people, and for the people did not perish from this Earth. (Applause.)
He served as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces during our bloodiest war, the struggle that saved our union and extinguished the evil of slavery. Over 600,000 died in that war; more than 20,000 were killed or wounded in a single day at Antietam. At Gettysburg, 157 years ago, the Union bravely withstood an assault of nearly 15,000 men and threw back Pickett’s charge.
Lincoln won the Civil War; he issued the Emancipation Proclamation; he led the passage of the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery for all time — (applause) — and ultimately, his determination to preserve our nation and our union cost him his life. For as long as we live, Americans will uphold and revere the immortal memory of President Abraham Lincoln. (Applause.)
Theodore Roosevelt exemplified the unbridled confidence of our national culture and identity. He saw the towering grandeur of America’s mission in the world and he pursued it with overwhelming energy and zeal.
As a Lieutenant Colonel during the Spanish-American War, he led the famous Rough Riders to defeat the enemy at San Juan Hill. He cleaned up corruption as Police Commissioner of New York City, then served as the Governor of New York, Vice President, and at 42 years old, became the youngest-ever President of the United States. (Applause.)
He sent our great new naval fleet around the globe to announce America’s arrival as a world power. He gave us many of our national parks, including the Grand Canyon; he oversaw the construction of the awe-inspiring Panama Canal; and he is the only person ever awarded both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was — (applause) — American freedom personified in full. The American people will never relinquish the bold, beautiful, and untamed spirit of Theodore Roosevelt. (Applause.)
No movement that seeks to dismantle these treasured American legacies can possibly have a love of America at its heart. Can’t have it. No person who remains quiet at the destruction of this resplendent heritage can possibly lead us to a better future.
The radical ideology attacking our country advances under the banner of social justice. But in truth, it would demolish both justice and society. It would transform justice into an instrument of division and vengeance, and it would turn our free and inclusive society into a place of repression, domination, and exclusion.
They want to silence us, but we will not be silenced. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
We will state the truth in full, without apology: We declare that the United States of America is the most just and exceptional nation ever to exist on Earth.
We are proud of the fact — (applause) — that our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, and we understand — (applause) — that these values have dramatically advanced the cause of peace and justice throughout the world.
We know that the American family is the bedrock of American life. (Applause.)
We recognize the solemn right and moral duty of every nation to secure its borders. (Applause.) And we are building the wall. (Applause.)
We remember that governments exist to protect the safety and happiness of their own people. A nation must care for its own citizens first. We must take care of America first. It’s time. (Applause.)
We believe in equal opportunity, equal justice, and equal treatment for citizens of every race, background, religion, and creed. Every child, of every color — born and unborn — is made in the holy image of God. (Applause.)
We want free and open debate, not speech codes and cancel culture.
We embrace tolerance, not prejudice.
We support the courageous men and women of law enforcement. (Applause.) We will never abolish our police or our great Second Amendment, which gives us the right to keep and bear arms. (Applause.)
We believe that our children should be taught to love their country, honor our history, and respect our great American flag. (Applause.)
We stand tall, we stand proud, and we only kneel to Almighty God. (Applause.)
This is who we are. This is what we believe. And these are the values that will guide us as we strive to build an even better and greater future.
Those who seek to erase our heritage want Americans to forget our pride and our great dignity, so that we can no longer understand ourselves or America’s destiny. In toppling the heroes of 1776, they seek to dissolve the bonds of love and loyalty that we feel for our country, and that we feel for each other. Their goal is not a better America, their goal is the end of America.
AUDIENCE: Booo —
THE PRESIDENT: In its place, they want power for themselves. But just as patriots did in centuries past, the American people will stand in their way — and we will win, and win quickly and with great dignity. (Applause.)
We will never let them rip America’s heroes from our monuments, or from our hearts. By tearing down Washington and Jefferson, these radicals would tear down the very heritage for which men gave their lives to win the Civil War; they would erase the memory that inspired those soldiers to go to their deaths, singing these words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic: “As He died to make men Holy, let us die to make men free, while God is marching on.” (Applause.)
They would tear down the principles that propelled the abolition of slavery in America and, ultimately, around the world, ending an evil institution that had plagued humanity for thousands and thousands of years. Our opponents would tear apart the very documents that Martin Luther King used to express his dream, and the ideas that were the foundation of the righteous movement for Civil Rights. They would tear down the beliefs, culture, and identity that have made America the most vibrant and tolerant society in the history of the Earth.
My fellow Americans, it is time to speak up loudly and strongly and powerfully and defend the integrity of our country. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: It is time for our politicians to summon the bravery and determination of our American ancestors. It is time. (Applause.) It is time to plant our flag and protect the greatest of this nation, for citizens of every race, in every city, and every part of this glorious land. For the sake of our honor, for the sake of our children, for the sake of our union, we must protect and preserve our history, our heritage, and our great heroes. (Applause.)
Here tonight, before the eyes of our forefathers, Americans declare again, as we did 244 years ago: that we will not be tyrannized, we will not be demeaned, and we will not be intimidated by bad, evil people. It will not happen. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: We will proclaim the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and we will never surrender the spirit and the courage and the cause of July 4th, 1776.
Upon this ground, we will stand firm and unwavering. In the face of lies meant to divide us, demoralize us, and diminish us, we will show that the story of America unites us, inspires us, includes us all, and makes everyone free.
We must demand that our children are taught once again to see America as did Reverend Martin Luther King, when he said that the Founders had signed “a promissory note” to every future generation. Dr. King saw that the mission of justice required us to fully embrace our founding ideals. Those ideals are so important to us — the founding ideals. He called on his fellow citizens not to rip down their heritage, but to live up to their heritage. (Applause.)
Above all, our children, from every community, must be taught that to be American is to inherit the spirit of the most adventurous and confident people ever to walk the face of the Earth.
Americans are the people who pursued our Manifest Destiny across the ocean, into the uncharted wilderness, over the tallest mountains, and then into the skies and even into the stars.
We are the country of Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Frederick Douglass. We are the land of Wild Bill Hickock and Buffalo Bill Cody. (Applause.) We are the nation that gave rise to the Wright Brothers, the Tuskegee Airmen — (applause) — Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, Jesse Owens, George Patton — General George Patton — the great Louie Armstrong, Alan Shepard, Elvis Presley, and Mohammad Ali. (Applause.) And only America could have produced them all. (Applause.) No other place.
We are the culture that put up the Hoover Dam, laid down the highways, and sculpted the skyline of Manhattan. We are the people who dreamed a spectacular dream — it was called: Las Vegas, in the Nevada desert; who built up Miami from the Florida marsh; and who carved our heroes into the face of Mount Rushmore. (Applause.)
Americans harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the Internet. We settled the Wild West, won two World Wars, landed American astronauts on the Moon — and one day very soon, we will plant our flag on Mars.
We gave the world the poetry of Walt Whitman, the stories of Mark Twain, the songs of Irving Berlin, the voice of Ella Fitzgerald, the style of Frank Sinatra — (applause) — the comedy of Bob Hope, the power of the Saturn V rocket, the toughness of the Ford F-150 — (applause) — and the awesome might of the American aircraft carriers.
Americans must never lose sight of this miraculous story. You should never lose sight of it, because nobody has ever done it like we have done it. So today, under the authority vested in me as President of the United States — (applause) — I am announcing the creation of a new monument to the giants of our past. I am signing an executive order to establish the National Garden of American Heroes, a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live. (Applause.)
From this night and from this magnificent place, let us go forward united in our purpose and re-dedicated in our resolve. We will raise the next generation of American patriots. We will write the next thrilling chapter of the American adventure. And 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. (Applause.) They will know that in America, you can do anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve anything. (Applause.)
Uplifted by the titans of Mount Rushmore, we will find unity that no one expected; we will make strides that no one thought possible. This country will be everything that our citizens have hoped for, for so many years, and that our enemies fear — because we will never forget that American freedom exists for American greatness. And that’s what we have: American greatness. (Applause.)
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.
My fellow citizens: America’s destiny is in our sights. America’s heroes are embedded in our hearts. America’s future is in our hands. And ladies and gentlemen: the best is yet to come. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE PRESIDENT: This has been a great honor for the First Lady and myself to be with you. I love your state. I love this country. I’d like to wish everybody a very happy Fourth of July. To all, God bless you, God bless your families, God bless our great military, and God bless America.
How do you confront the lunacy of the anti-American leftists intent on removing American monuments? Well, if you are President Donald John Trump, you build more of them. Hence, an executive order establishing A National Garden of American Heroes:
[Executive Order] – By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose. America owes its present greatness to its past sacrifices. Because the past is always at risk of being forgotten, monuments will always be needed to honor those who came before. Since the time of our founding, Americans have raised monuments to our greatest citizens. In 1784, the legislature of Virginia commissioned the earliest statue of George Washington, a “monument of affection and gratitude” to a man who “unit[ed] to the endowment[s] of the Hero the virtues of the Patriot” and gave to the world “an Immortal Example of true Glory.” I Res. H. Del. (June 24, 1784). In our public parks and plazas, we have erected statues of great Americans who, through acts of wisdom and daring, built and preserved for us a republic of ordered liberty.
These statues are silent teachers in solid form of stone and metal. They preserve the memory of our American story and stir in us a spirit of responsibility for the chapters yet unwritten. These works of art call forth gratitude for the accomplishments and sacrifices of our exceptional fellow citizens who, despite their flaws, placed their virtues, their talents, and their lives in the service of our Nation. These monuments express our noblest ideals: respect for our ancestors, love of freedom, and striving for a more perfect union. They are works of beauty, created as enduring tributes. In preserving them, we show reverence for our past, we dignify our present, and we inspire those who are to come. To build a monument is to ratify our shared national project.
To destroy a monument is to desecrate our common inheritance. In recent weeks, in the midst of protests across America, many monuments have been vandalized or destroyed. Some local governments have responded by taking their monuments down. Among others, monuments to Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Francis Scott Key, Ulysses S. Grant, leaders of the abolitionist movement, the first all-volunteer African-American regiment of the Union Army in the Civil War, and American soldiers killed in the First and Second World Wars have been vandalized, destroyed, or removed.
These statues are not ours alone, to be discarded at the whim of those inflamed by fashionable political passions; they belong to generations that have come before us and to generations yet unborn. My Administration will not abide an assault on our collective national memory. In the face of such acts of destruction, it is our responsibility as Americans to stand strong against this violence, and to peacefully transmit our great national story to future generations through newly commissioned monuments to American heroes.
Sec. 2. Task Force for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes. (a) There is hereby established the Interagency Task Force for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes (Task Force). The Task Force shall be chaired by the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), and shall include the following additional members:
(i) the Administrator of General Services (Administrator);
(ii) the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA);
(iii) the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH);
(iv) the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP); and
(v) any officers or employees of any executive department or agency (agency) designated by the President or the Secretary.
(b) The Department of the Interior shall provide funding and administrative support as may be necessary for the performance and functions of the Task Force. The Secretary shall designate an official of the Department of the Interior to serve as the Executive Director of the Task Force, responsible for coordinating its day-to-day activities.
(c) The Chairpersons of the NEA and NEH and the Chairman of the ACHP shall establish cross-department initiatives within the NEA, NEH, and ACHP, respectively, to advance the purposes of the Task Force and this order and to coordinate relevant agency operations with the Task Force.
Sec. 3. National Garden of American Heroes. (a) It shall be the policy of the United States to establish a statuary park named the National Garden of American Heroes (National Garden).
(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall submit a report to the President through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy that proposes options for the creation of the National Garden, including potential locations for the site. In identifying options, the Task Force shall:
(i) strive to open the National Garden expeditiously;
(ii) evaluate the feasibility of creating the National Garden through a variety of potential avenues, including existing agency authorities and appropriations; and
(iii) consider the availability of authority to encourage and accept the donation or loan of statues by States, localities, civic organizations, businesses, religious organizations, and individuals, for display at the National Garden.
(c) In addition to the requirements of subsection 3(b) of this order, the proposed options for the National Garden should adhere to the criteria described in subsections (c)(i) through (c)(vi) of this section.
(i) The National Garden should be composed of statues, including statues of John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Daniel Boone, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Henry Clay, Davy Crockett, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Graham, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Douglas MacArthur, Dolley Madison, James Madison, Christa McAuliffe, Audie Murphy, George S. Patton, Jr., Ronald Reagan, Jackie Robinson, Betsy Ross, Antonin Scalia, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, George Washington, and Orville and Wilbur Wright.
(ii) The National Garden should be opened for public access prior to the 250th anniversary of the proclamation of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
(iii) Statues should depict historically significant Americans, as that term is defined in section 7 of this order, who have contributed positively to America throughout our history. Examples include: the Founding Fathers, those who fought for the abolition of slavery or participated in the underground railroad, heroes of the United States Armed Forces, recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor or Presidential Medal of Freedom, scientists and inventors, entrepreneurs, civil rights leaders, missionaries and religious leaders, pioneers and explorers, police officers and firefighters killed or injured in the line of duty, labor leaders, advocates for the poor and disadvantaged, opponents of national socialism or international socialism, former Presidents of the United States and other elected officials, judges and justices, astronauts, authors, intellectuals, artists, and teachers. None will have lived perfect lives, but all will be worth honoring, remembering, and studying.
(iv) All statues in the National Garden should be lifelike or realistic representations of the persons they depict, not abstract or modernist representations.
(v) The National Garden should be located on a site of natural beauty that enables visitors to enjoy nature, walk among the statues, and be inspired to learn about great figures of America’s history. The site should be proximate to at least one major population center, and the site should not cause significant disruption to the local community.
(vi) As part of its civic education mission, the National Garden should also separately maintain a collection of statues for temporary display at appropriate sites around the United States that are accessible to the general public.
Sec. 4. Commissioning of New Statues and Works of Art. (a) The Task Force shall examine the appropriations authority of the agencies represented on it in light of the purpose and policy of this order. Based on its examination of relevant authorities, the Task Force shall make recommendations for the use of these agencies’ appropriations.
(b) To the extent appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the other provisions of this order, Task Force agencies that are authorized to provide for the commissioning of statues or monuments shall, in expending funds, give priority to projects involving the commissioning of publicly accessible statues of persons meeting the criteria described in section 3(b)(iii) of this order, with particular preference for statues of the Founding Fathers, former Presidents of the United States, leading abolitionists, and individuals involved in the discovery of America.
(c) To the extent appropriate and consistent with applicable law, these agencies shall prioritize projects that will result in the installation of a statue as described in subsection (b) of this section in a community where a statue depicting a historically significant American was removed or destroyed in conjunction with the events described in section 1 of this order.
(d) After consulting with the Task Force, the Administrator of General Services shall promptly revise and thereafter operate the General Service Administration’s (GSA’s) Art in Architecture (AIA) Policies and Procedures, GSA Acquisition Letter V-10-01, and Part 102-77 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, to prioritize the commission of works of art that portray historically significant Americans or events of American historical significance or illustrate the ideals upon which our Nation was founded. Priority should be given to public-facing monuments to former Presidents of the United States and to individuals and events relating to the discovery of America, the founding of the United States, and the abolition of slavery. Such works of art should be designed to be appreciated by the general public and by those who use and interact with Federal buildings. Priority should be given to this policy above other policies contained in part 102-77 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, and revisions made pursuant to this subsection shall be made to supersede any regulatory provisions of AIA that may conflict with or otherwise impede advancing the purposes of this subsection.
(e) When a statue or work of art commissioned pursuant to this section is meant to depict a historically significant American, the statue or work of art shall be a lifelike or realistic representation of that person, not an abstract or modernist representation.
Sec. 5. Educational Programming. The Chairperson of the NEH shall prioritize the allocation of funding to programs and projects that educate Americans about the founding documents and founding ideals of the United States, as appropriate and to the extent consistent with applicable law, including section 956 of title 20, United States Code. The founding documents include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers. The founding ideals include equality under the law, respect for inalienable individual rights, and representative self-government. Within 90 days of the conclusion of each Fiscal Year from 2021 through 2026, the Chairperson shall submit a report to the President through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy that identifies funding allocated to programs and projects pursuant to this section.
Sec. 6. Protection of National Garden and Statues Commissioned Pursuant to this Order. The Attorney General shall apply section 3 of Executive Order 13933 of June 26, 2020 (Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence), with respect to violations of Federal law regarding the National Garden and all statues commissioned pursuant to this order.
Sec. 7. Definition. The term “historically significant American” means an individual who was, or became, an American citizen and was a public figure who made substantive contributions to America’s public life or otherwise had a substantive effect on America’s history. The phrase also includes public figures such as Christopher Columbus, Junipero Serra, and the Marquis de La Fayette, who lived prior to or during the American Revolution and were not American citizens, but who made substantive historical contributions to the discovery, development, or independence of the future United States.
Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Here’s a video of the full event, and of the spectacular fireworks at Mount Rushmore; with some excellent pictures of the day’s events. Happy Birthday America.ENJOY:
President Trump and First Lady Melania travel to Keystone, SD at Mount Rushmore to celebrate Independence Day. President Donald Trump will be delivering remarks at South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration. Event scheduled for 10:00pm ET; however, livestreams are ongoing. [Links Below]
The publicly sold narrative is Canadian PM Justin Trudeau holding out on a celebratory USMCA visit to Washington DC over worries about U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs. However, the background issue is Justin maintaining his “resistance” bona-fides during a U.S. election year.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is coming, but Justin has all those pesky political optics to worry about. Or something….
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday he was still unsure whether he would go to Washington D.C. next week to celebrate a new North American trade treaty, citing concern about possible U.S. tariffs on aluminum.
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump next week, has said he would like Trudeau to attend.
“We’re still in discussions with the Americans about whether a trilateral summit next week makes sense,” Trudeau said in a news conference. “We’re obviously concerned about the proposed issue of tariffs on aluminum and steel that the Americans have floated recently.”
U.S. national security tariffs on imported steel and aluminum – including from Canada and Mexico – were a major irritant during negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal, which was reached last year and entered into force on July 1.
But now, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is considering domestic producers’ request to restore the 10% duty on Canadian aluminum to combat a “surge” of imports. (link)
Earlier today President Trump participated in a showcase celebrating products made in the USA. [Video and Transcript Below]
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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Please. Very nice. Thank you. Big day. It’s my pleasure to welcome you all to the beautiful, great White House and to host this magnificent showcase of America’s incredible small businesses. I just got to witness some beautiful product.
Today, we received outstanding news from all over our country, really. The United States economy has added almost 5 million new jobs in the month of June. That’s shattering all expectations and shattering all records — historic records. History of our country, we’ve never added anywhere near that.
And last month, we also broke the record, but now we shattered it. Much higher than even last month. This is the largest monthly jobs gain in history. We added 2.1 million leisure and hospitality jobs, 740,000 retail jobs, 568,000 education jobs and healthcare jobs, 357,000 service jobs — and very importantly to me, because you know what’s happening with manufacturing, where we’re bring it back because we’ve made incredible trade deals — so manufacturing jobs are coming back, and we added 356,000 manufacturing jobs. Incredible. Incredible numbers. All records.
African American workers made historic gains, the likes of which we’ve never had before, with 404,000 new jobs in June. That’s a record, and that’s the highest number ever. We had 700,000 new jobs over the last two months for African American workers; that’s the highest ever. And both — both months are the highest. We shattered last month’s record. That was a record, and we shattered it.
Hispanic employment is up by 1.5 million jobs. Great businessmen and women, and they’re up 1.5 — think of it — million jobs. Hispanic.
Eighty percent of small businesses are now open. New business applications have doubled since late March. America’s economy is coming back much stronger than ever anticipated by most people, almost all people, because these numbers were — even the most optimistic people, these numbers are being doubled and tripled over what they thought would be possible.
We’re grateful to be joined today by Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Thank you very much, Wilbur. Thank you very much. You’re doing a great job.
Every company here today embodies true American excellence. Your stunning craftsmanship — I just witnessed some of it; it’s incredible — it’s treasured and prized all over the world. The product you make is like none other. And your spirit for America and the greatness of our country is unrivaled.
With us are workers who make decorative American flags from Virginia; fly-fishing reels from Florida; grills from Illinois; pies from North Carolina — they look very good to me; coffee from Oklahoma; ice cream from Maryland; and sunscreen and baseball bats from Texas. With unmatched skill and devotion, you make the goods and build the products that proudly bear the wonderful phrase, “Made in the USA.” You’re seeing that more and more: “Made in the USA.”
We’re bringing our jobs back because of trade deals. We have great trade deals, and jobs are coming back. And we have a lot of great trade deals right now under negotiation. We got to get them done as quickly as possible.
The small businesses represented in this room continue a great and noble American heritage. You’re entrepreneurs, artisans, creators, craftsman who forge your own path, made your own products, and provide good-paying jobs for our citizens. Incredible jobs, incredible people, and they truly are artisans. And you’re doing it all with American hands, American heart, and American pride.
Several of these companies are entirely veteran-owned and operated. Especially as we approach Independence Day, I want to thank the courageous men and women who’ve served their country in uniform. We vow to honor your sacrifice by forever defending the rights, freedoms, and principles you risk your entire life to defend.
Following the arrival of the plague from China — and that’s what it is; it’s a plague and it should have never happened. China should have never let that happen, but China did allow it to happen. We just signed a brand-new trade deal, and the ink wasn’t even dry when this came over.
But we raced into action to save our nation’s small businesses. We passed over $3 trillion in historic relief measures — $3 trillion; think of that — including over $670 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, a tremendous success, as you can see by the numbers.
To keep small-business workers on the payroll, I signed a bill providing federally funded paid sick leave and paid family leave for American workers. Things that have never been done. We’re allowing businesses to defer paying their income tax. And we expanded tax refunds very substantially.
Thanks to our efforts and the incredible resilience of our nation’s small businesses — and I really think we can add the foundation that we built. We built the greatest economy ever built, and that foundation was so strong that, instead of coming weakly back or going in the other direction — because this is coming back, and we haven’t totally succeeded yet; we will soon. But we haven’t killed all of the virus yet.
And yet, you look at these numbers — and that’s based on a very strong foundation that we built, a foundation like no other; a foundation that, had we not been attacked by this virus, this horrible virus — we were doing things and had things planned that nobody else had ever even thought of: paying off debt; building numbers, the likes of which nobody has seen. And yet, next year, we’ll be in a position where, I believe, in a certain respect, I think we’ll even be stronger than we would have been because of what we’re doing.
But only that strong foundation allowed us to be up here today talking about these record-setting job numbers and other numbers that we’re producing, because America’s economy is now roaring back to life like nobody has ever seen before. Nobody has ever seen numbers like this.
In May, retail sales surged by nearly 18 percent. That’s a record. We recently saw the best 50-day increase in the history of the stock market. So we had 50 days — go back a couple of weeks — we had 50 days, the likes of which we’ve never had in the history of the stock market, which to me means jobs.
And it’s lifting up 401(k)s and retirement savings for American workers. We’re doing numbers like nobody has ever seen before. Take a look at 401(k)s. In a pandemic, we’re almost even with where we were before the pandemic started, and nobody would have said that was possible — nobody at all.
We built the greatest economy in the history of the world, and we’re now doing it again. And I think we’ll do even better the second time than we did the first time, unless somebody comes along and says, “Let’s raise taxes on everybody.” And they’re raising taxes not only on corporations — they’ll just go to another country, and they’ll do just fine — but they’re raising taxes on people and middle-income people, and they’re losing jobs.
So you can’t allow that to happen. That will be — all of this incredible job that we’ve done will go down like that. It will be a terrible, terrible sight. It might even be a 1929 situation. So you have a chance to have the greatest numbers in history. You’re almost there.
We’re almost back to where we were from the standpoint of stock market. Think of that. But you’ll have a crash like you’ve never seen before. If you put the wrong person in office, you’ll see things that you would not have believed are possible. They want to raise taxes, they want to raise regulations. You know, a big part of what we’ve done is by cutting regulation. We’ve cut regulation more than any President in the history of our country, whether they’re there for four years, eight years, or in one case, more than that. Nobody even came close. And we’re doing much more. We have regulation, but it’s proper regulation, not strangulation.
We’re also tapping into the talent, genius, and the drive of our people to kill the virus. We’re speeding the delivery of new treatments, including anti-viral steroids, convalescent plasma, and other therapies. We have therapeutics that are really, really looking good, and this includes two drugs that have proven effective: remdesivir and dexamethasone, which is having a tremendous trial. And we’ll see how that all happens.
But we have three vaccine candidates. We’ve had many more, but three are really, really looking good, and I think you’re going to have an answer to that very soon. Three vaccine candidates are now in trial, with three more to start very shortly. These are all great companies. They’ve had tremendous success with other problems in the past.
And we’re accelerating production through Operation Warp Speed. Plus, we have our military ready, so that should we get — whether it’s therapeutic or vaccine — our military is ready, logistically ready. These are the best in the world to get it out to everybody as soon as we have it. And we think we’re going to have it soon.
As we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, let us renew our devotion to this nation, to its citizens, and the eternal values that define our past and shape our future.
I’m going to Mount Rushmore on July 3rd. We’re going to have a tremendous evening. It’s going to be a fireworks display like few people have seen. It’s going to be very exciting. It’s going to be beautiful.
They’ve been wanting to do that for years — fireworks. They used to do it many years ago, and, for some reason, they were unable or unallowed to do it. They just weren’t allowed to do it. And I opened it up, and we’re going to have a tremendous July 3rd. And then we’re coming back here, celebrating the Fourth of July in Washington, D.C.
And I want to also thank all of law enforcement. The job you’ve done is incredible. We signed a bill. If you play with our monuments or our statues, you go to jail for 10 years. It’s amazing how it all stops so fast. Stops so fast. We let the local authorities handle it as long as possible, but ultimately we said, “Let’s step in.” And we stepped in and it stopped. Ten years in jail if they do what they were doing.
So we’re very proud of law enforcement. We want to thank law enforcement. Really great job. Our military has been incredible. Our National Guard has been just incredible all over.
I’m glad to see, in Seattle, they took care of the problem, because as they know, we were going in to take. We were ready to go in and they knew that too. And they went in and they did what they had to do.
We’re a nation committed to equal and abundant opportunity for citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed. The American Dream is the sacred birthright of every American child, and that’s what we have, is we have the American Dream. And nobody is going to shatter the American Dream — not the anarchists, not the agitators, not the fools, not the looters. They’re not going to have any impact on the national dream — the national dream like no other.
That’s why we’re here today, to ensure that every citizen can achieve their dream, achieve their destiny, and realize their full and extraordinary potential. That is how we will renew, rebuild, and restore America.
We’ve done an incredible job in a three-and-a-half-year period, a job like nobody thought would be possible to be done. And we’re doing it again, and we’re doing it, I believe, bigger and better and stronger than ever before. You’re going to see that next year. And unless it’s tampered with, we’re going to have a year next year like no other. It’ll be a phenomenal year, a successful year.
And we’ll have our best job numbers ever next year. We’ll come back stronger and more prosperous than ever before. Next year will be — I think it’ll be one of the — from an economic standpoint, the greatest or one of the greatest economic years we’ve ever had.
So I just want to thank everybody for being here. I want to thank all of these incredible artisans and business people for showcasing your amazing products. And I just want to leave you by saying very important words: God bless America.
Thank you all very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Following a stunning and optimistic jobs report, President Trump, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow held a press conference to discuss the economy. [Video and Transcript Below]
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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much, everybody. Appreciate it. This is mostly an economic conference, and we have Steve Mnuchin with us, Larry Kudlow.
I’d like to just announce the spectacular news for American workers and American families and for our country as a whole. There’s not been anything like this — record setting. It was just put out that the United States economy added almost 5 million jobs in the month of June, shattering all expectations.
I was watching this morning, and the expectations were much lower than that. The stock market is doing extremely well, which means, to me, jobs. That’s what it means: jobs. This is the largest monthly jobs gain in the history of our country. The unemployment rate fell by more than 2 percentage points down to just about 11 percent. We’re down to the 11 percent number. We started at a number very much higher than that. As you know, we broke the record last month, and we broke it again this month in an even bigger way.
This news comes on top of May’s extraordinary jobs report, which was revised upwards, by the way, to 2.7 million jobs; it was 2.5. That was last month, and that was a record setter, but it actually got a little bit better. We revised it, and it was revised upward to 2.7 million jobs for a combined total of 7.5 million jobs created in the last two months. And that’s a record by many millions of jobs. So it’s 7.5 million jobs created in the last two months alone.
Today’s announcement proves that our economy is roaring back. It’s coming back extremely strong. We have some areas where we’re putting out the flames or the fires, and that’s working out well. We’re working very closely with governors, and I think it’s working out very well. I think you’ll see that shortly.
In June, we added 2.1 million leisure and hospitality jobs; 740,000 retail jobs; 568,000 education and healthcare jobs; 357,000 service jobs — these are all historic numbers — and 356,000 manufacturing jobs. And manufacturing looks like it’s ready to really take off at a level that it’s never been before. And a lot of that has to do with our trade policy, because we’re bringing manufacturing back to our country. And these take a long time to get — to get going, and they’re now going.
So these are historic numbers. I’m really happy when I see 356,000 manufacturing jobs, and that’s just a small number compared to what it will be soon because of our great trade deals.
African American workers — really happily for me — made historic gains with 404,000 jobs added last month alone, and that’s a record. And the second largest jump will be last month — and what we have, if you add the two months together, it’s 700,000 jobs for African American workers added in the last two months. And that’s a record by a lot.
Likewise, Hispanic employment is up by 1.5 million jobs, a record by a lot. Hispanic employment up 1.5 million jobs.
Three million more women were employed in the month of June, a record. Never had a number like that.
Workers with a high school education or less made the biggest strides of all. So people that have just a high school education, or have less than a high school education — with unemployment, those without a high school diploma dropped a full 3.3 percentage points; that’s the largest drop in recorded history.
Eighty percent of small businesses are now open. Eighty percent. And we think we’re going to have some very good numbers in the coming months because others are opening. And especially as we put the flame out — getting rid of the flame; it’s happening.
New business applications have doubled since late March. That’s a number that is not even thinkable to achieve this early into a pandemic. The latest ISM Manufacturing Report rose 10 percentage points, with new orders jumping a remarkable 25 percentage points — all a record.
Consumer confidence, which is great — that’s a great number to me because that means confidence is really good. If you don’t have good consumer confidence — it’s like life: If you don’t have confidence, you’re not going to do very well. Consumer confidence has risen 12 points since April. And six-month job expectations hit the all-time — an all-time high.
So think of that for a second: With all we go through, with all of the trials and tribulations that we read about every night — much of it totally fake news, fortunately. And if the consumer didn’t get it, you wouldn’t have good consumer confidence. We have — consumer confidence has risen 12 points since April, an all-time high. Think of that.
Retail sales surged an astonished — astonishing 18 percent. So retail sales went up an astonishing 18 percent in May. That’s the largest increase in the history of our country. That’s a tremendous number, 18 percent. The number of — and what it means to me is jobs.
The number of unemployed Americans reentering the labor force rose by 43 percent, and fewer workers are dropping out of the labor force than before.
And the crisis is being handled. You know, if you look — we were talking this morning — something to think about — China was way early and they’re getting under control just now. And Europe was way early, and they’re getting under control. We followed them, with this terrible China virus, and we are likewise getting under control.
Some areas that were very hard-hit are now doing very well. Some were doing very well, and we thought they may be gone and they flare up, and we’re putting out the fires. But other places were long before us, and they’re now — it’s like life; it’s got a life. And we’re putting out that life, because that’s a bad life that we’re talking about.
But all of this suggests that workers are confident about fighting a new job.
The stock market is soaring with the best gains in over 20 years. In the second quarter, the Dow Jones increased 18 percent. This is in a quarter — 18. These are not numbers that people have heard about. It’s the best in 33 years. The S&P 500 increased by almost 20 percent, the best since 1998 for the quarter. And NASDAQ increased over 30 percent, the best since 1999.
And we had a 50-month — if you look over a long period of time, a phenomenal number. But if you look since the election, we’ve gone up — the Dow went up close to 45 percent. The S&P 500 went up 47 percent, and NASDAQ composite went up — getting close to 100 percent. So these are numbers that are not numbers that other presidents would have. And they won’t have it. The only thing they can kill it is a bad president or a president that wants to raise taxes.
You want to raise taxes? This whole thing — your 401(k)s will drop down to nothing, and your stock market will drop down to nothing. This is not just luck, what’s happening; this is a lot of talent.
All of this incredible news is the result of historic actions my administration has taken working with our partners in Congress to rescue the U.S. economy from a horrible event that was formed, took place in China, and came here. And they could have stopped it. They could have stopped it. Nobody likes to write that, but they could have stopped it. They know it, and I know it.
Through the Paycheck Protection Program, we’ve extended over $520 billion in loans to nearly 5 million small businesses, saving and supporting the jobs of tens of millions of American workers. This has been a tremendous success; levels that nobody has ever seen before. But we saved all of those — all of those jobs and all of those small businesses. And some will be large businesses soon, perhaps.
We also rushed urgently needed relief to millions and millions of hardworking taxpayers. They got that directly, and we’re working on a phase four. We’re working with Congress. That work has started. Steve Mnuchin can give you a little briefing. We’re talking about payroll tax cuts, we’re talking about more money being infused. And it comes back to us. It comes back. It’s all coming back. It’s coming back faster, bigger, and better than we ever thought possible. These are the numbers. These are not numbers made up by me; these are numbers.
We’ve implemented an aggressive strategy to vanquish and kill the virus, and protect Americans at the highest risk, while allowing those at lower risk to return safely to work. That’s what’s happening.
Our health experts continue to address the temporary hotspots in certain cities and counties. And we’re working very hard on that. We’re — the relationship with the governors is very good. We made a call — Mike Pence made a call just yesterday and said, “What do you need?” Not one governor needed anything. They don’t need anything. They have all the medical equipment they can have. Thank you, U.S. government.
They have all of the ventilators they have — you know, we’re giving many ventilators and selling, in some cases, and giving when needed. But we’re — we’re the ventilator king. We’re now producing thousands of ventilators — thousands of ventilators a week.
And we’re helping other countries. And other countries are desperately in need of ventilators, because this is now at 189 countries. That changes all the time, that number. Our last count is 189 countries, and many of them don’t have money and they — almost all of them don’t have a capacity to build a ventilator, which is hard to build — very complex, very expensive. Very big, in many cases. We’ve done an incredible job. So we have assembly lines building ventilators, and we’re building thousands a week.
All of these people are working with governors and local officials to restore best practices, and that’s what we’ve done. That includes face coverings, social distancing, testing, and personal hygiene. Wash your hands.
State officials will decide how rapidly to open their economies. That’s largely up to them. If we see something that’s egregious, we’ve gotten involved with a couple of them where we thought it was unfair. We’d like to see churches opened quickly. And some of them just don’t want to do that. In New York, we got a great ruling from a judge — thank you, Judge — that they can open.
If these best practices are implemented, then the hotspots can be calmed quickly. And we understand this horrible disease right now. We didn’t understand the disease at all. We did the right thing. We closed it up. We would have lost millions of lives. We’ve done a historic thing. We would have lost millions of lives. And now we’re opening it up, and it’s opening up far faster than anybody thought even possible, and more successfully.
And as I said, you’re going to have a fantastic third quarter. It’ll be a third quarter, the likes of which nobody has ever seen before, in my opinion. And the good thing is the numbers will be coming out just prior to the election, so people will be able to see those numbers. The fourth quarter, likewise, will be extremely good. And maybe most importantly, from the standpoint of our country itself, next year will be a historic year. Next year is going to be an incredible year for jobs, for companies, for growth. Things are happening like nobody would have thought possible.
I do want to comment: Boeing, as you know, is moving along in their process. It’s been a very hard process, a very complicated progress — process, but they have made tremendous, tremendous gains. And they’re going for approvals on the aircraft, the 737 Max. They’re also starting to do some real business.
So I just want to congratulate Boeing. They’ve been through so much. I think it was probably the greatest company in the world. I used to say it was the greatest company in the world, and then it ran through a very tough period of time.
But I just want to say that Boeing has made tremendous progress in a short period of time, and other companies I don’t even have to talk about because they’re all setting records, every one — virtually every one of our great companies are setting records.
So I want to thank everybody for being here today. These are historic numbers in a time that a lot of people would have wilted; they would have wilted. But we didn’t wilt, and our country didn’t wilt. And I’m very honored to be your President.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: So let me just make some additional comments. And, first of all, we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Today, again, between this month and last month, that’s about 8 million jobs, 8 million people we put back to work because of the CARES Act and working with Congress.
I think, as you know, people thought we would have 30 million people unemployed. Fortunately, we never got to that. So, 8 million jobs back, but our work is not done. Our work won’t be done until every single American who lost their job because of COVID gets back to work.
And there’s no question — I want to thank the Senate and the House for working with us — there’s no question these programs are working. I also want to thank them for extending the PPP.
As I’ve said, it’s our priority when we get to the CARES 4 bill in July, we will look to work with the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis to repurpose that money. We have about $130 billion left. There are going to be a number of businesses that are particularly hard hit, and we’ll be looking to give those businesses additional money. So CARES 4 will be much more targeted for the businesses that continue to need work, but there is no question that this is working.
And we look forward to continuing this progress. Again, I think 8 million jobs, really extraordinary.
Now, let me just make one other comment: Director Kudlow and I are not wearing masks up here because we’ve both been tested this morning. Okay? And that’s the only reason. But even with that, we did social distance. So I’m pleased to see you’re all wearing masks.
I’m going to let Director Kudlow make a few comments, and then we’ll both be happy to take questions.
MR. KUDLOW: Thanks, Steven. Just briefly, underscoring these high-frequency indicators, you know, it’s a difficult thing to do. We haven’t had much experience with these pandemics. But I will say this: The Apple mobility index is a very important index. It’s a real — literally a real-time daily indicator, and we’re not seeing any declines. It’s still strengthening, even, I might add, in some of the southwestern states which have difficult hotspots.
Housing demand and housing surveys are just soaring. Automobile demand now expected for the third quarter, about 10 million-plus production units. The trucking surveys look very, very strong.
And the Dallas Fed survey — I don’t recall if it was in the President’s notes — because it’s obviously in Texas, a bad hotspot — the Dallas Fed survey, which goes to the end of the month, has not yet shown any declines. Now, it may; I’m not going to rule that out.
And I would say as a general matter, these job numbers, as good as they are — erasing a third to a half of those who are unemployed — there’s still a lot of hardship and a lot of heartbreak in these numbers. I understand that. And the economy is on its way back. We have a ways to go.
I will, however, continue to reference the Congressional Budget Office, which is looking for a very strong third quarter and second half, and a number of private surveys and private forecasters who see the same story on the V-shaped recovery. And with good policies and leadership, 2021 can be a big bang year, and we will be able to get back to the peak levels of 2019. So I believe we’re well positioned. I think we have a lot more work to do; I get that.
And as Steven mentioned, we’ll see how the policy discussions go later this month. Thanks.
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Sure, go ahead.
Q Mr. Secretary, are you concerned to see new unemployment claims rising? We’re at 1.4 million layoffs last week, and that number is actually going up, not going down. Are you concerned about that?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Well, let me just say again — I want to just say we’re going to be concerned until every single person is back to work.
Now, when you look at these numbers, I think it’s tough enough to predict economic numbers in normal times. In these times, you have to look at all these numbers in the entirety. So what I would say on that is, there’s a lag on the unemployment claims. I think you also know many of the states we set up front are completely backed up.
So, no, I would focus on — the jobs numbers are the most accurate numbers, the trend of 8 million jobs back. But having said that, I’m concerned until we get everybody back to work.
Q Obviously, this is good news today, no question about it, but it’s also obvious that the crisis that is surging through Sun Belt states — record number of cases nationally yesterday — threatens all of these economic gains. Many states are throwing their re-openings into reverse.
What additional actions is the administration going to take to stop that? Will the administration, and will the President specifically, call on Americans to wear masks? And why don’t we have, rather than you guys celebrating good news that’s already happened — why don’t we have the Coronavirus Task Force up here giving briefings on how to get under control what is obviously not under control, as Anthony Fauci said this week?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Well, let me just say, I am on the Coronavirus Task Force, so I’m happy to answer a few of those questions.
I can’t comment on the schedule of briefings. I’m not aware of that.
The President specifically put in his speech encouraging Americans to wear masks, social distance, and hygiene. Because he’s the President of the United States and people are not around him — close — and the people who are around are tested, I don’t think he needs to wear a mask.
But the rest —
Q But doesn’t he want to show people?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: But the rest — but the rest of us, absolutely. And the President supports wearing masks. I was at the House this week testifying. I’m sure you saw my picture with Chair Powell on the Wall Street Journal; I never thought we’d have a picture like that. But, yes, we are encouraging Americans to wear masks.
Now, unlike last time, as I’ve said — and, yes, I realize the numbers of cases; we’re monitoring that carefully. We’re monitoring the hospital capacity. Let me just say, I’ve been briefed on where we are on vaccines and virals. I’m very encouraged we’ll have things by the end of the year.
So, yes, we’re going to be careful. And I wouldn’t say “reverse”; I would say the states appropriately are pausing certain things, like bars and gyms, which obviously are the more contagious types of things. And I think the states are acting appropriately.
Yes.
Q Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
MR. KUDLOW: Excuse me. To Jon’s question, there is — Jon, look, Deborah Birx has been down in Arizona and Texas. So they have take — put a team in play, and CDC is doing more of that. And what they’re doing is working with local officials — government officials, but health officials — to really reemphasize what I call the list of best practices. And I think that will do the trick. And if you have to phase out — as Steven said, if you phase out bars, so be it, for a few weeks.
I think some places might’ve been over-exuberant and now have to come back and get back to these best practices of distancing and masks and testing and personal hygiene.
Q But, Larry, the President just said a few minutes ago that we’re getting this under control. It is obvious to anyone watching that it is not under control, and Anthony Fauci said so out loud this week.
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: I think what — I think what Dr. Fauci said is that if people don’t take these things seriously —
MR. KUDLOW: Yeah.
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: — okay? — that the numbers could continue to spike. So —
Q They’re spiking right now.
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Again, what I’d say is: The numbers are up; we’re obviously watching this very carefully. We think that there is the right balance, and we’re working with the states on the health issues and the economic issues.
We’ll go to the next question.
Q So, Mr. Secretary, there is a record number of new infections every day. Does the White House regret encouraging states to open as quickly as it did? And do you think some of that is backfiring?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: No, absolutely not. I think we’ve had a very careful plan — again, working with the states. This is primarily the state’s responsibility, but working with the states.
And again, I think there’s plenty of places we can get people back to work safely. I can tell you, in the Treasury, we’re going to take more people back. We are social distancing. We’re checking people’s temperature at times.
There is a safe way to reopen the economy, and we’re going to do that carefully.
Yes.
Q So what lesson are you taking from what’s happening?
Q Mr. Secretary, a lot of Americans are worried about what’s going to happen with schools in the fall for kids. And there’s a real economic argument that, without schools, a lot of the workforce can’t actually truly return to work. What is the administration doing about this? How are you working on it? Are there strategies that you’re trying to employ?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: We’re working with schools and universities. Again, I think in most cases, schools will be able to open safely. Some schools will need to spend money. One of the things we’ll look at in CARES 4 is if we need to give money to schools to properly equip their areas. I think that’s something that will be high —
Q You would support additional funds to schools?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Absolutely. We want to make sure that kids are safe and that if there is money that schools need to spend to safely have people in classrooms, social distance, spread things out, change hours — these are all the things we’re looking at.
Q Mr. Secretary, can you assess the current need for American families in a phase four bill? I mean, in the spring, you said that a very big number was needed. What’s the current need?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: I think it’s too early to tell. And that’s the reason why we’re — we’re waiting. We’ve spent an unprecedented amount of money. We have authorization of $3 trillion. That’s an extraordinary amount of money. A lot of that money is not in the economy yet. We’re continuing. That’s why we’re extending things like the PPP.
And before we go back to Congress — and I’m already having conversations with certain members of Democrats and Republicans to get ideas, but we want to see the economic numbers. As I said earlier, people thought we were going to have 30 million people unemployed right now. Fortunately, we’re about 15 million unemployed. We had 5 million people unemployed before this, so we got 10 million to put back to work.
The President is committed to do what we need to do in the next bill to protect kids, protect jobs, protect liability.
Yes, in the back.
Q Mr. Secretary, if you take a look at the President’s Twitter feed over the past few days, he tweeted a video of a supporter yelling, “white power.” He’s been tweeting a veto threat if the — if military bases are named away from Confederate generals. He’s been tweeting a lot about Confederate statues and not wanting them to come down.
We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Is the President more focused on preserving or celebrating the Confederacy than getting this pandemic under control?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Let me just say, I think the President is focused on everything. I think this issue of statues and everything else is a complicated issue.
There was an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal from the Cardinal in New York about the Bible and everybody other than Mary and Jesus Christ. I think it’s a very complicated issue. We need to have a balanced view of history.
Q Should the President apologize for the “white power” video? Because he hasn’t.
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Again, I’m not — we’re here to talk about economics.
We’ll take one more question in the back.
Q Mr. Secretary —
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: In the back. Yes.
Q Mr. Secretary, where is the Treasury Department on sending stimulus checks to mixed-status families. There is a lawsuit that was allowed to proceed. Are you guys going to be doing that anytime soon, or are you going to leave it to the courts to decide whether the Treasury Department has to do it?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: I’m sorry, I didn’t understand the question. What’s the question? On stimulus checks?
Q To mixed-status families, so parents of undoc- — of American-citizen children, people who are married to undocumented —
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: Our position is that legal Americans, American citizens should get the payments. That’s our focus. If people are here illegally, they’re not going to get economic payments. So —
Q Even if they have —
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: But let me just say we’re very focused on — as part of the next CARES Act, we’re going to serious consider whether we’re going to put more payments and direct payments over — it worked very well.
Thank you, everybody.
Q How much state and local aid? How much aid for state and local governments?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: We’ll consider that. We’ll have discussions.
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