U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is testifying tomorrow at 10:00am to the House Ways and Means committee; later in the afternoon Ambassador Lighthizer will testify before the Senate Finance Committee.
The New York Times has received an advance copy of USTR Lighthizer’s opening statement, and the liberal publication is apoplectic the Trump administration plans to outline an even more aggressive stance toward the iff’s.
According to the pearl-clutching Wall St. class, Lighthizer is going to inform congress of Trump/USTR plans to demand tariff reciprocity; and Lighthizer will indeed raise tariffs against any nation that continues to attempt one-sided benefit. [EU will go bananas]
One method to approach tariff inequality would be for the U.S. to lower the import value threshold for non-tariff exemptions. Currently the U.S. does not apply import duties to any product valued under $800. This is a great benefit to China, southeast Asia, and U.S. on-line retailers such as ebay and Amazon; however, the zero tariff threshold hurts U.S. manufacturers because China and other nations do not reciprocate.
It is anticipated that USTR Lighthizer will inform congress the U.S. will lower that import threshold to match the same value level applied by other nations. Obviously the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Wall Street multinationals will not like this approach.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration plans to continue its aggressive trade tactics this year by pushing for a “broader reset” of the tariffs set by the World Trade Organization, a top trade official plans to tell Congress in testimony on Wednesday.
Robert E. Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, will tell the House Ways and Means Committee that the tariffs the organization sets for various countries are “outdated” and far above the levels charged by the United States, according to a copy of his prepared remarks.
The United States “must ensure that tariffs reflect current economic realities to protect our exporters and workers,” Mr. Lighthizer’s prepared testimony says.
The remarks suggest that American officials will continue their offensive this year on the World Trade Organization, the international body charged with writing and enforcing trade rules. (read more)
Following the four year pattern of opposition, we can well expect the majority of purchased politicians to stand against the Trump administration efforts. That said, none of the doomsayer tariff predictions ever came true; and President Trump has the support of the majority with him against the United States Congress.
Data released by the Commerce Dept [pdf here] shows U.S. shoppers increased spending by a record 17.7% from April to May. The jump in spending was double the amount most economists and forecasters were predicting.
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(Reuters) Retail sales jumped 17.7% last month, the biggest advance since the government started tracking the series in 1992. Sales dropped a record 14.7% in April. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales would rise 8% in May. (link)
Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks from the Rose Garden and signed an executive order on safe policing. [Executive Order Here] Video and Transcript Below.
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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please. And thank you all for being here as we take historic action to deliver a future of safety and security for Americans of every race, religion, color, and creed.
We’re joined today by law enforcement professionals and community leaders. Though we may all come from different places and different backgrounds, we’re united by our desire to ensure peace and dignity and equality for all Americans.
I’ve just concluded a meeting with incredible families — just incredible families that have been through so much. The families of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Antwon Rose, Jemel Roberson, Atatiana Jefferson, Michael Dean, Darius Tarver, Cameron Lamb, and Everett Palmer. These are incredible people. Incredible people. And it’s so sad.
Many of these families lost their loved ones in deadly interactions with police. To all of the hurting families, I want you to know that all Americans mourn by your side. Your loved ones will not have died in vain. We are one nation. We grieve together, and we heal together. I can never imagine your pain or the depth of your anguish, but I can promise to fight for justice for all of our people. And I gave a commitment to all of those families today with Senator Tim Scott and Attorney General Bill Barr. We are going to pursue what we said. We will be pursuing it, and we will be pursuing it strongly, Tim. Right? Okay?
I want to recognize Attorney General Bill Barr, who’s spent so much time on this and others matters like this. Bill, thank you very much for being here. Along with — (applause) — great job you’re doing. Along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Tim Scott, and they’re going to be working on a Senate bill also that can go hand in hand with this. And also, Representatives Kelly Armstrong, Louie Gohmert, Jim Jordan, Guy Reschenthaler, and Pete Stauber.
And thanks also to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody; the President of the Fraternal Order of Police Pat Yoes; President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Steven Casstevens; and many other law enforcement leaders who are going to be joining me at the signing.
Today is about pursuing common sense and fighting — fighting for a cause like we seldom get the chance to fight for. We have to find common ground. But I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to [DEL: defend :DEL] [defund], dismantle, and dissolve our police departments, especially now when we’ve achieved the lowest recorded crime rates in recent history.
Americans know the truth: Without police, there is chaos; without law, there is anarchy; and without safety, there is catastrophe. We need leaders at every level of government who have the moral clarity to state these obvious facts.
Americans believe we must support the brave men and women in blue who police our streets and keep us safe. Americans also believe we must improve accountability, increase transparency, and invest more resources in police training, recruiting, and community engagement. Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals, they are not mutually exclusive; they work together. They all work together.
That is why today I’m signing an executive order encouraging police departments nationwide to adopt the highest professional standards to serve their communities. These standards will be as high and as strong as there is on Earth.
The vast majority of police officers are selfless and courageous public servants. They are great men and women. When others run away from danger, police run straight into harm’s way, often putting their lives at stake to protect someone who they don’t know or never even met. Great danger.
Police officers run straight toward this incredible harm. Take the World Trade Center: They ran straight into the Twin Towers of 9/11. Many of them never returned. Never returned. Vast numbers of New York’s Finest never returned.
Last year, I presented the Medal of Valor to six heroic police officers who ended a murderous rampage so professionally in Dayton, Ohio. Hundreds of people would have been killed, surely, without them.
We ask our police to put on the uniform and risk their lives for us every day. The least we deserve and the least we can do — because they deserve it so much — they have to get our gratitude. And we have to give them great respect for what they do, for the job is one of the most dangerous jobs on Earth, one of the most difficult jobs on Earth.
Last year alone, 89 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. In recent days, two members of law enforcement were killed amid riots and looting, and hundreds of police officers were injured just recently. One officer was shot in the head and is now laying in a hospital, almost totally paralyzed.
Despite our very good record on crime, law and order must be further restored nationwide, and your federal government is ready, willing, and able to help, as we did in Minneapolis. After it got out of control for four days, I sent in representatives, commonly known as the National Guard, and it was all put down very quickly. We’re willing to help. We’re willing to help in Seattle. We’re willing to help anywhere you want, and we’ll be there very quickly. It won’t take long.
There will be no more looting or arson, and the penalty will be very grave for those who get caught. Violence and destruction will not be tolerated. We cannot do that. The looters have no cause that they’re fighting for — just trouble.
Every day, police officers make great sacrifices to keep our communities secure and safe. In 2018, our police arrested nearly 12,000 people for murder, 25,000 people for rape, and nearly 1.5 million for assault. Very dangerous criminals.
In many cases, local law enforcement is underfunded, understaffed, and undersupported. Forty-seven percent of all murders in Chicago and sixty-eight percent of all murders in Baltimore went without arrests last year.
Americans want law and order. They demand law and order. They may not say it, they may not be talking about it, but that’s what they want. Some of them don’t even know that’s what they want, but that’s what they want. And they understand that when you remove the police, you hurt those who have the least, the most.
Nobody needs a strong, trustworthy police force more than those who live in distressed areas, and nobody is more opposed to the small number of bad police officers — and you have them. They’re a very tiny — I use the word “tiny.” It’s a very small percentage, but you have them. But nobody wants to get rid of them more than the overwhelming number of really good and great police officers. Some of them are standing with me and with me in the audience today, and I appreciate you being here. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Great job.
What’s needed now is not more stoking of fear and division. We need to bring law enforcement and communities closer together, not to drive them apart.
Under the executive order I’m signing today, we will prioritize federal grants from the Department of Justice to police departments that seek independent credentialing, certifying that they meet high standards and, in fact, in certain cases, the highest standard — that’s where they do the best — on the use of force and de-escalation training.
For example, many believe that proper training might have prevented the tragic deaths of Antwon Rose and Botham Jean. As part of this new credentialing process, chokeholds will be banned, except if an officer’s life is at risk.
And I will say, we’ve dealt with all of the various departments, and everybody said, “It’s time. We have to do it.”
Additionally, we’re looking at new advanced and powerful less-lethal weapons to help prevent deadly interactions. New devices are being developed all the time, and we’re looking at the best of them. And cost is no object. No object.
Under this executive order, departments will also need to share of information about credible abuses so that officers with significant issues do not simply move from one police department to the next. That’s a problem. And the heads of our police departments said, “Whatever you can do about that, please let us know.” We’re letting you know. We’re doing a lot about it.
In addition, my order will direct federal funding to support officers in dealing with homeless individuals and those who have mental illness and substance-abuse problems. We will provide more resources for co-responders, such as social workers who can help officers manage these complex encounters. And this is what they’ve studied and worked on all their lives. They understand how to do it. We’re going to get the best of them put in our police departments and working with our police. We will have reform without undermining our many great and extremely talented law enforcement officers.
President Obama and Vice President Biden never even tried to fix this during their eight-year period. The reason they didn’t try is because they had no idea how to do it. And it is a complex situation.
Beyond the steps we’re taking today, I am committed to working with Congress on additional measures. Congress has started already, and they’ll be having bills coming out of the Senate and possibly out of the House. And hopefully they’ll all get together and they’ll come up with a solution that goes even beyond what we’re signing today. But this is a big, big step — a step that hasn’t been taken before.
But in order to make real progress on public safety, we have to break old patterns of failure. Many of the same politicians now presenting themselves as the solution are the same ones who have failed for decades on schools, jobs, justice, and crime. They’re all often, unfortunately, the same politicians running the cities and states where help is most needed. It’s an attitude, and it’s not working.
Today’s action is a big part of the solution to restoring, renewing, and rebuilding our communities. For the last three and a half years, my administration has been focused on creating opportunity, fighting for equal justice, and truly delivering results. Nobody has ever delivered results like we’ve delivered. Nobody has come close. (Applause.) And we worked with some great people. We’ve worked with fantastic people to get it done.
We enacted landmark criminal justice reform, something that nobody else could get done. They tried and they couldn’t even come close. And we got it done, and we got it done powerfully, and people appreciated it. But it’s something that with all the work and all the talk for so many years — criminal justice reform — nobody else could get done.
We secured permanent and record funding for HBCUs — that’s historically black colleges and universities — numbers that they never thought were possible and long-term financing, because they would come back to the White House; after my third year, I said, “Why are you here again?” Great people. About 42 people, the heads of black colleges and universities. Great people. They do such an incredible job.
And I’d see them, and after the third year I’d say, “Why are you doing this?” “We need money again.” I said, “Don’t we set it so you have, like, a 10-year program, a 5-year program?” “No, sir, for years and years we’ve had to come back every single year.” I said, “Well, the only bad thing about what I’m going to do is I’m going to give you long-term financing and I’m going to up the amount, but I won’t get to see you anymore. So that’s the bad part. But you can focus on education now instead of worrying about dealing with us in Washington.”
So we did that for the historically black colleges and universities. I’m very proud of it. They’re incredible. They’re incredible people. Got to know a lot of the heads of those colleges. They do an unbelievable job and don’t get the kind of notoriety that they should have.
We expanded affordable options for better healthcare. We created Opportunity Zones with Senator Tim Scott; brought it to me. We didn’t know if we could get it passed, Tim, right? But we got it passed, and I think it’s probably one of the great things that we’ve done in this administration. Tens of thousands of jobs, billions and billions of dollars being brought into areas and neighborhoods that would never, ever, ever be taken care of, monetarily. Areas that didn’t have 10 cents put them — in them for years and decades, and now people are investing, thriving, and the jobs have come back.
We achieved the lowest black, Hispanic, and Asian unemployment rates in American history. And we will do it again. We’ll do it again. We’re fighting for school choice, which really is the civil rights of all time in this country. Frankly, school choice is the civil rights statement of the year, of the decade, and probably beyond — because all children have to have access to quality education. A child’s zip code in America should never determine their future, and that’s what was happening. So we’re very, very strong on school choice, and I hope everybody remembers that. And it’s happening. It’s already happened, but it’s happening. We have tremendous opposition from people that know they shouldn’t be opposing it. School choice.
All children deserve equal opportunity because we are all made equal by God. So true. A great jobs market and thriving economy is probably the best thing that we can do to help the black, Hispanic, Asian communities. We saw that just recently, prior to the virus that came in from China just a few months ago. What a horrible thing it was all over the world — 188 countries now.
And I just want to say we’ve done incredibly well. We’re doing well. Things are happening that nobody can even believe. Our country is opening up. And it’s opening up rapidly. We had the best unemployment and employment. We had best unemployment and employment numbers — think of that — in the history of our country. We’re up to almost 160 million people working. There was never anything even close. And that’s for almost every group including black, Hispanic, Asian, women, young people, old people, young people without a high school diploma. Every group. Everybody was thrilled. Everybody had — just about –high-paying jobs.
Our country was never in a better position, and we were planning on massive growth — it was happening; it was already there — including big salary increases, which were already taking place for the last two and a half years. Big, big increases. Record increases. Nobody has seen anything like it. And then we got hit by the virus, along with the rest of the world. And now I’m building it up again. Here we go again. But I’m building it up again, and it’s moving fast. And it will be even better than before, because we also learned. It will be better than before.
Jobs are rapidly coming back, and retail sales that were just announced two hours ago — just a little while ago — they’re up a staggering 17.7 percent. (Applause.) The projection was anywhere from 6 to 8 percent. We’re up 17.7 percent. And what does that mean? The stock market went through the roof.
These good numbers, they drove it up to a level that — we’re almost at the same level. Hard to believe. We’re getting very close to the level we were before the pandemic and before all of the things that you’ve seen happen happened. That’s a great thing because, ultimately, it’s about jobs, it’s about — the government can never do anything like a great job for a person, where they look forward to getting up in the morning and going to work, and getting a much bigger check than they could ever get otherwise.
Today, and over the last 60 days, we’ve had one of the biggest stock market increases in the history of the stock markets. And two weeks ago, the 50-day increase was the single biggest.
Unless my formula is tampered with, we will soon be in a stronger position than we were before the plague came in from China. When the numbers reached the point that I know they will, there will again be a great unity and a great spirit in our country. People will have their job back that they might’ve lost. They’ll be making even more money than they did before.
We have some brilliant people working with me, and we put it together. We did it once and we’re very easily doing it again. We’re way ahead of schedule. You’ll see that. You’ll see the third quarter numbers will be very good. You’ll see fourth quarter will be really good. And you’ll see next year will be one of the best economic years this country has ever had. (Applause.)
And it’s all happening very quickly, way ahead of schedule, and I think you see that. People can’t even believe what they’re looking at.
But on top of all of that, before the end of the year, I predict we will have a very successful vaccine, therapeutic, and cure. We’re making tremendous progress. I deal with these incredible scientists, doctors, very, very closely. I have great respect for their minds. And they have come up with things, and they’ve come up with many other cures and therapeutics over the years. These are the people — the best, the smartest, the most brilliant anywhere.
And they’ve come up with the AIDS vaccine. They’ve come up with — or the AIDS. And they — as you know, there’s various things, and now various companies are involved. But the therapeutic for AIDS — AIDS was a death sentence, and now people live a life with a pill. It’s an incredible thing.
The Ebola vaccine and others — these are the people that have done it, or these are the people that have been around it, and they’re all competing. It’s an incredible thing. All of these brilliant firms, labs, companies are competing. And I will tell you, we’re very far advanced. We’ve already started tests and trials.
So I think we’re going to have a very, very good answer to that very, very soon. I always say, even without it, it goes away. But if we had the vaccine — and we will — if we had therapeutic, or cure — one thing sort of blends into the other — it will be a fantastic day. And I think that’s going to happen, and it’s going to happen very soon.
Americans can achieve anything when we work together as one national family. To go forward, we must seek cooperation, not confrontation; we must build upon our heritage, not tear it down; and we must cherish the principles of America’s founding as we strive to deliver safe, beautiful, elegant justice and liberty for all.
I’d like now to invite our great friends — because they are — our great friends from law enforcement, the offices representing their groups, to come up as I sign a very important executive order. And we’re asking Mitch and Tim and all of the people that are here from Congress to go back and see if they can get something done. I see Louie and Jim — Jim Jordan who are all here. A lot of representatives from Congress and the Senate.
If they can go back and add to what we’re signing today, it’ll be — it’ll be a big moment. It’ll be a big moment. But this is a tremendous step. This a step that could have been taken years ago but people chose not to do that. And that was, in my opinion, a big mistake. We could’ve solved a lot of the problems that we have now.
So if I could — law enforcement, if you could come forward. We’ve had the — please, come up. We’ve had the endorsement of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, International Association of Chiefs of Police, International Union of Police Associations, Major County Sheriffs of America Association, National Association of Police Organizations, National District Attorneys Association, National Sheriffs Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, and many others.
They’ve worked on this with me and my team, and have been fantastic. I want to thank my team. What a team it is. And we’ve taken very much into mind what they are saying, because these are the people that keep us safe, and they’ve done an incredible job.
Thank you all very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
(The executive order is signed.)
PARTICIPANT: Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, fellas. Take one of these for yourselves.
Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you.
The White House provided some background information to media in advance of tomorrow’s executive order on police reform. Details Below:
[Transcript ] – First of all, I want to thank everyone for being here. Tomorrow, we plan to do an executive order that the President has been working on for the last couple of weeks. This is not a new thing. We started our police commission a couple of months ago in the beginning of the year after we did criminal justice reform.
The President is a president of action and I’ll go through what this executive order is going to be talking about.
We developed this by talk- — working very closely with law enforcement professionals and their representatives, as well as with families of people who were killed by law enforcement and also their representatives.
The goal of this is to bring police closer together with the communities. We’re not looking to defund the police; we’re looking to invest more and incentivize best practices.
The executive order has three main components to it.
♦The first component is going to be about — it’s going to be about creating credentialing and certification. We’re looking to incentivize best practices. There are a lot of great standards for use of force throughout the country. However, a lot of the police departments that have had problems are not using the most modern standard. Whether you look at Minneapolis or if you look at Ferguson or if you look at Baltimore, a lot of their training materials and standards are outdated, and this is something that we want to incentivize people to get certified on their practices and hopefully that will encourage better training and action.
♦The next thing is going to be about information sharing. That gives us the ability to track people who have excessive use of force complaints so that people can’t leave one law enforcement department and then get hired at another. There should be a place for people to know about people’s backgrounds so we can keep bad cops out. And nobody hates bad cops more than good cops. And we want to make sure that we can track that and take action.
♦The last part, which is also going to be critical, is with regards to mental health and homelessness and addiction. We want to be able to have co-responder programs where we’re going to incentivize. A lot of the work that police officers are doing today deals with medical issues and homelessness. And we want to make sure that police officers can do policing and that they can implement best practices throughout the country to figure out how they can deal with a lot of the other issues that come up along the way.
We think that this will be something that both the law enforcement community, as well as the community advocates have been asking for. This is something that our law enforcement commission, the Attorney General, and all the people that we’ve been talking to feel like is a very necessary development now in law enforcement.
So we think that this is steps that will actually make a big difference. And again, the President is going to call on Congress to hopefully pass legislation that can make a difference. And we’re looking forward to tomorrow and for the President to have the opportunity to have a discussion where he has both police officers and police officer representatives in the room with families of people who were killed by police officers, to have the discussion that the country needs to have so that we can turn the anger in the country right now into action and hopefully bring some unification and some healing.
I will say that this President has been about solutions. A lot of the President’s policies have been addressed towards solving the problems in the inner cities, whether it’s for advocating better schools, whether it’s trying to bring access to capital and more investment into the poorest areas through Opportunity Zones, bringing more money to higher education in historically black colleges, or even addressing criminal justice reform, which he was able to do with the historic passage of the FIRST STEP Act and a lot of the work we’ve done on second chance hiring.
The President promised, when he ran for office, to work hard for the forgotten men and women of this country. And his actions today, his policy platform, have achieved great results. And this is just another example of how, working with law enforcement, the President has been able to make adjustments that are able to hopefully bring the country forward and bring law enforcement and communities closer together by promoting practices that are state of art for community policing.
I’ll pass it over to [senior administration official]. Maybe you want to finish up on that.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sure. Thanks so much. And so, this reform is very impactful because it’s all focused on community policing. We know that, in certain areas, the police have been disincentivized to stay in the car and not walk the beat, and that’s made communities less safe. And so what we want to do is thread the needle on having more cops, community police, but at the same time, build trust with the community. And that’s what this reform effort is all focused on.
And so we had the opportunity to not only work with various different police groups, but several faith leaders and groups that represent families.
And so, one of the big reforms that everyone agrees on and that we think is going to be revolutionary in the way we do policing is the creation of co-respondent services, which focuses on bringing on social workers who will go on a response with police for nonviolent response calls, specifically focused on mental health, drug addiction, as well as homelessness issues.
We find that law enforcement finds themselves dealing with these issues more often than not. And in many cases, they’re not the best one to respond to these type of efforts. And so though we have a database, we also made sure that this database system accounted for privacy and due process for those officers because we want to be fair in how we set up this system. But again, as my colleague reiterated, most good cops — all good cops, the biggest thing they hate is bad cops. You know, and so they want to be able to have a system that they can trust and that no one can go around the system.
And then we also really want to focus on retention and recruitment — specifically, recruiting people from the communities that they live in. We want police officers who are in the police department to be a part of their community. And what better way than recruit directly from that community?
And so we look forward to tomorrow’s event. And I’ll sit back for any questions.
Q Hey, this is Franco Ordoñez with NPR. Thank you so much for doing this. I had a question about unions and accountability. One of the concerns was how difficult it is to have accountability for officers. Derek Chauvin of Minneapolis, he had, I understand, 17 number of complaints against him. How does this address the issue of accountability, particularly what some say are roadblocks from unions — police unions?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So there’s a lot of accountability in the credentialing process. Many of these local accountability (inaudible) is going to be put on local mayors who maybe not take the time to get their police department credentialed. And so we’re going to really need them to hold accountability for their local law department, local laws.
I mean, there’s so many different police departments around the country that could’ve done a better job if they just took the time on the front end with doing the credentialing. We’re, of course, going to put some incentive in place by rewarding police officers and police departments that do the right thing. But we think there is certainly some accountability from local leaders to help us do this.
You know, the federal government can only do so much, so we do need local partnerships. But we’re going to do all we can to use our platform to bring police and communities together.
Q Hey there, it’s Michael Moates. I’m with the America First Project. I just wanted to ask you: If you look at the numbers from the different leadership across, you know, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis, obviously there is a lot of Democratic leadership there. Is there going to be withholding of grants? Are you all looking other options of discipline for those who don’t comply?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: What we found is prioritizing funding really changes the way that people go around seeking funding from the federal government. And so you don’t necessarily have to demonize them or withdraw funds, but if you create an equal system based off of best practices, there’s going to be more so a race to create the best application to get access to the funding. And that’s usually how it works, which is why we’re prioritizing the funding, rather than trying to do anything that would seem like we’re trying to defund police departments.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And what we’re finding is that there is actually a fairly good ecosystem of standards and training behaviors. And, you know, some places do it great and others less sub-par. And, you know, what we want to be doing is incentivizing people to take on those best standards, and improve their training, and do the retention of good officers. And by doing that, that will be the way that you can hopefully start doing it.
But you’re never going to solve this problem by demonizing the police. You have to solve this problem by working with law enforcement and with the police to make progress together. And there’s a lot of willingness, and I believe that this executive order will have the support of all the major federal law enforcement groups in a very, very positive way.
Q Hi, it’s Andrew Feinberg with Breakfast Media. Thanks for doing the call. I have two questions. Shortly — shortly after the President took office, in 2017, the DOJ’s COPS Office stopped doing investigations and publishing reports into problems in local departments. And shortly before Jeff Sessions resigned as Attorney General, he issued a memorandum directing the Civil Rights Division to stop doing pattern-and-practice investigations and entering into consent decrees — making it harder to enter into consent decrees with police departments to stop civil rights abuses.
Those types of investigations and consent decrees were widely considered to be some of the strongest tools in the DOJ’s toolbox for dealing with abuse and misconduct in local police departments. Would the President consider directing the Attorney General to rescind that memorandum and allow these investigations and practices to start again? And if not, why not?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: We’re focused on bringing the police and the community together. We think going in a certain direction may dis-incentivize police from going to high-crime areas. You can look at some localities, like Baltimore, that had consent decrees. And now, plenty of neighborhoods in Baltimore are being victimized, and crime is on the rise because police officers are afraid to do their job because there is no protection for police officers.
I think we have to think about this: Most people want to be able to call the police if they need them. Just because some bad apples don’t perform their job, that doesn’t mean you throw out the baby with the bath water.
And so what we’re trying to do is create a system which brings police and community together and focuses on public safety. With that public safety narrative, we have less of these bad interactions and more of the positive ones. And so that’s what we focused on.
Q Yes, hi, this is Carrie Sheffield with JusttheNews.com. I had a question about, specifically, what the executive order is going to include in terms of what pieces might there be that need to be passed through legislation. And, I guess, specifically, the three components that you mentioned, are these all going to be through DOJ? What’s the legal mechanism for how these will be enforced? And then, what, if anything, is not going to be included, in terms of executive power and your just making of the suggestion? If you could differentiate those two.
And then, a quick question for [senior administration official]. You mentioned that there are a lot of officers who are not from the community. Is there any steps — or evidence to say that this is a problem or it is more common, that it is — there’s results, in terms of seeing that it’s better to have officers from the community?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, let me start by saying that a lot of the law enforcement is local. Right? And so, at the federal level, there are certain things that we can impact and there are certain things we can’t impact. And so what we’ve been trying to do with this executive order is work with law enforcement to try to set some guiding principles and incentivize best behavior at the local level.
We’ve — you know, we launched the first — you know, we launched a commission earlier this year, right after we did criminal justice reform, to study improvements with modern technology and what could be done in policing now throughout the country.
Once this is signed, the Attorney General will then take the principles from the President and work to turn that into specific guidance. And then also, Congress is going to need to look at it, and we’ll call on them to work on different areas to see if they can both provide funding and legislation to put some of these programs into place.
And do you want to —
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah. I was just going to — I can just add to that, that there is a lot of — here that certainly can be put into statutory law. But the President wanted to act. He didn’t want to have to wait on Congress to act on it this issue, because bringing the community together now is extremely important, specifically for public safety. We’re speaking on behalf of many communities that want more law enforcement there to help protect them and keep them safe.
And so we’re always going to — the first business of the President is protect people. We’re always going to make sure that happens.
Insofar as the stats on community policing, that comes from my experience, but a number of community advocates have asked for more of that and also the police. And so that’s an area where everyone has had common ground.
Q Hi, this is Jeff Mason with Reuters. Thanks, everybody. The question I have, just as I’m thinking about how to write about this, is: What exactly — how exactly does the executive order fulfill these objectives that you’re talking about? When you say you want to incentivize best practices and information sharing, and the piece about mental health, does that mean the executive order will tie funding around the country to this or will mandate the funding — federal funding be tied to these things? Just connect the dots, if you can, for us about exactly how the order will work.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So it’s not tying; it’s incentivizing. I mentioned, earlier, priority points. It’s creating that ecosystem that rewards good behavior. One of those good behaviors: If I’m applying for a federal grant, maybe you want to look at accreditation that makes you more competitive. You got to understand that most of our discretionary money is competitive. So if you put in the ecosystem that we’re going to prioritize funding if you have this, then they’re going to do exactly what that is.
I mean, a lot of these police departments follow whatever the rules are to the T. And so we if we put that as the priority point, it’s going to change the way that they apply for this and they’ll do that accreditation.
Q Hi, this is Shannon Pettypiece with NBC. One of the issues that people have raised is the issue of racism in police forces or racial stereotypes among police officers. Is that something that the President is going to address tomorrow? And is that a concern that he sees needs to be dealt with?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, look, I think that there was some misreporting out about this earlier. And tomorrow is about working with law enforcement and the families of those who have been killed, you know, unfortunately, and trying to bring people together with policy that will bring the country forward.
And I think that, you know, the President sees, you know, law enforcement as — vast, vast, vast majority — as great. They do a great job. They keep our communities safe. He stands with them. And he wants to figure out how to do things to eliminate situations where you have bad officers.
I think, you know, he was horrified and, you know, we were all horrified by the video that we saw with Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis. And we want to make sure that we can continue to give the resources to the local communities to get closer with the — with their police forces to do better, to build more trust.
But again, it goes back to the President’s full suite of policies that help the forgotten communities, where he’s looking to — where he’s looking to help people have opportunities to go to better schools and get better jobs and have access to capital. And hopefully that brings more opportunity to the community, which will lead to less crime and more safety.
But, [senior administration official], you may want to address that.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sure. I think [senior administration official] hit the nail on the head. There is no one issue when it comes to the community. There are a lot of historic factors and disparities that’s brought us here today. Everything COVID did on shining the light on a lot of disparities such as access to capital and public health. And then we had the protest that came about.
But the President created infrastructure to help with the disparities long before any issues happened, because he was very proactive about giving everybody a chance at the American dream. And so it’s only allowed for us to bring more partners on the local level. We’ve had a hard time having local leadership lean into actually dealing with the problems of some of these communities. Hopefully, (inaudible) this executive order comes out, more of them will come to the table to partner with this President.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: And what the President has been very clear on is he’s willing to work with anybody he wants to address the issues if they arise. And, again, if you look at the suite of actions that he’s taken over the last three and a half years, he has a big record of success of really focusing on forgotten communities and trying to deliver for people, regardless of their race, religion, creed.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Last question.
Q Hey guys. Thanks. This is Christian Datoc from Daily Caller. I’m just curious: If Congress were to pick up any of these components in future legislation, would the President sign that piece into law, even if it included provisions on qualified immunity? Kayleigh McEnany stated last week that that’s a non-starter for the White House. Just wondering if anything has changed on that front.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, I would — I think Kayleigh’s words still hold today. And again, the President is always flexible and he’ll look at what comes to him. But I think that would be a very — a very high hill to climb. I don’t see anything that has that in there passing Congress any time soon.
But, [senior administration official], do you want to just make a few final comments?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah. I think the meat of this executive order is focusing on those certification bodies that will work on training people through de-escalation techniques, use of force standards, including those policies that prohibit chokeholds except in those situations where deadly force is allowed by law.
And we’re leveraging our ability to execute discretionary grants and prioritizing those police departments that take the time to get that credentialing. And so that’s the meat of this, and we think that goes a lot further than anything that anyone has put on the table right now.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: All right, that’s it, everybody. Thanks so much for the call. The embargo is now lifted. Remember, this is on background and can be attributed to senior administration officials. Thanks so much for the time.
The U.S. media are in ideological alignment with blue state governors and congressional democrats to hype COVID-19 panic as a method to keep the economy from reopening. To advance this narrative the crowds during mass protects they approve of are ignored; but any crowd at an event they do not align with is used to push panic. Everyone can see this.
The New York manufacturing index shocked everyone earlier today showing a strong rebound. The index “unexpectedly” surged 48 points in June surprising all economic forecasters. Meanwhile, National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appears on Fox News to discuss the dynamics.
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As Kudlow notes, President Trump is looking to use any potential phase-4 legislative package to inject a massive ‘America First’ boost, via tax incentives for manufacturing business interests to return to the U.S. The administration does not see a need for additional direct spending, bailouts, or continued payments; however, this is an opportunity to provide tax incentives to boost U.S-centric economic activity.
It’s important to remember the dynamic of U.S. multinationals (Wall St), and how many of them align with Democrat and media efforts to hold down the U.S. economy. There are trillions at stake.
Wall Street multinationals are attempting to retain their prior investments in China and southeast Asia; the last thing they want is an incentive program (expensing, tax relief etc) putting pressure on them to return jobs and manufacturing to the United States. The multinationals prefer their decades-long built globalist supply chains that they paid congress to create.
Because of the specific interests, and the ideology, the multinationals, U.S. media, the resistance movement and democrat politicians are in alignment to support Wall Street against President Trump’s America-First agenda.
The singular force fighting for the benefit of Main Street USA is President Trump and his economic war council. In essence the Trump administration is in a battle against all the global interests, foreign and domestic, who are determined to keep the U.S. economy from expanding and getting stronger.
These are all simply different battles, with varying levels of escalation, in an economic policy war that has been waged for over three years. President Trump is fighting to deconstruct a globalist system created over decades. We are now at the apex of the battle where no political weapons are out-of-bounds… including the weaponization of viruses; and the political deployment of highly controlled racial reserve units.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Manufacturing activity in New York State stabilized unexpectedly in June after three months of broad weakness brought on by coronavirus-related business shutdowns, and companies’ six-month outlook shot to a decade high, the New York Federal Reserve said on Monday.
The regional Fed bank’s Empire State Manufacturing Index surged 48 points to a reading of negative 0.2 from negative 48.5 in May. Economists polled by Reuters were looking for a reading of negative 29.8, according to the survey median. (link)
Wow. Today, in celebration of President Trump’s birthday, thousands of boats assembled in massive flotillas around the country to celebrate. Here’s some videos of the events starting with over a thousand boats in Jacksonville, Florida:
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Lighthouse Point, Florida:
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Palm Beach, Florida:
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Bradenton, Florida:
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San Diego, California (The boardwalk at Seaport Village):
A contrast in interviews between the obtuse Jake Tapper and Maria Bartiromo discussing the Trump administration efforts to reopen the economy. While Bartiromo still leans toward policy initiatives to bail out her Wall Street allies, the doomsayers who never focus on solutions. The previous economic package is working and delivering positive results.
As White House economist Kevin Hassett noted yesterday, any phase-4 relief package would be very specifically targeted -as tax incentives, not spending- toward only those companies and industries that are negatively impacted during earnest efforts to reestablish their footing.
National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appears for a Sunday interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on the topic of the economy, recovery and re-opening. Tapper has to pretend not to know things, like how an extra $600/week (COVID unemployment) is a real disincentive for people to return to work.
Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks at the 2020 United States Military Academy at West Point Graduation Ceremony. [Video and Transcript Below]
[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, General, and hello cadets. On behalf of our entire nation, let me say congratulations to the incredible West Point Class of 2020. Congratulations. Everyone have a good time, enjoy yourselves, because we are here to celebrate your achievements, and great achievements they are. Let us also recognize your remarkable Superintendent, General Darryl Williams, for his outstanding stewardship. General, thank you very much. Great job. Thank you. (Applause.)
Few words in the English language and few places in history have commanded as much awe and admiration as West Point. This premier military academy produces only the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, and the bravest of the brave. West Point is a universal symbol of American gallantry, loyalty, devotion, discipline, and great skill. There is no place on Earth I would rather be than right here with all of you. It’s a great honor.
Across this hallowed plain have passed many of the greatest and most fearsome soldiers that ever lived. They were heroes who drove thundering columns of Sherman tanks into the heart of a wicked empire. They were legends who unleashed the fury of American artillery upon our enemies on remote islands and distant shores.
They were titans who strode through cannon blast and cavalry charge, and stared down our foes through gray clouds of smoke and shrapnel. They were the Army Rangers who led the way up jagged cliffs, the Airborne soldiers who rained down justice in the dark of night, the infantry whose very sight meant liberation was near, and the mighty forces who sent tyrants, terrorists, and sadistic monsters running scared through the gates of hell. No evil force on Earth can match the noble power and righteous glory of the American warrior.
I have no doubt that the young men and women before me today will add your names to this eternal chronicle of American heroes. You will go forth from this place adored by your countrymen, dreaded by your enemies, and respected by all throughout the world. Someday, generations of future West Point cadets will study your legacy. They will know your deeds, they will celebrate your triumphs, and they will proudly follow your example.
To the 1,107 who today become the newest officers in the most exceptional Army ever to take the field of battle, I am here to offer America’s salute. Thank you for answering your nation’s call.
On this special occasion, we are delighted to be joined by Congressman Steve Womack, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, Assistant Secretary Casey Wardynski, and Army Chief of Staff General James McConville, an old grad from the class of 1981.
Let’s also express our appreciation to General Curtis Buzzard, General Cindy Jebb, and all of the wonderful instructors, coaches, and faculty members who are continuing West Point’s two-century tradition of unrivaled excellence.
To all of the parents, grandparents, and family members watching this ceremony from your beautiful home: Even though you could not be here today, we know this day could never have happened without you. Your love and sacrifice have given America these phenomenal men and women. Cadets, please join me in sending your parents and families the heartfelt thanks that they so richly deserved. They’re all watching right now. Please. (Applause.) Thank you very much.
The depth and breadth of the U.S. Military’s contributions to our society are an everlasting inspiration to us all. I want to take this opportunity to thank all members of America’s Armed Forces in every branch — active duty, National Guard, and reserve — who stepped forward to help battle the invisible enemy — the new virus that came to our shores from a distant land called China. We will vanquish the virus. We will extinguish this plague.
I also want to thank the men and women of our National Guard who respond with precision to so many recent challenges, from hurricanes and natural disasters, to ensuring peace, safety, and the constitutional rule of law on our streets. We thank every citizen who wears a uniform in selfless service to our nation.
The members of this class have come from every state in our union. You have come from the farms and the cities, from states big and small, and from every race, religion, color, and creed. But when you entered these grounds, you became part of one team, one family, proudly serving one great American nation.
You became brothers and sisters pledging allegiance to the same timeless principles, joined together in a common mission to protect our country, to defend our people, and to carry on the traditions of freedom, equality, and liberty that so many gave their lives to secure. You exemplify the power of shared national purpose to transcend all differences and achieve true unity. Today, you graduate as one class, and you embody one noble creed: Duty, Honor, Country.
Every graduate on this field could have gone to virtually any top-ranked university that you wanted. You chose to devote your life to the defense of America. You came to West Point because you know the truth: America is the greatest country in human history, and the United States Military is the greatest force for peace and justice the world has ever known.
The survival of America and the endurance of civilization itself depends on the men and women just like each of you. It depends on people who love their country with all their heart and energy and soul. It depends on citizens who build, sustain, nurture, and defend institutions like this one; that is how societies are made and how progress is advanced.
What has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment. When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring, and eternal.
It was on this soil that American patriots held the most vital fortress in our war for independence. It was this school that gave us the men who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding. It was the graduates of West Point — towering figures like McArthur, Patton, Eisenhower, and Bradley — who led America to victory over the sinister Nazis and imperial fascists 75 years ago. It was under the leadership of West Point graduates like the legendary General Matthew Ridgway that the Army was at the forefront of ending the terrible injustice of segregation.
It was Army strength that held the line against the brutal opposition and oppression from Communism. And it has been thanks to patriots like you that America has climbed to new heights of human achievement and national endeavor.
This is your history. This is the legacy that each of you inherits. It is the legacy purchased with American blood at the crest of Little Round Top, on the crimson beaches of Normandy, in the freezing mud of Bastogne, and the dense jungles of Vietnam. It is the legacy of courageous, selfless, faithful patriots who fought for every inch of dirt with every ounce of strength and every last scrap of heart and drive and grit they had.
And they did it because they believed in the undying principles of our founding. They did it because they cherished their homes, their faith, their family, and their flag. And they did it because when they came to this school, they were taught to hold fast to their love of our country; to cherish our heritage, learn from it, and build upon it. That is what young Americans are taught here at West Point. That is the legacy that you carry forward as second lieutenants in the United States Army, and you must never forget it.
Through four long years, you have honed your skills, trained your mind and body, overcome every obstacle, and earned your place of pride in the Long Gray Line. You made it through the rigors of R-Day and Beast, the intensity of CLDT, and weeks of training in the blistering heat. You have pushed yourselves far beyond every limit imaginable.
Some of you have even pushed the limits a bit too much. So for any cadets who have not finished walking off their hours, as Commander-in-Chief, I hereby absolve all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses, and that is effective immediately. Congratulations. (Applause.) That’s a nice one, isn’t it? Don’t you feel better now? (Laughter.)
Surviving the 47-month experience is never easy, but only the class of 2020 can say it survived 48 months. And when it comes to bragging rights, no one can boast louder than the class that brought Navy’s 14-year football winning streak to a screeching halt. You did that. I happened to be there. (Applause.) I happened to be there. That’s right. That was a big day. I was there. You beat Navy and brought the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy back to West Point for two straight years. So we say, “Go, Army, go.”
This graduating class secured more than 1,000 victories for the Black Knights, including three bowl victories, 13 NCAA team appearances, and a Women’s Rugby Championship with the help of somebody that I just met: 2019 MVP, Sam Sullivan. Fantastic job. Thank you. A fantastic job. (Applause.) Five cadets won national boxing championships, and Adaya Queen brought home two. Brendan Brown earned the title of Powerlifting National Champion.
In academics, 38 cadets have earned fellowships to continue their studies, including First Captain Dane Van de Wall, who received one of the most prestigious awards in academia: the Rhodes Scholarship. Congratulations, Dane. It’s a great achievement. Thank you. Congratulations. (Applause.) Great achievement.
But no one modeled the values of the soldier-scholar quite like Lindy Mooradian. Lindy earned both the highest overall class standing and the highest physical program score. She has published scientific research in a prominent journal and set five new records on the athletic track. Lindy, incredible job. Where is Lindy? Where is Lindy? (Applause.) For somebody that did so well, they didn’t give you a very good seat, Lindy. (Laughter.) We have to talk about that. Congratulations.
Right now, America needs a class of cadets that lives by your motto: “With Vision, We Lead.” We need you to carry on the spirit of the great General Ulysses S. Grant. Soon after assuming overall command, following three years of Union setbacks, General Grant encountered someone heading north to Washington during the Battle of the Wilderness: “If you see the President,” Grant said, “tell him from me that whatever happens, there will [never] be no turning back.”
We need you to be as visionary as Patton, who as a young man in 1917, became the first soldier assigned to the Army Tank Corps. One month into the job, he saw the future, writing, “If resistance is broken, and the line pierced, the tank must and will assume the role of pursuit cavalry and ride the enemy to death.” Under Patton’s leadership, that’s exactly what they did.
We need you to be as bold and determined as the immortal General Douglas MacArthur, who knew that the American soldier never, ever quits. After leaving the Philippines for Australia at a low point of the Pacific War in 1942, MacArthur famously vowed, “I shall return.” For two years, he then took great strategic risks and placed himself often in personal danger. On October 20th, 1944, McArthur stepped off a landing boat, strode through knee-high water, and proclaimed, “People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil.” He then called upon the islands’ brave people to rise up and join the fight. America’s momentum was unstoppable.
These great leaders were not afraid of what others might say about them. They didn’t care. They knew their duty was to protect their country. They knew the Army exists to preserve the republic and the strong foundations upon which it stands: family, God, country, liberty, and justice. They were true, tough American patriots. That is what our country needs, especially in these times, and that is what you are.
Each of you begins your career in the Army at a crucial moment in American history. We are restoring the fundamental principles that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations, but defend — and defend strongly –our nation from foreign enemies. We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed, clear-eyed focus on defending America’s vital interests. It is not the duty of U.S. troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of. We are not the policemen of the world.
But let our enemies be on notice: If our people are threatened, we will never, ever hesitate to act. And when we fight, from now on, we will fight only to win. As MacArthur said: “In war, there is no substitute for victory.”
To ensure you have the very best equipment and technology available, my administration has embarked on a colossal rebuilding of the American Armed Forces, a record like no other. After years of devastating budget cuts and a military that was totally depleted from these endless wars, we have invested over 2 trillion — trillion; that’s with a “T” — dollars in the most powerful fighting force, by far, on the planet Earth. We are building new ships, bombers, jet fighters, and helicopters by the hundreds; new tanks, military satellites, rockets, and missiles; even a hypersonic missile that goes 17 times faster than the fastest missile currently available in the world and can hit a target 1,000 miles away within 14 inches from center point.
For the first time in 70 years, we established a new branch of the United States military: the Space Force. It’s a big deal.
In recent years, America’s warriors have made clear to all the high cost of threatening the American people. The savage ISIS caliphate has been 100 percent destroyed under the Trump administration, and its barbaric leader, al-Baghdadi, is gone, killed, over. And the world’s number-one terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, is likewise dead.
As Commander-in-Chief, I never forget for one instant the immense sacrifices we ask of those who wear this nation’s uniform. Already, you have known the crushing pain of losing a brother in arms. Today, we remember an extraordinary cadet who made the supreme sacrifice in an accident last year: C.J. Morgan. We are deeply moved to be joined by his father, Christopher Morgan. And C.J. was something very special. Christopher is a Secret Service Agent. A tough guy. Great guy. Great son, who is looking down right now. Christopher, I want you to know that we will carry C.J.’s blessed memory in our hearts forever. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you.
Tomorrow, America will celebrate a very important anniversary: the 245th birthday of the United States Army. Unrelated, going to be my birthday also. (Laughter.) I don’t know if that happened by accident. Did that happen by accident, please? But it’s a great day because of that Army birthday.
And as you know, the Army’s first Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington, called the fort that stood on this majestic point “the most important post in America.” Its strategic location on the Hudson River was vital to our war for independence. If British ships gained control of this river, they would have divided our young nation in two. So American soldiers stretched a massive metal chain across the waters of the Hudson, from West Point all the way to Constitution Island. I saw a piece of that chain. It’s incredible. No enemy ship even dared try to cross. Every link in that great chain was formed from over 100 pounds of pure American iron, mined from American soil, and made with American pride. Together, those links formed an unbreakable line of defense.
Standing here before you more than two centuries later, it is clearer than ever that General Washington’s words still hold true. West Point is still the indispensable post for America, the vital ground that must not lose. And the survival of our nation still depends on a great chain reaching out from this place — one made not of iron, but of flesh and blood, of memory and spirit, of sheer faith and unyielding courage.
Today, each of you becomes another link in that unbroken chain, forged in the crucible known as the United States Military Academy, the greatest on Earth. It has given you soldiers that you can rely on to your right and to your left. And now we are entrusting you with the most noble task any warrior has ever had the privilege to carry out: the task of preserving American liberty.
As long as you remain loyal, faithful, and true, then our enemies don’t even stand a chance, our rights will never be stolen, our freedoms will never be trampled, our destiny will never be denied, and the United States of America will never be defeated. With the grace of God and the heroes of West Point, America will always prevail. Nothing will stand in your way, nothing will slow you down, and nothing will stop the West Point Class of 2020 from achieving a true and lasting victory.
God bless you. God bless the United States Army. And God bless America. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
On Thursday President Trump sat down for an extensive interview with Fox News host Harris Faulkner while in Dallas Texas. The lengthy interview was broadcast Friday.
Ms. Faulkner uses subtlety to present her emotional perspectives as facts; however, within the wide-ranging interview President Trump focuses on common sense perspectives, approaches and sensible applications of policy surrounding U.S. law enforcement reform.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
Centinel2012 