Trump Speed

 

President Trump and his administration are running at “Trump speed.” This Friday, as the Supremes ending their annual tour, with a finale on tax records that is no Beatles hit, the White House thanked the court in passing. The administration also found time to court Hispanic American voters, all families with school-age children, veterans, and women in need, while backing the blue.

Statement from the Press Secretary
LAW & JUSTICE  Issued on: July 9, 2020

President Trump is gratified by today’s decision by the Supreme Court in Trump v. Mazars.  As the Court made clear, the limited authority of Congress to conduct fact-finding through subpoenas must be used in aid of Congress’ authority to legislate and must be tied to a valid legislative purpose.  Congress may not act as a roving investigative body, especially against a co-equal branch of government.

Last year, Democrat-run House committees subpoenaed President Trump’s financial records in an effort to gain partisan advantage in the upcoming presidential campaign.  Their claim that the financial records could serve as “a useful case study” to learn about “unsafe lending practices” and “money laundering” was plainly disingenuous.  The Supreme Court saw through these transparent smoke-screens, with all nine Justices declaring that more is required to establish a valid legislative purpose than the mere say-so of partisan committee chairmen.

By recognizing, yet again, that the job of Congress is to legislate—and not to grandstand, harass, or seek to embarrass its political opponents—the Supreme Court has reinforced the separation of powers that our Framers established as an essential bulwark of individual liberty.

In the accompanying decision in Trump v. Vance, the Court also protected the President’s financial records from intrusive subpoenas from a partisan district attorney.  As the Court determined, the New York district attorney has not yet established his ability to secure access to those records.  Instead, further proceedings are required in the lower court in which the President can raise additional arguments, including constitutional protections, against this frivolous and politically motivated subpoena.

President Trump remains committed to fulfilling his promises to the American people despite any harassment or distractions his political opponents try to use to impede him.

First Lady Melania Trump visited the Mary Elizabeth House to spend time with “at risk and vulnerable” women and their children.

During the unannounced visit, The First Lady met with staff of the Mary Elizabeth House, mothers and their children. Mrs. Trump spent time engaging with children at the community playground and handing out boxed lunches and Be Best items as a show of her appreciation for the work of the dedicated staff, and the families whom they serve, to create a supportive community and home for young women in and out of the child welfare system.  The First Lady spoke with staff members and young mothers about the importance of strengthening families and protecting children and her support for community-based prevention efforts. Mrs. Trump also discussed last week’s Executive Order signed by the President on Strengthening the Child Welfare System for America’s Children and the direct impact it will have on the Mary Elizabeth House to promote child and family well-being, ensuring child safety, and achieving permanency of a forever family for children.

Second Lady Karen Pence took part in a teleconference on suicide prevention for our military veterans, with the Veterans’ Crisis Line [emphasis added].

The call consisted of Mrs. Pence receiving a briefing about the VCL’s work to provide 24/7, 365 days a year suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to veterans, military service members, and their family members. The Second Lady also learned about the outreach programs and partnerships with community leaders and nonprofit organizations that they have established to further help vulnerable veterans.

Mrs. Pence spoke directly with responders about their personal experiences on taking calls from veterans who are considering ending their life and the challenges that come with it. She thanked them for their important service they provide to our veterans and military community

[. . .]

As the Lead Ambassador for PREVENTS, Mrs. Pence shared more on what the PREVENTS taskforce is and how it is leading the change around suicide prevention. PREVENTS recently launched their national health campaign called REACH, which aims to empower veterans and all Americans to play a role in preventing suicide. Click here to learn more about the REACH Campaign.

On average, 20 veterans die by suicide each day, which is 1.5 times higher than the average number of suicides by all Americans. Mrs. Pence recognized these statistics and emphasized that more than ever before, we need to empower and support veterans experiencing suicidal thoughts and eliminate the stigma that comes with talking about mental health.

President Trump held a round table with Hispanic leaders, after he had Kayleigh McEnany set the table on school choice. Kayleigh McEnany opened with school choice and opportunity for the disadvantaged, especially minority communities, and closed with public safety and mourning the lives of children who were murdered, calling their names and showing their faces past the media jackals who, by their decades of non-reporting, care not.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 7/9/2020
Issued on: July 9, 2020
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:05 P.M. EDT

MS. MCENANY:  Hello, everyone.  There has been no greater champion for rectifying racial and income disparities in America’s educational system than President Trump.

Every child regardless of race, income level, or zip code deserves an equal playing field of opportunity to access the American Dream.  Making that goal a reality begins in our schools.  The evidence is clear: An analysis of 41 major urban areas found that black and Hispanic students made the largest gains in educational access because of school choice, according to a CREDO study.

That is why President Trump has been clear in saying in his State of the Union: “For too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools.  To rescue these students, 18 states have created school choice in the form of Opportunity Scholarships.  The programs are so popular that tens of thousands of students remain on a waiting list.”  Now I go — “I call on Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity…Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunities Act,” he said, “because no parents should be forced to send their child to a failing government school.”

Well, now, if Democrats have their way, children will not have access to schools at all.  And that is not acceptable to President Trump.  President Trump continues to fight for equal opportunity in our schools by boldly and firmly underscoring the absolute necessity of America’s schools to reopen this fall.  The data is clear: Sustained school closures hurt students who have fewer resources the most.

McKinsey and Co. created these models — I have some graphs for you — to estimate the potential impact of school closures, and they found this, quote: “How much learning students lose during school closures vary significantly by access to remote learning, the quality of remote instruction, home support, and the degree of engagement.”

As you can see in this chart, students who experience average-quality remote learning progress, but at a slower pace; students who are getting lower-quality remote learning stagnate at current grade levels; and students who are not getting instruction at home lose significant ground with some students dropping out altogether.

As you can see in the three scenarios mapped on this graph, if students return to school in the fall, the disparities are far less than if they return in January of next year or the fall of next year, where disparities and learning are enormous.

But school closures affect more than just learning.  As the NAACP has pointed out, “For students of color at all levels across the country, school closings create problems even more urgent than the interruption of their educations.  Schools also serve as a community nexus for food and for housing.”

Rest assured that President Trump knows more than anyone the importance of opening our schools, which is why he has been the most vocal advocate for reopening.  And President Trump’s America — make no mistake that he will continue to be the biggest fighter for equal opportunity in our schools and continued access to the American Dream for all.

And with that, I’ll take questions.

[. . .]

And so, one thing — I think I got to everyone.  So, just one last note I want to leave everyone with, because I do think it’s a very important point, is just that there is a Rasmussen poll that came out recently that showed 64 percent of Americans are concerned about the growing criticism of America’s police and that it will lead to a shortage of police officers and reduced public safety.  And of all of the demographics polled, black Americans fear most for public safety, with 67 percent acknowledging their concern for this.

And this is why President Trump has taken action, calling strongly for law and order, and peace in our streets, and he’s set the tone at the top for mayors and governors.  Additionally, we’ve had the hundreds of federal arrests, the executive order that’s enhanced our police departments, and Operation LeGend which I announced yesterday from the Justice Department in honor of LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old boy who was tragically killed in his sleep in Kansas City.

And as we head into the weekend — this our last press briefing of the week, and so I just wanted to make a plea for peace in our streets because far too many children have been lost.  It’s important to know their names.  It’s important to see their faces.  And may we all hold in our prayer and keep close to our hearts the families of Natalia Wallace, who was 7; Mekhi James, who was 10 [3]; Vernado Jones Jr., who was 14; Sincere Gaston, who was 1; Lena Nunez, who was 10; Amaria Jones, who was 13; Davon McNeal, who was 11; and Secoriea Turner, down in Atlanta, who was 8.

Let’s make sure we have peace in our streets this weekend and hold these families in our prayers.

Thank you.

President Trump followed with a Hispanic leaders’ roundtable:

Remarks by President Trump During Roundtable with Hispanic Leaders
ECONOMY & JOBS | Issued on: July 9, 2020
Cabinet Room

2:39 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much. We wanted to watch Kayleigh finish up her news conference, which I think she did. I assume she did a great job. She’s always doing a good job.

We appreciate you being here. We’re with our great Hispanic leaders from all over the country. And we’ve done really well with Hispanics. We like them, they like me, and we’ve helped them a lot with the jobs. Whether it’s jobs, education, or so many other things, it’s been really good.

And I think what I might do is I might ask our lieutenant governor from Florida to start just for a short period, and just say what we’re looking for and how we’ve done and how we can improve would be great.

So, Jeanette, please go ahead.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR NÚÑEZ: Thank you, Mr. President. It’s truly an honor to be here with you and this illustrious group. And what I want to say is that, from the perspective as the first female Hispanic lieutenant governor in the history of the state of Florida, I’m honored to be here.

All of the things that you have stood for and championed — faith, freedom, future — those are things that are critically important to Florida, the economy. We don’t need to reiterate all the numbers and — lowest unemployment, homeownership on the rise — and nothing reverberates the American Dream louder than owning your own home.

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR NÚÑEZ: And choice and education — as a mother, my youngest attends True North Classical Academy, an excellent charter school in Miami. I can tell you that those policies make a difference.

They make a difference to a young man, Orlando Rivera, that had to put his dream on hold, and yet he was able to avail himself of a scholarship and make that dream a reality. And those are stories, Mr. President, of people not only that support you, that are going to continue to support you. And I stand ready to support you as well.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Jeanette, very much. Thank you. Thank you.

Please.

MS. AGUIRRE: Mr. President, Lourdes Aguirre, founder of Eres America and JEMICA Enterprise. Not only are we thankful for your leadership with the Hispanic community that you impacted in such an amazing way the last few years, but the Hispanic faith leadership also surrounds you — and not only believes in you, but will deliver for you your — your reelection because we understand that you are the beacon of hope for the Hispanic community.

We will rebuild America with you, and we will make Amer- — America great again. As you did for our community, we will be there at your side to do the same for you.

THE PRESIDENT: That’s very nice. Thank you very much. We’re very proud of the Hispanic community.

Steve, please.

MR. CORTES: Mr. President, I’m Steve Cortez, and I am your cable news TV warrior. And my father immigrated to this country legally from Colombia, and I hope that he’s looking down from Heaven and very proud that I’m sitting at the table with the President of the United States.

THE PRESIDENT: He is.

MR. CORTES: Regarding Hispanics, I think school choice is a critical issue. You’ve spoken a lot about it lately — that it’s the civil rights issue of our time. I think that’s particularly true for the Hispanic community. Too many Hispanic children today are trapped in substandard or failing government schools.

We need to empower their families, empower those parents with educational choice so that they can go to the schools that will serve them well — many of them Catholic and evangelical schools. I think this is a winning issue for the country, a winning issue for you — politically, as well — with Hispanic community.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Steve. Great job you’re doing, too.

Dan, yes.

MR. GARZA: Mr. President, thank you so much for this opportunity to dialogue with you on the priority issues for Latinos. Daniel Garza, president of the Libre Initiative —

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

MR. GARZA: — son of migrant farmworkers who came from a small township called Garza Gonzalez in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. My parents came to America because they saw it as the Promised Land, and it was here where they achieved the American Dream.

We were very motivated when you set the tone early in your administration when you lessened the tax burden on Latino individuals and businesses. It’s so important for Latinos to prosper in America, to have a prosperous America. And it’s important to have a prosperous America to have a prosperous Latino community; we’re interdependent.

And we want to see a continued activity of deregulation that we’ve seen — especially in the area of healthcare, through telemedicine, where a doctor doesn’t have to be in the same room with the patient. We’ve seen that during the COVID era, and we want to continue that down the road.

Also, Mr. President, I want to remind you of a phone call that we had not that long ago, about a month ago —

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

MR. GARZA: — on the state bailouts. Those debts that preceded the COVID era should not be considered. We have to consider our financial health — the fiscal health in America — and make sure that we lessen the debt that we have that are passed on to the next generation.

So I want to thank you for commitment to that, and, again, for, I think, setting a table where we’re able to unleash an economic bonanza for the Latino community.

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

MR. GARZA: Again, you know, low unemployment, high labor participation rates, high wage increases, homeownership — again, we benefited from that.

Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Daniel. We’re setting records on jobs. You see that.

MR. GARZA: That’s right.

THE PRESIDENT: And for the Hispanic community, 2.1 million people back to work already.

MR. GARZA: That’s right.

THE PRESIDENT: So we’re very proud of that. Thank you very much, Dan.

John, please.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: Thank you, Mr. President, for allowing us to be here today. What an honor to be here not only as an American, but a Hispanic American.

You know, I could trace my family roots to this country decades before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, you know. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: That’s pretty good.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: Yeah. And — and yet, hardworking Americans — growing up in poverty, the youngest of eight kids, no dad — it was through those conservative American ideals — those that you are fighting for every single day — I was raised by this great woman who had the responsibility of raising eight kids by herself.

THE PRESIDENT: Great.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: No running water. But through hard work, staying in school, getting a good education, and taking advantage of the American Dream, I’m here, sitting across the table from the President of the United States. What an honor. That’s the American Dream. Thank you, sir.

I want to say, coming from New Mexico — now the third-largest energy-producing state in the country — some of the most richest producing oil fields in the world, rival — some say, maybe more than Saudi Arabia — it is because of your policy, sir, that have unleashed American energy that makes this country now energy independent.

And, in New Mexico, that translates into jobs. And, you know, sir, a majority of those jobs, Mr. President, are Hispanic workers. They may not have a college education or a degree, but you know what? They’re working in the oil field, making $100,000 a year for their families. They’re able to buy homes, send their kids to school, buy a truck. That’s the American Dream.

And so I want to let you know, from the great state of New Mexico, the people, the Hispanics — the largest percentage of Hispanics of any state in the nation — we want to say thank you. And we hope that you continue with your second administration, sir, so that you continue to bring the American Dream to all Americans, especially Hispanics.

THE PRESIDENT: That’s great, John. And you know, the wall is going up, and it’s a big factor in New Mexico. We’re giving you tremendous safety, security — like never before. But the wall is going up.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: And it’s going up — a big chunk of it is going up in New Mexico, so you know that. And I know they’re very happy about that.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: And they appreciate national security and public safety.

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: That big, beautiful wall — but it has big gates so the people who want to enter our nation —

THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: — properly, legally, they’re able to do it.

Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SANCHEZ: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Appreciate it.

MR. RODRIGUEZ: Mr. President, thank you for — thank you. Mario Rodriguez, Hispanic 100. First of all, as a son of a Korean and Vietnam veteran, I want to thank you for what you’ve done for the veterans of this country. Thank you so much.

I remember my dad and mom complaining that it took them so long to get an appointment with the VA. And now, you have taken care of that for them. And for that, we thank you.

I want to also thank you for the Opportunity Zones, what you’re doing on that. I’m a buil- — I’m building single-family homes in Santa Ana, which is an Opportunity Zone, and it’s flourishing. And we’re taking these areas that were downward in areas, and they’re going to — in the next five years, you’re going to see them flourish, and it’s going to be incredible, what you’re doing with — with the Opportunity Zones in this country.

And one thing I would really — I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve tried to do for these DACA recipients. You put something on the table that was very fair. I have — we run a mentorship program, and I spoke to one of my ment- — mentees, and she’s a DACA recipient. And I put on the table what you had on — what you put — your initiative, which you put forward. And I said, “You tell me — and I don’t want — forget about the politics, but you tell me if you think this is a fair start.” And she said “absolutely.”

And what was really disappointing is that the Democrats are using these young adults as political pawns, and that’s just totally unacceptable in this country.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’ve had a deal on DACA, and the Democrats broke it. But we had a deal, it was a done deal, and then they broke it. And now, as you know, we start the process all over again. But we’re going to take care of DACA. They’re not going to have anything to worry about. But we did have a deal on DACA, and the Democrats decided not to make the deal, so it was —

MR. RODRIGUEZ: It was a very, very fair deal, too.

THE PRESIDENT: It was. It was a great deal.

MR. RODRIGUEZ: It really was. Really, it was very disheartening to see —

THE PRESIDENT: We’ll take care of it.

MR. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you very much.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.

MR. RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Appreciate it.

MR. ORTIZ: Mr. President, good afternoon. I’m Alfredo Ortiz, President and CEO of Job Creators Network, an organization that was started by Bernie Marcus, one of our greatest entrepreneurs stories — he started the Home Depot.

THE PRESIDENT: Great guy.

MR. ORTIZ: An amazing — amazing patriot and entrepreneur. We’re proud to have created an organization over the past 10 years that literally went from 0 to over 500,000 small-business owners in this country. As you correctly identified pretty much from the first day of your presidency, small business is not only the backbone of our country, but the backbone of our communities.

Just before COVID, they were really experiencing some of the best growth they had ever seen. Hispanics, in particular, were seeing some of the best growth. They had also seen, from a small business perspective, in general, with the highest — you know, some of the highest homeownership on record, as you know; lowest unemployment in history. It really had — had been an amazing run.

I know we had this little blip in COVID, but as you just correctly identified, over 2 million jobs in the last two months were created that were actually Hispanic. And so we’re very excited. I’m very excited to here — to be here.

Also, from a personal perspective, I am the son of — I am a proud American of Mexican descent.

THE PRESIDENT: Great.

MR. ORTIZ: I’m the son of two immigrants. My dad was a tailor. My mom was a housekeeper. So to go from literally picking trash and cleaning toilets to sitting here, having this conversation with you — only in this country could this happen. So I’m proud to be here.

THE PRESIDENT: That’s great. Well, we had a great gentleman here yesterday — you know that, right? The President of Mexico. And he — we had a tremendous dialogue going. We’re working very well with Mexico, as you know. A lot of people didn’t think that was going to happen, and it happened beyond anybody’s expectations. So it was really good. It was a great day.

Brooke, would you like to say something?

MS. ROLLINS: Well, thank you. It just strikes me — Steve talked about school choice, Daniel talked about deregulation, John talked about the energy independence, Mario talked about Opportunity Zones, you just mentioned talking about jobs — this is — this is what you’re fighting for. This is your vision. And to have seen it executed and implemented and the results over the last three and a half years is really remarkable.

So thank you all for being here and for being such warriors for the cause of liberty. Thank you for your leadership.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thank you, Brooke, very much.

MR. VERÁSTEGUI: Hello, Mr. President. My name is Eduardo Verástegui. I am an actor and a filmmaker. I am from Mexico, but I work in both Mexico and United States.

THE PRESIDENT: Good.

MR. VERÁSTEGUI: So I produce films, and our mission is to make films that hopefully not only will entertain, but hopefully will make a difference in people’s lives, because we know how media influence — influences how people think.

Thank you for your leadership in defending the unborn. As you know, Mexicans — the majority of Mexicans support the right to life. And thank you for defending life in America and in Latin America. Without a doubt, you are the best, the greatest pro-life President in the history of the United States. Thank you for that.

Thank you for your leadership in the USMCA. I am from Mexico, so I was very proud to —

THE PRESIDENT: Very good.

MR. VERÁSTEGUI: — what happened last night.

THE PRESIDENT: That’s very good.

MR. VERÁSTEGUI: And I’m very — it’s a win-win for Mexico and United States. But I’m convinced that very soon — very soon Mexico will be the number-one partner — trading — of the United States.

God bless you. And let’s make Mexico, America — America and Mexico great together. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: That’s great. That’s happening. Good to hear.

MR. VERÁSTEGUI: God bless you. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Great job. Thank you very much.

MR. VERÁSTEGUI: Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Robert.

MR. UNANUE: Mr. President, what can I tell you? I’m so blessed to be here in the most prosperous country in the world, the greatest country in the world. And we’re so blessed to have you as our leader, as we continue to build this country and make it — continue to make it the most prosperous nation in the world.

I’m Bob Unanue, third generation. I’m CEO and president of Goya Food, Inc., a multibillion dollar company with facilities all over the United States and the Caribbean —

THE PRESIDENT: Good job.

MR. UNANUE: — and Spain. We have about 4,500 employees we call “la gran familia Goya” — the great Goya family. And these people, we didn’t — we haven’t been back to work because we never stopped. We never stopped working. We doubled our efforts. And I asked the guys and gals, and I said, “Hey, this is tough.” And they said, “Look, if we don’t do it, nobody will.” And they said, “Presente.” The said, “Count on us.”

My grandfather left Spain at 18 years old from — on a steamship in 1904 with a lot of other European people who — the economy over there was not the most prosperous in — in the world. So they came to the Unit- — he came to the United States through Puerto Rico.

In 1936, he established — he was importing products in Spain. That was the Spanish Civil War. That dried up. He established Goya foods on Duane Street in Manhattan.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay.

MR. UNANUE: At that time, it was a butter and egg market. And now you have Bouley and all these great restaurants and all the — the marvelous things of New York.

But anyway, we’re all over the United States. And the United States, after Mexico, is the largest Hispanic country in the world. By 2050, we will be one third of the population. Prosperity is what we need to — faith in God, prosperity — to work hard and to build.

You are an incredible builder. And that, I tell our — our people, our family, “Look, we’re just beginning.” Because as the country grows, as the Hispanic community grows, we continue to grow. And that is the American Dream. That’s our (inaudible). Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Great job. Really great job.

So we’ll be speaking outside in a little while in the Rose Garden. And I look forward to seeing you out there, media. And thank you all very much. And you folks are invited.

The executive order on the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative ties together education and economic opportunity [emphasis added]:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to improve Hispanic Americans’ access to educational and economic opportunities, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Purpose.  The success of Hispanic Americans is integral to the economic future of our country.  As more than 60 million Hispanics live in the United States today, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the country.  Hispanics are also the Nation’s youngest major racial or ethnic group.  Generations of Hispanics constituting different backgrounds and cultures have contributed to building a strong and prosperous America.  Their collective contributions continue a legacy of inspiration that is a cherished part of the American experience.

While we celebrate the many ways Hispanic Americans have contributed to our Nation, we also recognize that they face challenges in accessing educational and economic opportunities.  In the last 3 years, my Administration has supported school choice, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and new career pathways, including apprenticeships and work-based learning initiatives, because quality education options offering multiple pathways to economic success are critical to developing our Nation’s potential for the jobs of tomorrow.  My Administration has also supported investment in economically distressed communities, including through Opportunity Zones, and economic opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses.  The initiative set forth in this order increases emphasis on the connection between educational and economic opportunities, and exploring and promoting opportunities for Hispanic Americans, both through and outside traditional education options, that lead to economic prosperity.  Today, Americans have more paths to prosperity than any previous generation, and it is necessary to ensure that Hispanic Americans have every opportunity to access these pathways and to fulfill their educational and economic aspirations.

What was it that the president of Mexico said Thursday, in front of the cameras and the world?

PRESIDENT LÓPEZ OBRADOR:  (As interpreted.)  Friends, ladies and gentlemen, I truly celebrate this meeting with you, President Trump.

[. . .]

As in the best times of our political relationship, during my mandate as President of Mexico, is that of remembering this insults and things like that from — against me.  We have received from you, President Trump, understanding and respect.  People — some people thought that our ideological differences would inevitably lead to confrontations.  Fortunately, this has not been the case.  And I believe that, towards the future, there will be no motive or need to break our very good political relationship or the friendship between our two administrations.

The best president Mexico has ever had, Benito Juárez García, as you have mentioned, had a good understanding with the great Republican President, Abraham Lincoln.  Let us remember that this great, historic leader of the United States, who was the promoter of the abolition of slavery, never recognized Emperor Maximilian imposed in Mexico through the intervention of the powerful French army.

It is no coincidence that Juárez lamented Lincoln’s murder in the United States, saying, I quote, “I have deeply felt this disgrace because Lincoln, who was constantly working in such a determined manner for the complete freedom of its fellow men, was worthy of a better fortune or luck.”  End of quote.

The same thing happened with the splendid relationship that Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had with our patriot president, General Lázaro Cárdenas.  The same situation took place.  And after the oil expropriation, in a letter, General Cárdenas recognized the good understanding — the good bilateral understanding as follows: He said, “My administration believes that the attitude of the United States of America, in the case of the oil company expropriation, reasserts once more the sovereignty of the peoples of this continent that with so much efforts have been maintaining the situation and the position of his Excellency, Mr. President Roosevelt.”  End of quote.

So with all proportions and all the circumstances, with different circumstances, history tells us that it is possible to understand each other without arrogance or extremisms.

Now that I have decided to come to this meeting with you, President Trump, we had a good debate in my country on the convenience of this trip.  I decided to come because, as I have already expressed, it is very important for us to be launching this new agreement.

But I also wanted to be here to thank people of the United States, its government, and thank you, President Trump for being increasingly respectful with our Mexican fellow men.

And to you, President Trump, I want to thank you for your understanding and the help you’ve given us in issues related to trade, commerce, oil, as well as your personal support for the acquisition of medical equipment that we needed urgently to treat our patients of COVID-19.

But what I mainly appreciate is that you have never sought to impose anything on us violating our sovereignty.  Instead of the Monroe Doctrine, you have followed, in our case, the wise advice of the lustrous and prudent President George Washington who said, quote, “Nations should not take advantage of the unfortunate condition of other peoples.”  End of quote.

You have not tried to treat us as a colony; on the contrary, you have honored our condition as an independent nation.  That’s why I’m here to express to the people of the United States that their President has behaved with us with kindness and respect.  You have treated us just as what we are: a country and a dignified people; a free, democratic, and sovereign people.

Long live the friendship of our two nations.  Long live the United States of America.  Long live Canada.  Long live our America.  Long live Mexico.  Long live Mexico.  Viva México.  (Applause.)

While Second Lady Pence dealt with preventing veterans’ suicide, Vice President Pence went to Philadelphia, in a battleground state, to Back the Blue with the Fraternal Order of Police:

Oh, by the way, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman just retired, likely as part of a deal to avoid an ugly end. He was on the colonel selection list and on the War College resident course list, but will now find a home with the anti-American left or Putin’s puppets. Asked for comment, here is what Kayleigh McEnany said:

Q    But perhaps — could you — Kayleigh, could you expand a little bit on Education Secretary DeVos’s comments today about he’s not going to cut funding to schools, but to shift funding to families?  Do you know what that means?

And the second question, unrelated, is: Does the White House have a comment on the retirement yesterday of Colonel Vindman from the Army?

MS. MCENANY:  So to your first question, I did not see Secretary DeVos’s comments.  But as you describe them, it leads me to believe that it was a reference to the President’s tweet yesterday about changing education funding if schools don’t reopen.

As I noted yesterday, what this administration’s goal is, is that funding be tied to the child, not to a school district where schools are staying closed.  That’s our paramount guiding principle.  As to what that looks like in action, that will be forthcoming.  We’re hopeful that all the schools reopen in the nation; that’s the goal.  And we are hopeful for more education funding in phase four, as I noted.

And with Colonel Vindman, you know, I’m not going to focus or comment on a former junior employee.  I know the White House has not spoken to him since he left, and I would refer you for further to the Army.

Q    Was there any pressure from the White House to — for him to retire?

MS. MCENANY:  No.

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  1. Henry Racette Member
    Henry Racette
    @HenryRacette

    School choice — vouchers and/or charter schools — should be a winning topic for the right. It’s one of the most important things that can be done to make real improvements in our most challenged urban communities. (And we aren’t going to get the teacher’s union votes anyway.)

    • #1
  2. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    I think this is the answer to @garyrobbins question “Will you comply?” The answer is “yes” just as President Trump has in other court decisions. What Gary fails to understand that compliance is to return to the lower court and raise additional objections to that which the Supreme Court addressed, as per the decision of the Supreme Court. It made sense for the President to argue the broadest immunity, which the Court denied. But having done so it is simply setting up the next round of legal questions to be addressed, which is proper. The President is not above the law, but neither is he below the law available to all other citizens. Yes, President Trump is going to comply with the Court’s order as he has routinely done.

    • #2
  3. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    School choice — vouchers and/or charter schools — should be a winning topic for the right. It’s one of the most important things that can be done to make real improvements in our most challenged urban communities. (And we aren’t going to get the teacher’s union votes anyway.)

    I am never for “big changes”. But whenever the discussion turns to what can be done, school choice is always my first answer. 

    I’ve even made headway with some lefty teachers: why is it fair that my white children have better schools available than the Mexican children who happen to live a little south?

    • #3
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Henry Racette (View Comment):

    School choice — vouchers and/or charter schools — should be a winning topic for the right. It’s one of the most important things that can be done to make real improvements in our most challenged urban communities. (And we aren’t going to get the teacher’s union votes anyway.)

    I am never for “big changes”. But whenever the discussion turns to what can be done, school choice is always my first answer.

    I’ve even made headway with some lefty teachers: why is it fair that my white children have better schools available than the Mexican children who happen to live a little south?

    I dunno, I might be afraid that they’d suggest busing.

    • #4
  5. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Rodin (View Comment):

    I think this is the answer to @garyrobbins question “Will you comply?” The answer is “yes” just as President Trump has in other court decisions. What Gary fails to understand that compliance is to return to the lower court and raise additional objections to that which the Supreme Court addressed, as per the decision of the Supreme Court. It made sense for the President to argue the broadest immunity, which the Court denied. But having done so it is simply setting up the next round of legal questions to be addressed, which is proper. The President is not above the law, but neither is he below the law available to all other citizens. Yes, President Trump is going to comply with the Court’s order as he has routinely done.

    Good.  Thanks.

    • #5
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