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Fri, June 30, 2017: Trump signs executive order re-establishing National Space Council

President Trump signed an executive order on Friday, reinstating the National Space Council which has been dormant for nearly 25 years.

“Today’s announcement sends a clear signal to the world that we are restoring America’s proud legacy of leadership in space,” Trump said at the signing in the Roosevelt Room, which was attended by veteran astronaut Colonel Buzz Aldrin.

“With the actions we are launching today, America will think big once again.  Important words:  Think big.  We haven’t been thinking so big for a long time, but we’re thinking big again as a country,” the president continued. Continue reading “Fri, June 30, 2017: Trump signs executive order re-establishing National Space Council”

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Fri, June 30, 2017: Trump holds press conference with South Korea’s President Moon, condemns ‘reckless’ N. Korea

President Trump on Friday denounced the “reckless and brutal” regime in North Korea and demanded that Pyongyang choose “a better path” to de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula over its nuclear weapons program.

Appearing in the Rose Garden with new South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump pledged a “determined response” to the threat and renewed calls for regional allies and powers to implement stronger economic sanctions on Pyongyang, a day after his administration sanctioned a Chinese bank over allegations that it laundered money for North Korean companies.

“Our goal is peace, stability and prosperity for the region,” Trump said in a prepared statement. “But the United States will defend itself, always will defend itself — always. And we will always defend our allies.”

Click here to read more from The Washington Post.

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Fri, June 30, 2017: Trump talks Qatar/Gulf crisis with Turkish President

President Donald Trump spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Friday to discuss the ongoing feud between Qatar and several Arab states, a conflict that some are calling the worst Gulf Arab crisis in years.

Trump and Erdogan talked by phone to discuss how to resolve the dispute “while ensuring all countries work together to stop terrorist funding and to combat extremist ideology,” the White House said in a statement.

Turkey has been a supporter of Qatar, whose ties with some of its Gulf and Arab neighbors were severed after Qatar was accused of funding terrorism and fomenting regional instability. Qatar denies the accusations. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar.

–Voice of America

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Fri, June 30, 2017: Trump calls Turkish President, holds press conference with South Korean president

In the morning, President Trump will speak to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

He will then welcome President Moon of the Republic of Korea, meet with him, and then give joint statements with him.

In the afternoon, the President and First Lady Melania Trump will depart the White House for Joint Base Andrews, en route to Bedminster, New Jersey for the weekend. Presumably, Baron will join them.

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Thur, June 29, 2017: Trump welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-In to White House

South Korea’s new leader dined with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday as part of an effort to reassure Washington that he will coordinate closely on dealing with the North Korean threat.

Trump said at the start of a formal dinner with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that they would discuss North Korea and trade over two days of meetings. The South Korean leader has sought to make clear to the US that he is serious about dealing with his neighbor’s threat, despite having long advocated engagement with North Korea to address its nuclear weapons development.

“I know you’ve been discussing with our people some of the complexities of North Korea and trade and other things, and we’ll be discussing them all as we progress,” Trump told Moon in the State Dining Room. “And it could be very well late into the evening.” Continue reading “Thur, June 29, 2017: Trump welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-In to White House”

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Thur, June 29, 2017: Trump promotes energy policy, meets with President of South Korea

In the morning, President Trump will receive his daily intelligence briefing.

In the afternoon, he heads to the Department of Energy where he will give remarks at the Unleashing American Energy event.

In the evening he and the First Lady welcome President Moon of the Republic of Korea, hosting a reception with the Republic of Korea delegation.

Later in the evening, the Trumps will have dinner with President Moon.

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Wed, June 28, 2017: Trump helps raise $10 million at re-election fundraiser

President Donald Trump was whisked a few blocks from the White House to the Trump hotel on Wednesday night for his first re-election fundraiser, where he raised an estimated $10 million behind closed doors.

Some 40 months ahead of the 2020 election, the president held court for about two hours at a $35,000-per-plate donor event at the Trump International Hotel. About 300 people were expected to attend the event, which was expected to raise about $10 million, said Lindsay Jancek, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee.

Security was tight at the hotel, where guests in long gowns and crisp suits began arriving around 5 p.m. But the event also drew critics. The president’s motorcade was greeted by dozens of protesters, who hoisted signs with slogans like “Health care not tax cuts” and chanted “Shame! Shame!”

Click here to read more from Fox News.

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Wed, June 28, 2017: Trump meets with victims of immigrant crimes, promotes No Sanctuary for Criminals Act

The mother of 21-year-old Sarah Root of Iowa, killed last year by an illegal immigrant drunken driver, met with President Donald Trump in the White House Wednesday and heard him urge support for a bill requiring pretrial detention for undocumented defendants who kill.

Michelle Wilson-Root, 48, will be in the House Chamber Thursday when the bill’s provisions are debated and voted on, she said. Wilson-Root had met previously with Trump who, as a candidate last year, said her daughter had been sacrificed “on the altar of open borders.”

Trump spoke about the bill the House will consider Thursday, according to a pool report of his remarks. “We will cut federal grant money to cities that shield dangerous criminal aliens from being turned over to federal law enforcement,” he said. The bill would also incorporate elements of “Kate’s Law,” named for 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle, who was killed in July 2015 in San Francisco by an illegal Mexican immigrant who had been previously convicted of a crime and deported.

“This law will enhance criminal penalties for those who repeatedly re-enter the country illegally,” Trump said.

Click here to read more from USA Today.

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Wed, June 28, 2017: Trump welcomes Chicago Cubs to White House

President Donald Trump showed off a Cubs jersey on Wednesday as he welcomed members of the 2016 World Series Cubs to the Oval Office.

The White House visit comes a few hours before the Cubs play their third game of the four-game series against the Washington Nationals.

The informal “meet and greet” was the second time the team has visited the White House to mark their historic 2016 World Series win. Continue reading “Wed, June 28, 2017: Trump welcomes Chicago Cubs to White House”

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Wed, June 28, 2017: Trump meets with state and tribal leaders to promote “energy dominance” policy

President Trump continued his drive to promote an “energy dominance” policy Wednesday by meeting with state and tribal leaders and energy industry association heads on the subject.

“I’m confident that, working together, we can usher in a golden age of American energy dominance and the extraordinary financial and security benefits that it brings to our citizens, not only the Native Americans, but all over the country,” Trump said during brief remarks in front of reporters before the meeting.

In his prepared remarks, Trump spoke repeatedly about the need to end restrictions on drilling, mining and other energy production activities. Trump also promoted his administration’s roll back on environmental regulations that he said got in the way. Continue reading “Wed, June 28, 2017: Trump meets with state and tribal leaders to promote “energy dominance” policy”