Trump! The best of the best!!!!

[Wayne Piew]

 

[Grago]

The Chinese told Trump......
For so many thousand years since the Wall existed....... NO Mexican has ever come close.........




And that’s why he says to Congress the Wall works...... Look at China......

 

[Leongsam]

QUOTE
Together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America.
Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
IGNITING A HISTORIC ECONOMIC BOOM: President Trump’s pro-growth policies are unleashing economic growth and providing opportunities to workers across the country.

• Due to President Trump’s pro-growth policies, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth exceeded 3 percent over the last four quarters.
  • Real GDP grew at annual rates of 3.4 percent in the third quarter of 2018 and 4.2 percent in the second quarter.
• More than 5 million jobs have been created since President Trump’s election and the unemployment rate remains below 4 percent.
  • This is the eighth time this year that the unemployment rate has been below 4 percent.
  • Prior to this year, the unemployment rate had fallen below 4 percent only five times since 1970.
  • The unemployment rate for African Americans in May fell to 5.9 percent, which is the lowest rate on record.
  • Asian and Hispanic-American unemployment rates have reached record lows this year.
• Initial weekly jobless claims have hit a nearly 50-year low under President Trump.
• Under President Trump, job openings outnumber the unemployed for the first time on record.
• Recently, more than two-thirds of Americans rated “now” as a good time to find a quality job, tying a record high in a poll by Gallup.
• Americans are seeing more money in their pockets thanks to the booming economy.
  • In recent months, workers have seen their largest nominal year over year wage growth in nearly a decade.
  • In 2017, real median household income rose to a post-recession high.
• President Trump’s policies are helping to lift Americans out of poverty.
  • African-American and Hispanic-American poverty rates reached record lows of 21.2 percent and 18.3 percent, respectively, in 2017.
  • Since the election, 4.6 million Americans have been lifted off of food stamps.
• Consumer confidence has soared under President Trump, recently reaching an 18-year high.
• President Trump is delivering on his promise to bring back American manufacturing.
  • The National Association of Manufacturers’ Outlook Index had the highest annual average in its history over the past year.
  • Manufacturing added 284,000 jobs in 2018, the most added in a year since 1997
• Small Business optimism jumped to a record high under President Trump, according to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
  • The NFIB’s Small Business Optimism Index broke a 35-year record in August.
• President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, ushering in the largest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history.
• These tax cuts are delivering real results for American families and workers.
  • More than 6 million workers received tax cut bonuses and benefits.
  • More than 100 utility companies have announced lower rates.
• President Trump is ensuring American workers receive the training and education they need to compete in today’s economy.
  • President Trump signed an executive order establishing the National Council for the American worker.
  • More than 185 companies and associations have signed our “Pledge to America’s Workers,” promising more than 6.4 million new training and career opportunities.
  • The President signed legislation that reauthorized the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, making more than $1 billion available for career education programs.
• President Trump has prioritized the economic empowerment of women.
  • The women’s unemployment rate recently reached its lowest rate in 65 years.
  • The Small Business Administration lent approximately $500 million more in capital to women-owned businesses in 2017 compared to 2016.
  • The Administration helped launch the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, which could leverage more than $1 billion to support women entrepreneurs.

ROLLING BACK RED TAPE: President Trump is rolling back costly regulations that have burdened hardworking Americans and stifled innovation.

• President Trump has followed through on and exceeded his promise to roll back two regulations for every new one created.
  • President Trump’s Administration surpassed the 2:1 ratio in 2018, eliminating 12 regulations for every new one in 2018.
  • In 2017, the Trump Administration eliminated 22 regulations for every new one.
• Since taking office, President Trump’s deregulation efforts have achieved $33 billion in regulatory savings.
  • In 2018, these efforts alone delivered $23 billion in benefits to American families and business owners.
• President Trump has signed 16 Congressional Review Act resolutions into law, eliminating burdensome Obama-era rules and regulations.
• President Trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which would have harmed America’s economy and cost American workers millions of jobs.
• President Trump signed an executive order to streamline the permitting process for infrastructure projects with a goal of cutting approval time from up to 10 years to an average of 2 years.
• President Trump signed legislation to roll back burdensome Dodd-Frank regulations that harmed community banks.

NEGOTIATING BETTER DEALS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: President Trump is negotiating fair and balanced trade deals that protect American industries and workers.

• President Trump negotiated a new trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico to replace the disastrous and outdated North American Free Trade Agreement.
  • Once enacted by Congress, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) will better serve the interests of American workers and businesses.
  • USMCA will incentivize billions of dollars in auto and auto parts production in the United States and create a freer and fairer market for American agriculture.
  • USMCA also includes the strongest-ever provisions on labor, environmental, digital, and intellectual property protections to reflect the realities of the 21st century economy.
• The President renegotiated the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement to preserve and grow jobs in the American auto industry and increase American exports.
• The United States and Japan are set to begin negotiations on a United States–Japan Trade Agreement.
• President Trump is establishing a new trade relationship with the European Union (EU), working toward the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to transatlantic trade.
• President Trump has established a Trade and Investment Working Group to lay the groundwork for post-Brexit trade with the United Kingdom (UK) and has notified Congress of his intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the UK.
• This year, President Trump filed a withdrawal notification with the Universal Postal Union, launching a one-year negotiation to secure fair international postal rates for American mailers.
• President Trump has expanded market access for American agricultural producers.
  • Argentina has opened to American pork and beef, Brazil to American beef, Japan to lamb and Idaho chipping potatoes, South Korea to American poultry, and more.
  • The Administration authorized $12 billion to aid farmers affected by unfair retaliatory tariffs.
  • The Trump Administration has begun the process to expand the sale of E15, or gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol, to year round.
• Under President Trump, the United States will no longer accept bad trade deals and unfair trade practices that harm American workers and industries.
  • One of the President’s first actions after taking office was withdrawing the United States from the terrible Trans-Pacific Partnership, which incentivized outsourcing.
  • In 2017, the Administration oversaw 82 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.
• President Trump is holding China accountable for its unfair trade practices, such as the theft of intellectual property, by imposing tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods.
  • Following President Trump’s successful meeting with President Xi in Buenos Aires, both agreed to conduct negotiations over 90 days to address the United States concerns.
• American steel and aluminum jobs are coming back following President Trump’s tariffs to protect domestic industries that are vital to national security.
• President Trump imposed tariffs to protect American-made washing machines and solar products that were hurt by import surges.

UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump is rolling back costly and burdensome regulations to unleash America’s incredible energy resources.

• After years of stifling regulation under the last Administration, President Trump is unleashing America’s energy potential.
• America is the largest crude oil producer in the world and production has hit a record high.
• President Trump’s policies are helping to boost American energy exports.
  • The Administration has streamlined Liquefied Natural Gas terminal permitting.
  • In 2017, the United States became a net natural gas exporter for the first time in 60 years.
  • American coal exports increased by more than 60 percent in 2017.
• President Trump is expanding access to our country’s abundant natural resources.
  • The President signed legislation to open up energy exploration in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
  • In July 2018, the Department of the Interior announced it would hold the largest oil and gas lease sale in history.
• In 2017, the Administration approved construction of the Dakota Access pipeline and the cross border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
• The Administration issued permits for the New Burgos Pipeline that will export American petroleum products to Mexico.
• The President has ended the war on coal, cutting Obama-era regulations such as the “Stream Protection Rule” which was estimated to cost industries $81 million a year.
• President Trump is replacing the Clean Power Plan, a flawed Obama-era regulation that the Supreme Court ordered halted.
• President Trump rescinded the hydraulic fracturing rule, which was expected to cost the oil and gas industry $32 million per year.
• The Trump Administration curbed the burdensome Obama-era rule on methane, saving American energy developers hundreds of millions of dollars in regulatory costs.

EXPANDING OPTIONS FOR QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE:President Trump is expanding access to affordable healthcare choices and taking action to lower drug prices.

• President Trump’s Administration is working to provide Americans with affordable alternatives to Obamacare.
• The Administration expanded short-term, limited duration health insurance plans that are expected to be nearly 50 percent cheaper than unsubsidized Obamacare plans.
• President Trump has expanded association health plans, allowing more employers to join together across State lines and affordably offer coverage to their employees.
• The Administration proposed a reform to Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) regulations that will give consumers more freedom to purchase benefits that fit their needs.
  • Roughly 800,000 employers are expected to provide HRAs for more than 10 million employees once the rule finalized.
• Americans have more healthcare freedom thanks to the President signing legislation that ended Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty.
• While healthcare premiums had been steadily increasing as a result of Obamacare, the average benchmark exchange premium will decline for the first time in 2019 thanks to President Trump’s policies.
  • Next year, Americans will benefit from more insurer participation on the exchanges.
• Medicare Advantage plans offer more benefit options than ever before, and average premiums in 2019 will be 6 percent lower than in 2018.
• President Trump launched an unprecedented campaign to drive down drug prices, leading more than a dozen drug manufactures to enact price freezes, reductions, or rollbacks.
  • In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a record number of generic drugs, breaking the previous record set by the Administration in 2017.
  • The FDA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 generic drug approvals are expected to bring nearly $9 billion in savings in 2017 alone.
  • President Trump signed legislation eliminating contractual gag clauses that stopped pharmacists from informing patients about lower drug prices.
• The President put forth an initiative to stop global freeloading that drives up prices for American patients.
• The Administration provided Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans with new negotiating tools to drive down drug costs for American patients.
• The Administration implemented reforms to the amount Medicare pays hospitals for drugs that are purchased under the 340B program, saving seniors $320 million in 2018.
• President Trump signed “Right to Try” legislation to expand access to experimental treatments for terminally ill patients.

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THE CRISIS NEXT DOOR: President Trump mobilized his entire Administration to combat the opioid crisis that has devastated communities across the country.

• President Trump launched an Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand, introducing new measures to confront the driving forces behind this crisis.
• The President signed the landmark SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the largest and most comprehensive legislative package addressing a single drug crisis in history.
• The President helped secure a record $6 billion in funding to fight the opioid epidemic.
• The Administration provided more than $2 billion in grants in 2018 to help States, territories, tribes, and local communities prevent and treat opioid abuse.
• The Administration pursued scientific solutions to prevent and treat addiction through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.
• The President launched a national public awareness campaign about the dangers of opioid addiction and youth opioid usage.
• Last year, President Trump created a Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which recommends ways to tackle the opioid crisis.
• The Administration declared the opioid crisis a nationwide Public Health Emergency in 2017.
• President Trump is working to cut off the flow of deadly opioids into our country and to disrupt the networks that distribute them to our communities.
  • The Administration secured first-ever indictments against Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking.
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a surge to target fentanyl and heroin dealers in the districts with the most severe overdose death rates.
  • The DOJ formed a Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement team and shut down the biggest Darknet distributor of drugs.
• Last year, the DOJ announced the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history, arresting more than 120 defendants with opioid-related crimes.
• The President launched a Safer Prescribing Plan that seeks to cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years.
• The Administration has led four National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days, collecting a record-breaking 1,837 tons of expired and unneeded prescription drugs.

STANDING UP FOR THE SANCTITY OF LIFE AND PROTECTING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: The President is committed to defending the right to life and religious liberty.

• Shortly after taking office, President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy.
• President Trump defunded a United Nations (UN) agency for colluding with China’s brutal program of forced abortion and sterilization.
• The Administration withdrew guidance that constrained State’s ability to exclude family-planning providers that provide abortion services from the Medicaid program.
• The Trump Administration proposed new regulations to ensure Title X family planning funding does not go to projects that perform, support, or refer patients for abortion.
• The Trump Administration issued regulations establishing new or expanded exemptions from the Obamacare contraceptive mandate based on religious beliefs or moral convictions.
• In 2017, the President issued an executive order to promote free speech and religious liberty.

KEEPING AMERICAN COMMUNITIES SAFE: President Trump has made clear that his first responsibility is to protect the safety and security of Americans.

• Federal Bureau of Investigation data shows violent crime decreased under President Trump’s watch in 2017, following two consecutive years of increases.
• United States Attorneys indicted the most violent criminals on record last year.
• Last year, the DOJ announced nearly $100 million in grant funding to hire hundreds of additional law enforcement officers.
• President Trump is cracking down on the vile MS-13 gang that has brought violence to communities across the country.
  • In 2017, the DOJ worked with international partners to arrest and charge approximately 4,000 MS-13 members.
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations arrested nearly 800 MS-13 members and associates in FY 2017, an 83 percent increase from the prior year.
• President Trump signed an executive order to restore State and local law enforcement’s access to surplus equipment that can be used to help keep our communities safe.
• President Trump enhanced and updated the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
• The DOJ announced the creation of the National Public Safety Partnership in 2017, launching a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crime.
• President Trump signed legislation to improve the Federal firearm background check system and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
• President Trump signed the First Step Act, which includes bipartisan reforms to make our Federal justice system fairer and our communities safer.
  • The First Step Act will help prepare inmates to successfully rejoin society, reducing recidivism and improving community safety.
  • This legislation includes commonsense sentencing reforms that will make our Federal justice system fairer while keeping violent criminals and sex offenders off our streets.

ENFORCING OUR LAWS AND SECURING OUR BORDERS: From the first day of his Administration, President Trump has worked to uphold the rule of law and secure our borders.

• President Trump released an immigration framework that would fix our broken immigration system through merit-based reform and provide the resources needed to secure our border.
  • This includes closing the legal loopholes that enable illegal immigration, ending chain migration, and eliminating the visa lottery.
• President Trump secured funding to begin building the wall and construction has already begun in areas along the southern border.
• President Trump deployed the military to assist in securing the southern border.
• President Trump and his Administration took action to require aliens seeking asylum to go to a port of entry to make their claim.
• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended 17,256 criminals and 1,019 gang members in FY 2018.
• ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 158,581 aliens in FY 2018, an 11 percent increase from FY 2017.
  • 90 percent of those arrested had criminal convictions, pending charges, or had been issued final orders of removal.
• ICE ERO increased removals by 13 percent in FY 2018 to 256,086, the majority of whom were convicted criminals.
  • Removals of convicted criminal aliens increased by 14 percent from FY 2017.
  • Nearly 6,000 known or suspected gang members were removed in FY 2018, a 9 percent increase from FY 2017.
• The Department of Justice prosecuted a record number of criminal immigration offenses in FY 2018, and increased the number of prosecutions for illegal entry by 84 percent over FY 2017.
• Immigration courts are now completing more cases than at any point since 2011
• President Trump kept his promise by launching the office of Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) within the Department of Homeland Security.
• The Administration has more than doubled the number of jurisdictions participating in the 287(g) program, which enables State and local law enforcement to aid immigration enforcement.
• President Trump has made our country safer by ordering the enhanced vetting of individuals entering from countries that do not meet our security standards.
  • These procedures were upheld in a June 2018 Supreme Court ruling.

REBUILDING AMERICA’S MILITARY FORCE: President Trump is rebuilding our military and defending America’s interests across the world.

• President Trump ended the devastating defense cuts of the past Administration and has secured historic investments to rebuild our military.
  • President Trump signed legislation providing $700 billion for defense in FY 2018 and $716 billion in FY 2019.
• President Trump is supporting America’s men and women in uniform, securing the largest military pay raise in nearly a decade.
• The President issued a new National Security Strategy to keep America safe from all threats.
  • The Administration has also released new strategies specific to cybersecurity, biodefense, counterterrorism, and weapons of mass destruction terrorism.
• President Trump directed the first whole-of-government assessment of United States manufacturing and defense supply chains since the Eisenhower Administration.
• President Trump initiated the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, improving United States deterrence policy and existing capabilities to counter nuclear threats.
• President Trump empowered our military commanders with broad authority in order to take the fight to ISIS, and the results are clear.
  • ISIS has lost nearly all of its territory, more than half of which has been liberated since President Trump took office.
  • All of ISIS’ territory in Iraq was successfully liberated.
  • ISIS’ self-proclaimed capital city Raqqah has been recaptured.
• ISIS’ territorial caliphate has been defeated and President Trump has announced that he is bringing America’s troops in Syria home.
• President Trump announced a new Iran strategy to confront all of Iran’s malign activities and withdrew from the horrible, one-sided Iran nuclear deal.
  • All sanctions that had been lifted or waived under the Iran deal have been reimposed.
  • The Administration has sanctioned more than 160 individuals tied to the regime’s support of terrorism, ballistic missile program, human rights abuses, and more.
• President Trump took decisive military action to respond to the barbaric use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.
  • President Trump directed strikes in response to the regime’s chemical weapons attacks in April 2017 and April 2018.
  • The Trump Administration has also rolled out sanctions targeting those tied to Syria’s chemical weapons program.
• President Trump is strengthening America’s cyber defense and directed the elevation of the United States Cyber Command into a major warfighting command.
• The President announced that the Department of Defense will work to create a Space Force to serve as an independent branch of the United States military.

RESTORING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ABROAD: President Trump is restoring American leadership on the world stage and advancing an America first agenda.

• President Trump held an historic summit with Chairman Kim Jong-Un, bringing beginnings of peace and denuclearization to the Korean Peninsula.
  • Since the summit, the leaders have exchanged letters and high-level officials from both countries have met.
  • Because of the President’s actions, North Korea has halted nuclear and missile tests.
  • The remains of POW/MIA service members from the Korean War are being returned to the United States.
• Prior to the summit, President Trump’s leadership helped secure the passage of historic UN sanctions on North Korea.
• President Trump followed through on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the American embassy there.
• President Trump withdrew the United States from the UN Human Rights Council due to its bias against Israel.
• The Administration made clear that it does not accept the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over Americans and will continue to protect America’s sovereignty.
• President Trump has successfully advocated for cutting waste at the UN.
  • Changes made to the organization’s structure allowed the UN to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from their budget, while making the organization more efficient.
• The President’s leadership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has encouraged members to increase their defense spending and realign the Alliance’s priorities.
  • In 2017 alone, there was an increase of more than 4.8 percent in defense spending among NATO allies.
  • President Trump convinced the Alliance to strengthen counterterrorism activities, and NATO formally joined the coalition to defeat ISIS.
• President Trump’s Administration is working to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific through investments and partnerships.
• President Trump has imposed tough sanctions on the corrupt regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
• President Trump has taken tough action to combat Russia’s malign activities, including Russia’s efforts to undermine United States elections.
  • The Administration has imposed sanctions on more than 200 individuals and entities related to Russia’s destabilizing activities.
  • The Trump Administration has enhanced support for Ukraine’s defense by stepping up sales of weapons to its military.
• The Trump Administration has secured the release of numerous American citizens held abroad, including Pastor Andrew Brunson from Turkey, Josh Holt from Venezuela, and more.
• President Trump attended G20 summits in Argentina and Germany, where he promoted American First policies and encouraged closer cooperation.
• In 2017, President Trump conducted tours through Asia to promote America’s interests.

HONORING AMERICA’S COMMITMENT TO OUR VETERANS: President Trump is honoring America’s commitment to our veterans by ensuring they receive the quality care they have earned.

• President Trump secured a record $73.1 billion in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide quality medical care for our veterans.
  • This funding included $8.6 billion for mental health services, $400 million for opioid abuse prevention, $206 million for suicide prevention, and more.
• The President signed the VA MISSION Act, revolutionizing that VA healthcare system and reforming numerous services for our veterans.
  • This legislation will consolidate and reform existing programs to give eligible veterans better access to healthcare providers in their communities.
  • Thanks to this legislation, eligible veterans will have access to walk-in community clinics that offer immediate, local care.
• President Trump and his Administration have expanded access to telehealth services for veterans, including through the “Anywhere to Anywhere” VA health care initiative.
• President Trump issued an executive order requiring the Administration to improve access to mental health treatment and suicide prevention resources for veterans.
• President Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, making it easier to fire failing employees and protect whistleblowers.
  • Under President Trump, the VA has removed, demoted, or suspended more than 4,300 employees for poor performance.
• President Trump signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, streamlining the process used by veterans when appealing benefits claims.
• President Trump fulfilled his promise to create a new White House VA Hotline to provide veterans with 24/7 support.
• The VA is providing veterans with online access to wait time and quality of care data.
• The President signed the Forever GI Bill, providing veterans, service members, and their families with enhanced education benefits.
• Last year, programs at the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development helped more than 51,000 veterans find permanent housing and access supportive services.

TRANSFORMING GOVERNMENT: President Trump has followed through on his pledge to transform the Federal Government and increase accountability and transparency.

• President Trump’s Administration submitted a plan to reorganize the executive branch in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• In a historic show of transparency and accountability, the Trump Administration completed the Department of Defense’s first ever audit.
• The President implemented a five-year ban on lobbying for White House employees and a lifetime ban on lobbying for foreign countries.
• Each quarter since taking office, President Trump has donated his salary, fulfilling a promise he made to the American people.
• President Trump is reshaping our Federal judiciary, appointing judges who will follow the Constitution as written.
  • The President has appointed Circuit Court judges at a record pace.
  • President Trump has appointed two Supreme Court justices, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

 

[Leongsam]

Truly a remarkable President. He is the best!

 

[Leongsam]

 

[syed putra]

Why didn't US buy mexico like they did california and texas.

 

[Wayne Piew]

Donald J. Trump
9 hrs ·
“The fact that President Trump has been able to achieve so much of his agenda despite the coordinated campaign to defy him is astounding.”
So true. We've accomplished the unthinkable and we're still WINNING despite constant attacks!

No American president has survived the sheer volume of attacks and hostility that Donald Trump has endured, yet this president just keeps prevailing over his critics.

The fact that President Trump has been able to achieve so much of his agenda despite the coordinated campaign to defy him is astounding. Whatever your opinion of Donald Trump, his success in the face of such rabid opposition is a testament to his tenacity and political skill.


The moment Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president, the media painted a target on his back. Sanctimonious celebrities and supposedly-neutral journalists mocked and jeered his candidacy. They demeaned and insulted his supporters. They contrived savage smears and invaded his family’s privacy.

None of it worked. Donald Trump was able to hoist his detractors by their own petards, turning their attacks into publicity, and their smears into affirmations of his authenticity. His deft handling of their criticism allowed him to upend the American political landscape and win the greatest election upset in presidential history.

The media attacks only intensified after President Trump took office. Over the last two years, about 90 percent of the news media coverage of the president has been negative. In contrast, there were roughly twice as many positive stories about President Obama in 2009 as there were negative ones.

In addition to the constant deluge of hit pieces in the media, President Trump has also had to contend with Democratic lawmakers, judges and unelected bureaucrats who are equally committed to seeing him fail — regardless of the consequences for ordinary Americans.

No other president has ever had to contend with such intense attacks from so many different directions. President Trump, however, has survived the onslaught by staying true to the voters who elected him, delivering on promise after promise despite intense liberal resistance.​

 

[PTADER]

The week is over but I am sure it's never too late to pay my tribute to Trump by hitching on Kimmel.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Halftime Tribute to Trump

 

[Wayne Piew]

Donald J. Trump
8 hrs ·
My poll numbers have gone way up with Hispanics. That is because they know the border issue better than anyone, and they want security!

bongino.com

Latino Job Approval of Trump SURGES in Midst of Govt Shutdown Over Border Wall Funding – Dan Bongino

 

[Leongsam]

 

[Leongsam]

NEWS DECEMBER 07, 2018

Trump appoints former AG Bill Barr to be attorney general, taps Nauert for UN post
Barr will replace acting AG Matt Whitaker

(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)


MIKE CIANDELLA




President Donald Trump announced Friday that he is nominating former Attorney General Bill Barr fill the role left by Jeff Sessions last month. At the same time, he officially announced that State Department spokeswoman and former Fox News journalist Heather Nauert was his pick to replace Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations. Both Barr and Nauert will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Who is Bill Barr?
Barr served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 during the George H. W. Bush administration. Trump called Barr a "terrific man" and said that he was "my first choice since day one."

Last November, Barr told the New York Times that he thought there was more of a case for investigating the Clinton Foundation's role in Russia's acquisition of Uranium One than there was for the Russia investigation.

"To the extent it is not pursuing these matters, the department is abdicating its responsibility," Barr said.

Barr has also supported increasing the president's ability to act independently of Congress. In 1989 he wrote a memodetailing ways the executive branch should push back against what he viewed as “interference" with presidential authority by Congress.

The memo warned that Congress was “ increasingly attempted to assert itself in the area of foreign affairs at the expense of the authority traditionally exercised by the President." He also wrote that when it came to presidential appointments, Congress “frequently imposes such significant limitations on whom the President may appoint that Congress effectively makes the appointment itself."

"It is important that all of us be familiar with each of these forms of encroachment on the executive's constitutional authority," he wrote. "Only by consistently and forcefully resisting such congressional incursions can executive branch prerogatives be preserved." Congress's “methods of intruding on executive power" he claimed “are limited only by Congress's imagination."

After Sessions resigned in early November, Barr co-authored an opinion piece along with Ed Meese (Ronald Reagan's attorney general) and Michael B. Mukasey (who was attorney general at the end of George W. Bush's final term in office) which ran in the Washington Post, praising Sessions. “We are three former attorneys general who served in Republican administrations — from different backgrounds, with different perspectives and who took different actions while in office," they wrote. “But we share the view that Jeff Sessions, who resigned at President Trump's request on Wednesday, has been an outstanding attorney general.”

What else?
Barr will replace acting-Attorney General Matt Whitaker. Senate Democrats had objected to the appointment of Whitaker, who had formerly served as chief of staff for Sessions, and had filed a formal complaint against his appointment which they called “unlawful" since he did not receive a Senate confirmation. Attorneys general do need confirmation, but the president can appoint a temporary replacement to a post for no more than 210 days.
Whitaker was also criticized for an op-ed he had written in CNN last year in which he argued that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was in danger of “going too far."

Who is Heather Nauert?

Heather Nauert is a former journalist who worked for both ABC and Fox news. She has been State Department spokeswoman since April 2017.
She was also briefly appointed to be the acting undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs.

Confirming the appointment to reporters outside the White House, Trump praised Nauert, saying she was “very talented, very smart, very quick, and I think she's going to be respected by all."

Nauert will be replacing Haley, who served as South Carolina governor for six years before she was given the role. Haley announced on Oct. 9 that she would be resigning as U.N. ambassador at the end of the year, because she needed to "take a break." She has insisted that she does not plan to run for president in 2020.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Republicans revolt over Donald Trump’s wall in two votes to reopen US government
With a stunning revolt against Donald Trump’s shutdown failing spectacularly, CNN contributor Ana Navarro unleashed a vicious attack.

Emma Reynolds and wires
news.com.auJANUARY 25, 20198:57AM

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Trump's big border wall U.S. Government shutdown

A Republican strategist has lashed out over Donald Trump’s shutdown in a blistering attack, saying members of the President’s circle who could not relate should “shut the hell up”.
CNN commentator Ana Navarro attacked tone-deaf comments by Mr Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara and commerce secretary Wilbur Ross that appeared to show how out of touch they were.
Lara Trump, wife of Mr Trump’s son Eric, said the 34-day shutdown was “not fair” to the 800,000 unpaid federal workers, but insisted the immigration debate was “so much bigger than any one person.”
She said it was “a little bit of pain, but it’s going to be for the future of our country” and the next generation would thank them.

Brooke Baldwin

✔@BrookeBCNN
https://twitter.com/BrookeBCNN/status/1088540259690766337

After hearing Lara Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, @ananavarro has some advice: “Do me a favor, do us all a favor, either shut the hell up or fake it.” #governmentshutdown

5,905
4:53 AM - Jan 25, 2019​

1,721 people are talking about this

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Mr Ross, one of the richest people in Mr Trump’s Cabinet with $A980 million in assets, said he“didn’t quite understand” why those working without pay or on leave without pay were turning to food banks rather than taking out bank loans.
The comment was ridiculed as a “let them eat cake” moment that could have come straight from the lips of Marie Antoinette.
In a fiery smackdown, Ms Navarro told CNN: “If you’re going to hold on to this strategy of continuing the shutdown, at the very least fake relating to it. At the very least, fake empathy.
“No, Lara Trump, it’s not a ‘little bit of pain’, it’s a hell of a lot of pain for a hell of a lot of people in America. So if you can’t relate, do me a favour, do us all a favour, either shut the hell up, or fake it.”
The remarks by Ms Trump and Mr Ross were seen as the latest in a series of out-of-touch responses to the shutdown from wealthy Trump officials. The President said he “could relate” to unpaid government workers, but they needed to “make adjustments” and he was sure he had their support

Donald Trump faced a revolt by six GOP senators as two bills to reopen the US government failed to pass. Picture: Mandel Ngan / AFPSource:AFP
It came as six Republican senators defied Mr Trump to vote for a Democrat-backed proposal to temporarily reopen the government in a stunning revolt that still failed to end the impasse.
The defectors included Mitt Romney — who has frequently clashed with the President — as well as Johnny Isakson, Lamar Alexander, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Cory Gardner.
The bill was defeated with 52 in favour and 44 against, nowhere near the 60-vote threshold to pass the senate.

A Trump-backed bill that included $US5.7 billion ($A8 billion) for the border wall was also defeated, with 51 in favour and 47 against.
The fact the Democrat proposal received one more vote is embarrassing for Mr Trump and could weaken his position in future negotiations.
The GOP has a 53-47 majority in the senate but require the support of at least seven Democrats to pass a bill.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1088470495312400384

Nancy just said she “just doesn’t understand why?” Very simply, without a Wall it all doesn’t work. Our Country has a chance to greatly reduce Crime, Human Trafficking, Gangs and Drugs. Should have been done for decades. We will not Cave!

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Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1088430717611245571

Without a Wall there cannot be safety and security at the Border or for the U.S.A. BUILD THE WALL AND CRIME WILL FALL!

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Republicans Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Mike Lee of Utah voted against Mr Trump’s proposal, while Joe Manchin, of knife-edge state West Virginia, was the only Democrat to defy his party and support it.
The bill backed by the President offered a three-year extension on protections for 700,000 undocumented young migrants in return for wall funding.
Democrats have been unwilling to offer more than $US1.3 billion ($A1.8 billion) for border security including fencing and surveillance, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling a wall unnecessary and “immoral”.
The proposal preferred by Democrats was a two-week stopgap bill to fund the government up to 8 February as negotiations continue, and did not include any money for Mr Trump’s US-Mexico wall.
It was clear in advance there would not be nearly enough votes to reach the threshold and end the impasse that has left 800,000 federal workers working without pay or on leave without pay for almost five weeks.

Americans are suffering through a 34th day of shutdown, with 800,000 workers set to miss a second pay cheque tomorrow Picture: AP Photo/Susan WalshSource:AP
Americans are suffering with services grinding to a halt, serious fears over aviation and food safety, and workers set to miss a second pay cheque tomorrow.
With many turning to food banks to survive, politicians were hoping the “show vote” would demonstrate that they were trying to resolve the impasse.
Some observers expressed hope that even if the bills failed, they could open the door for policymakers to come up with more widely supported funding proposals that would reopen government.
Democrat James Clyburn yesterday suggested it might be “doable” to give the President money for a “humane wall” in return for permanent protections for Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals and immigrants with temporary protective status.
It came after Mr Trump agreed to postpone his State of Union address, despite battling Ms Pelosi over the speech throughout Wednesday.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1088288311922307072

As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over. I am not looking for an....

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Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1088289916826648577

....alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber. I look forward to giving a “great” State of the Union Address in the near future!

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He initially said in a letter that he would push ahead with the agenda-setting speech, but eventually agreed to wait until the government reopened after the speaker said he would not be able to deliver it in the House.
“As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address,” he tweeted late on Wednesday. “I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative — I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over.”

Mr Trump has agreed to delay his agenda-setting State of the Union address after Speaker Nancy Pelosi said he could not deliver it in the House of Representatives until the government reopened. Picture: AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteSource:AP
He addressed suggestions he might have given the speech in an alternative location, adding: “I am not looking for an alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber.”
Earlier, he called Ms Pelosi’s decision “a great, great horrible mark” for the US, adding that “it’s always good to be a part of history, but this is a very negative part of history.”
Mr Trump’s approval rating has taken a hit during the shutdown, dropping to 41 per cent earlier this month, with polls showing most Americans do not support his wall.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

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The White House is preparing for Donald Trump to declare a national emergency
Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to declare a national emergency along the US-Mexico border

Gavin Fernando and wires
news.com.auJANUARY 25, 20199:38PM

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Trump's big border wall U.S. Government shutdown

Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to declare a national emergency along the US-Mexico border.
While the President’s advisers have been divided on the issue, the White House is moving forward with plans to bypass Congress and declare a national emergency over the issue of funding for the wall to keep immigrants out of the country, CNNreports.
“The massive amount of aliens who unlawfully enter the United States each day is a direct threat to the safety and security of our nation and constitutes a national emergency,” a draft of a proclamation reads.
“Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 US C 1601, et seq.), hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States,” it adds.

Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to declare a national emergency along the US-Mexico border.Source:AP
An official told the network that the administration is considering pulling $US3 billion in Pentagon civil-works funds and a further $US3.6 billion in military-construction funds.
Additional funds would come from treasury forfeitures and the Department of Homeland Security.
Earlier today, the Senate voted down two bills that would end the partial government shutdown, which has entered its 34th day.
The Republican-backed bill would have included $US5.7 billion in funding for the wall and limited protections for certain immigrants.
The second, Democrat-backed bill would have opened the government again without granting Mr Trump the wall funding.


In response to the rejections, Mr Trump said he would support a “reasonable” solution brokered by Senate leaders, but would otherwise resort to “other alternatives if I have to”.
DEMOCRATS STAND FIRM AGAINST TRUMP’S REQUEST
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is rejecting the idea of providing “some big down payment” for Mr Trump’s border wall as part of a solution to the partial government shutdown.
Ms Pelosi spoke after Mr Trump suggested a “reasonable” instalment on such a barrier might be a way to solve the impasse. She suggested the idea was not a serious one.
She told reporters: “I hope that doesn’t mean some big down payment. That is not a reasonable agreement between the senators.”
Asked whether she knows the size of a down payment that Mr Trump might find reasonable, she replied, “I don’t know if he knows what he’s talking about”.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is standing firm against Donald Trump’s wall proposal.Source:AP
Earlier, Mr Trump made the decision to postpone his State of the Union address following pressure from Ms Pelosi, prompting speculation over whether he might be willing to make a deal to reopen the government.
“Well, it’s really her choice,” he said of Ms Pelosi, acknowledging she had the upper hand when it came to scheduling the traditional presidential address to Congress.
“I would have done it in a different location but I think that would be very disrespectful to the State of the Union,” Mr Trump added. “I could have gone to a big auditorium and gotten 25,000 people in one day and you’ve been there many times. But I think that would be very disrespectful to the State of the Union.”
He went so far as to praise Ms Pelosi’s move as “actually reasonable” — although he had blasted her position just a day earlier.
CAN TRUMP EVEN DECLARE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY?
Mr Trump has threatened to call a national emergency in recent weeks.
The President has the power to declare such an emergency, but by definition, it refers to any occasion in which “federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States”.
With Democrats controlling the Lower House now, the move would provide some fierce reaction from Mr Trump’s opponents, which could bring about a constitutional crisis.
Top Democrats have raised doubts whether the President can even do this without facing legal and political challenges.
Adam Schiff, a Democratic leader on Capitol Hill, said the idea was “a non-starter”.
Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union earlier this month, the California representative said: “If Harry Truman couldn’t nationalise the steel industry during wartime, this President doesn’t have the power to declare an emergency and build a multi-billion dollar wall on the border. So that’s a non-starter.”
Likewise, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin warned the President that he would face legal challenges.
“I don’t know what he’s basing this on, but he’s faced so many lawsuits when he ignores the law and ignores tradition and precedent, and just goes forward without any concern,” he said on CBS’ Face the Nation overnight.
“He’ll face a challenge, I’m sure, if he oversteps what the law requires when it comes to his responsibility as commander-in-chief.”
House Armed Services Committee chairman Adam Smith said the executive power has been used to build military facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, but would likely be “wide open” to a court challenge for the wall along the US-Mexico border.
“Where is the emergency?” the Washington Democrat said on ABC’s This Week.
Some Republicans have also indicated they’d rather Mr Trump didn’t do so.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Trump's wall plan fails in US Senate, shutdown continues
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
US Senate leaders have agreed to vote on Thursday on competing proposals to end a government shutdown now in its second month. (AFP Photo)
25 Jan 2019 04:40AM (Updated: 25 Jan 2019 07:48AM)
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WASHINGTON: The US Senate on Thursday (Jan 24) blocked duelling plans to reopen shuttered federal agencies, a fresh setback in efforts to end a month-long government shutdown, but President Donald Trump signalled he could back a new proposal if it includes border security.
The legislative deadlock left Congress and the president red-faced and adrift as thousands of federal workers, some reliant on food banks to make ends meet, are about to miss a second paycheck.

But shortly after the votes, a possible way out of the deepening crisis began to take shape, when Senate leaders huddled in private to discuss a proposal to fund lapsed federal agencies for three weeks, to allow for negotiations over border security.
Asked if he would support the plan, discussed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, Trump was non-committal, saying he would still want funding for his wall.
"If they come to a reasonable agreement, I would support it," he said, but added: "We have to have a wall in this country."
Trump had backed a Senate measure which would have reopened the government, funded the wall and included some immigration policy changes. It earned 50 votes to 47 against, but it needed 60 to advance.

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A competing proposal by Senate Democrats that would open government through Feb 8 without funding Trump's wall, and leave room for border security negotiations, also failed to move forward by a similar tally.
Trump was already smarting, after being forced into shelving his annual State of the Union address by top Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, until the government is fully operational.
Though politically bruised, Trump stood firm on his demand for billions of dollars in funding for a border wall as part of an overall budget package.
"Very simply, without a Wall it all doesn't work," he tweeted at Pelosi on Thursday before the Senate votes.
"We will not Cave!"

'NOBODY KNOWS' WHAT'S NEXT
The shutdown is now in its 34th day, with federal workers left unpaid across the country and in US installations abroad - and the knock-on effects affecting millions more.
As acrimony in Washington grew, lawmakers across the political spectrum were left scrambling for an exit strategy for the longest-ever halt to federal operations.
"I don't know what's going to happen next. Nobody knows," warned Senate Republican Richard Shelby.
But Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator who often has the president's year, said he discussed with Trump the new proposal gaining traction: a continuing resolution that funds government for three weeks.
"All of us believe that if we had three weeks with the government open, with all the discord coming from a shutdown, that we could find a way forward to produce a bill that he would sign," Graham said on the Senate floor.
He added in a tweet that Democratic priorities for disaster relief were also included, "showing good faith from both sides."
The White House stressed the need for at least some money for Trump's border plan.
"The three-week CR would only work if there is a large down payment on the wall," press secretary Sarah Sanders said.
Trump has repeatedly called for US$5.7 billion in border wall funding, a demand consistently rejected by Democrats including Pelosi.
Shortly before the Senate vote she urged Republicans to back the Democratic bid to temporarily open lapsed agencies, allowing for a border security negotiation to proceed.
"Who can say no to that?" she said.
But many did say no, it turns out.
'UNPRECEDENTED'
Senator Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, was one of a handful of Republicans who voted for both bills, and he called on congressional leaders and the White House to thrash out their differences quickly.
"We can't just have the lack of communication that prevents us from getting to a deal," Romney told reporters.
The air travel industry issued dire warnings, including one from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
READ: Air transport workers warn shutdown could cause US aviation collapse
"In our risk-averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break," NATCA president Paul Rinaldi said in a statement.
"It is unprecedented."
Most Democrats oppose direct funds for wall construction, but some have begun publicly advocating for negotiating a solution that includes boosted border funding, including for border structures.
And Pelosi herself said on Thursday that "we will have some of our proposals for what comes next" in upcoming legislation offerings.
Source: AFP/de
Tagged To

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...ails-in-us-senate-shutdown-continues-11164268

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

His capitulation today on the government shutdown shows just what a sad and pathetic loser this man really is.

 

[Leongsam]

Proof that this has been happening all along


Ken Paxton
‏
Verified account

@KenPaxtonTX
Follow Follow @KenPaxtonTX
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VOTER FRAUD ALERT: The @TXsecofstate discovered approx 95,000 individuals identified by DPS as non-U.S. citizens have a matching voter registration record in TX, approx 58,000 of whom have voted in TX elections. Any illegal vote deprives Americans of their voice.

 

[Leongsam]

Telegraph apologises and pays damages to Melania Trump
British newspaper pulls article peppered with false claims about US first lady from its site

Jim Waterson

Sat 26 Jan 2019 15.20 GMT Last modified on Sat 26 Jan 2019 17.00 GMT
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Melania Trump
Melania Trump. Photograph: Steve Helber/AP
The Daily Telegraph has paid “substantial damages” to Melania Trump and apologised “unreservedly” to the US first lady after making a number of false claims about her life in an article.

The claims were made in a story entitled The mystery of Melania, which ran on the cover of last Saturday’s Telegraph magazine, but the newspaper has now said it included a number of errors about Donald Trump’s wife which should not have been published.

The piece promised to tell the truth on what it described as the “most private and enigmatic” of presidential wives after interviews with “White House insiders, Slovenian school friends and photographers”.

The newspaper – after an unusually swift retraction and settlement – pulled the story by the US journalist Nina Burleigh, who works for Newsweek and is the author of the book Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump’s Women. The Telegraph took the story down from its website and issued a lengthy point-by-point correction.

The newspaper said in a statement retracting the piece: “Mrs Trump’s father was not a fearsome presence and did not control the family. Mrs Trump did not leave her design and architecture course at university relating to the completion of an exam, as alleged in the article, but rather because she wanted to pursue a successful career as a professional model. Mrs Trump was not struggling in her modelling career before she met Mr Trump, and she did not advance in her career due to the assistance of Mr Trump.

“We accept that Mrs Trump was a successful professional model in her own right before she met her husband and obtained her own modelling work without his assistance. Mrs Trump met Mr Trump in 1998, not in 1996 as stated in the article. The article also wrongly claimed that Mrs Trump’s mother, father and sister relocated to New York in 2005 to live in buildings owned by Mr Trump. They did not. The claim that Mrs Trump cried on election night is also false.

“We apologise unreservedly to the first lady and her family for any embarrassment caused by our publication of these allegations. As a mark of our regret we have agreed to pay Mrs Trump substantial damages as well as her legal costs.”

As 2019 begins…
… we’re asking readers to make a new year contribution in support of The Guardian’s independent journalism. More people are reading and supporting our independent, investigative reporting than ever before. And unlike many news organisations, we have chosen an approach that allows us to keep our journalism open and accessible to all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. But this is only possible thanks to voluntary support from our readers – something we have to maintain and build on for every year to come.

The Guardian is editorially independent, meaning we set our own agenda. Our journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one edits our editor. No one steers our opinion. This is important as it enables us to give a voice to those less heard, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. It’s what makes us different to so many others in the media, at a time when factual, honest reporting is critical.

Please make a new year contribution today to help us deliver the independent journalism the world needs for 2019 and beyond. Support The Guardian from as little as NZ$1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

 

[Leongsam]

His capitulation today on the government shutdown shows just what a sad and pathetic loser this man really is.

It's not a capitulation it's a three week truce to allow both sides to take stock of things while workers get paid.

 

[Leongsam]

Thank you Mr President. You kept your promise.

This article is from the WASHINGTON POST believe it or not!!!

Vast Isis 'caliphate' crumbles
Liz Sly08:07, Jan 28 2019

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A pair of dusty villages in the Syrian desert are all that remain of the vast expanse of territory the Islamic State once called its caliphate, and the complete territorial defeat of the militant group appears to be imminent, according to US and Kurdish officials.
A few hundred of some of the most die-hard Islamic State fighters are making their last stand in the villages of Marashida and Baghuz Fawqani on the banks of the Euphrates River, a few kilometres from the Iraqi border in southeastern Syria.
With the Syrian Army on the other side of the river, a group that once controlled an area the size of Britain is pinned down by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in a dot of land measuring 15 square kilometres.
It is now only a matter of weeks or even days before the villages are overrun and the Islamic State's vaunted state-building enterprise in Syria and Iraq is brought to an end, military officials say.

WASHINGTON POST
A few hundred of some of the most die-hard Islamic State fighters are making their last stand in the villages of Marashida and Baghuz Fawqani on the banks of the Euphrates River.
READ MORE:
* Trump defends Syria exit as Putin, Erdogan fill a US void
* Decorated former US general: Trump's Iraq visit 'embarrassing'
* Trump makes surprise visit to Iraq
The conclusion of the 4½-year war will add urgency to the question of when and how the United States will pull its forces out of Syria, as ordered by US President Donald Trump last month.
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He later said they would remain to finish the fight against the Islamic State, and still no date has been set for their withdrawal.
Colonel Sean Ryan, the US military spokesman in Baghdad, cautioned that the end of the war on the ground will not halt the threat posed by the Islamic State, which is trying to regroup as an insurgent force in many of the areas where it has lost control.
Although the military has withdrawn some equipment, no troops have left and no deadline for a pull out has been issued, he said.
In the meantime, US troops will be focusing on training their local partners and stabilising the area to deter a return of the militants.
"The end is near territorial-wise, but they will continue to regroup and, like we've seen over the past two weeks, will try to create spectacular events," Ryan said, referring to the suicide bombing at a restaurant in the town of Manbij last week, which killed four Americans.

STEVE ALLEN/GETTY IMAGES
It is now only a matter of weeks or even days before the villages are overrun and the Islamic State's vaunted state-building enterprise in Syria and Iraq is brought to an end, military officials say.
It came more than three years after the Islamic State had been driven out of that area.
The holdouts in the two desert villages include some of the most committed extremists, who have remained on the battlefield despite multiple opportunities to escape or surrender and can be expected to fight until the end.
But if the campaign by US-backed forces proceeds as well as it has in recent days, it could be over within as little as two weeks, Ryan said.
Mazloum Kobani, the top commander of the SDF, told Agence France-Presse on Friday that it would take no more than a month.
"I believe that during the next month we will officially announce the end of the military presence on the ground of the so-called caliphate," Kobani said.
The remaining militants include some of the Islamic State's most senior leaders and "famous terrorists," according to Zana Amedi, a spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, which is the biggest component of the SDF.
US and Kurdish officials do not believe, however, that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State leader, is among them.
"He would have to be stupid to stay in the last pocket until the end," said Amedi.
"He would have escaped a long time ago before the situation deteriorated for them so much. He's not dead, and he's not in these villages either."
A big percentage of those who remain are foreigners who flocked to Syria to join the Islamic State when it was at the peak of its power.
Because of their appearance, they would stand out among the locals if they tried to blend in with the civilians fleeing the battlefield, as some local fighters have done.
"They have no choice but to fight to the death or surrender," Amedi said.
Dozens of foreigners are among scores of fighters who have surrendered or have been caught trying to escape over the past week, Amedi said. A majority of the foreigners are Iraqis, but there are also Europeans, Americans and Asians among them.
Thousands of civilians have also been streaming out of the area and handing themselves over at SDF checkpoints, where they are screened for Islamic State fighters trying to hide among them, he said.
Civilians have been dying too - in the crossfire, at the hands of Islamic State snipers who seek to prevent them from escaping and in the US-led airstrikes providing the muscle behind the offensive.
The US military said on Friday it has launched an investigation into what appears to have been one of the worst incidents.
As many as 39 civilians were killed in the town of Baghouz on Tuesday when vehicles in which they were trying to flee were struck.
The eventual fate of the entire swath of eastern Syria now under US military control as a result of the Islamic State war has yet to be decided.
Trump's sudden announcement that the troops would be withdrawn set off an international scramble to figure out what to do with the territory, amounting to almost a third of Syria.
US officials held talks with Turkish officials in Ankara on Friday concerning Turkey's demand for some form of "safe zone" in northeastern Syria.
The Kurds in the US-allied YPG are aligned with the Turkish PKK guerrilla group, and Turkey has said it will deploy troops across the border into Syria to prevent Kurds from launching cross-border attacks once the US troops have gone.
The Kurds, however, fear persecution by the Turks should Turkey assume responsibility and have turned to Russia for help in brokering a deal that would give the Syrian government overall control of the area.
Turkey is also discussing with Russia the possibility of restoring Syrian government control under the terms of a 1998 agreement between Turkey and Syria, which required Damascus to guarantee that Kurds would not launch attacks against Turkey from Syria.
Any vacuum of authority in the area would offer an opportunity for the Islamic State to re-establish itself among the local populace, whose loyalties are deeply divided among the multiple powers competing for control, said Nicholas Heras of the Centre for a New American Security.
"The end of the caliphate is the beginning of the long job of figuring out how to maintain stability in one of the most tribal and restive areas of Syria," he said.
"It will be an uphill climb, and no foreign actor, not the US, not Russia, not Iran and not Turkey, will have an easy time of keeping Isis out for long."

 

[Leongsam]