Remembering George H. W. Bush, ‘one of America’s greatest points of light’

On the day he turned 18, just 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, George H. W. Bush volunteered for combat duty in World War II. He would become the youngest aviator in U.S. naval history at the time, flying 58 combat missions—including one that saw his plane take enemy fire and require that he parachute into the Pacific Ocean to survive.

That legacy alone would be enough to earn our Nation’s eternal debt and gratitude. For George H. W. Bush, it was only the beginning of a lifetime of public service. He would go on to become a member of Congress, Ambassador to the United Nations, Director of Central Intelligence, Vice President, and, finally, President of the United States.

“President Bush always found a way to set the bar higher,” President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump said in a statement over the weekend. “It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of one of America’s greatest points of light.”

President Trump has proclaimed this Wednesday, December 5, as a National Day of Mourning as President Bush’s State Funeral is held in Washington.

The President and First Lady’s statement on the death of George H. W. Bush.

‘A great American life’: President Trump’s official Proclamation

President Trump returns from the G20 Summit

Yesterday, President Trump and the First Lady returned from Buenos Aires, Argentina, host of the 2018 G20 Summit. As world leaders gathered, President Trump kept his promise to put Americans first every step of the way.

The summit kicked off with a historic moment: the signing of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaces the outdated NAFTA. For years, NAFTA helped incentivize offshoring, leading far too many manufacturing jobs to leave the United States. USMCA will rebalance American trade for the 21^st century.

Another crucial meeting took place between President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China. Incredible progress was made on two fronts in particular. “President Xi, in a wonderful humanitarian gesture, has agreed to designate Fentanyl as a Controlled Substance, meaning that people selling Fentanyl to the United States will be subject to China’s maximum penalty under the law,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

And on trade, the two leaders struck an understanding that leaves “unlimited possibilities for both the United States and China,” President Trump said. In exchange for the Trump Administration agreeing not to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of product to 25 percent at this time, China will agree to purchase a substantial amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other product from the United States to reduce the trade imbalance between America and China.

Out of respect for the Bush family, President Trump has postponed a full press conference on these historic actions until after President Bush’s State Funeral.

Watch: Highlights of President Trump at the G20 Summit in Argentina