NEW: Syria ceasefire a ‘great day for civilization’

Last night, President Donald J. Trump sent a delegation of senior American officials—including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien—to Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan face-to-face.

And just hours ago, the Administration was able to deliver a major announcement.

“Earlier this week, President Trump took decisive action to call on Turkish forces to stand down, and to end the violence, and to agree to negotiations,” Vice President Pence said during a press conference from Turkey.

President Trump: “Great for everybody. Proud of all!”

“Today, I'm proud to report—thanks to the strong leadership of President Donald Trump and the strong relationship between President Erdogan and Turkey and the United States of America—that today the United States and Turkey have agreed to a cease fire in Syria.”

President Trump’s priorities are clear: American soldiers can no longer be sacrificed in endless wars across the Middle East. That’s one of the most important promises he made to the American people as a candidate, and he will always honor it.

Instead of American lives, the President is using “tough love” to bring other countries to the table and achieve positive outcomes. “Obviously the sanctions and tariffs [on Turkey] were going to be very biting. I’m glad we don't have to do it,” he said.

The results of today’s negotiations are important for our partners in Syria:

Turkey will pause Operation Peace Spring to allow for the withdrawal of mostly Kurdish YPG forces from the 20-mile safe zone for 120 hours
All military operations under Operation Peace Spring will be paused, and Operation Peace Spring will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal
Turkey agrees to taking no military action against the town of Kobani
Turkey and the United States mutually commit to stifling any ISIS activities in northeast Syria, which includes coordination on ISIS detention facilities

“It's a great day for the United States. It's a great day for Turkey. It's a great day for our partners,” President Trump said. “It's really a great day for civilization.”

No matter what, President Trump will always protect American troops.

Louis Vuitton opens new manufacturing plant with President Trump

Texas workers received some welcome news today, as President Trump visited the city of Alvarado to celebrate the opening of a new Louis Vuitton manufacturing plant.

Louis Vuitton CEO Bernard Arnault announced that this facility will make leather products with that important label, “Made in USA.”

The company plans to invest back in the Texas community, adding 1,000 jobs at the new plant over the next five years. It’s part of Louis Vuitton’s recent commitment under President Trump’s Pledge to America’s Workers, an effort to encourage the private sector to create new training opportunities for workers across our nation.

With the leadership of Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, the Pledge has secured commitments from more than 300 companies and organizations—translating to over 14 million education and training opportunities for students and workers alike.

In total, the Lone Star State has added more than 770,000 new jobs since President Trump’s election, and monthly unemployment claims have plummeted by 21.7 percent.

Learn more about President Trump’s Pledge to America’s Workers.

President Trump honors late Rep. Elijah Cummings

Today, President Trump offered his condolences to the family and friends of Rep. Elijah Cummings from Maryland, who passed away early this morning.

“I got to see first hand the strength, passion and wisdom of this highly respected political leader,” President Trump said. Cummings represented Baltimore in Congress for more than two decades, and his voice will be difficult—if not impossible—to replace.

Following the news, President Trump ordered the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff today at the White House and at public buildings across the nation.

Read President Trump’s Proclamation on the death of Elijah E. Cummings.

Photo of the Day

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

President Donald J. Trump is greeted by Texas government officials and guests as he disembarks Air Force One at Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas | October 17, 2019