Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2020 Digest of Other White House
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Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2020 Digest of Other White House Announcements December 31, 2020 The following list includes the President's public schedule and other items of general interest announced by the Office of the Press Secretary and not included elsewhere in this Compilation. January 1 In the morning, the President traveled to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, FL. In the afternoon, the President returned to his private residence at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, where he remained overnight. The President announced the designation of the following individuals as members of a Presidential delegation to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, from January 20 through January: Steven T. Mnuchin (head of delegation); Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.; Eugene Scalia; Elaine L. Chao; Robert E. Lighthizer; Keith J. Krach; Ivanka M. Trump; Jared C. Kushner; and Christopher P. Liddell. January 2 In the morning, the President traveled to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, FL. In the afternoon, the President returned to his private residence at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, where he remained overnight. During the day, President had a telephone conversation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the situation in Libya and the need for deescalation of the conflict in Idlib, Syria, in order to protect civilians. January 3 In the morning, the President was notified of the successful U.S. strike in Baghdad, Iraq, that killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, commander of the Quds Force. National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien also participated in the briefing. In the afternoon, the President traveled to Miami, FL, where, at King Jesus International Ministry Miami, he delivered remarks at an Evangelicals for Trump Coalition launch event. In the evening, the President returned to his private residence at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, where he remained overnight. The President announced his intention to nominate Richard M. Mills, Jr., to be U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador, and Deputy U.S. Representative in the U.N. Security Council and U.S. Representative to the Sessions of the U.N. General Assembly, during his tenure of service as U.S. Deputy Representative. The President announced his intention to nominate C.J. Mahoney to be Legal Advisor at the Department of State. January 4 In the morning, the President traveled to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, FL. 1 In the afternoon, the President returned to his private residence at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, where he remained overnight. January 5 In the morning, the President traveled to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, FL. In the afternoon, the President returned to his private residence at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL. Later, he, Mrs. Trump, and their son Barron returned to Washington, DC, arriving in the evening. The President's daughter, Adviser to the President Ivanka M. Trump, and son-in-law, White House Senior Adviser Jared C. Kushner, accompanied them. During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom to discuss the situations in Iraq and Iran and reaffirm U.K.-U.S. relations. January 6 In the afternoon, in the Oval Office, the President participated in a credentialing ceremony for newly appointed Ambassadors to the U.S.: Isilio Antonio de Fatima Coelho da Silva of Timor-Leste; Lee Soo-hyuck of South Korea; Thani Thongphakdi of Thailand; Martin Weiss of Austria; Volodymyr Yelchenko of Ukraine; and Mansour Kane of Senegal In the afternoon, in the Oval Office, the President had an intelligence briefing. Then, in the Private Dining Room, he and Vice President Michael R. Pence had lunch. He also participated in a live telephone interview with radio show host Rush H. Limbaugh III. During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to exchange New Year's greetings, discuss ways to further strengthen the India- U.S. strategic partnership, and review regional security matters. He also had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to discuss the recent bushfires in Australia, express concern for those affected and condolences for the firefighters and others who lost their lives, and offer U.S. support to assist the Australian Government's response efforts. Also during the day, in the Oval Office, the President met with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the U.S. Khalid bin Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien, Deputy National Security Adviser Victoria Coates, White House Senior Adviser Jared C. Kushner also attended. The White House announced that the President will travel to Toledo, OH, on January 9. The President announced his intention to nominate J. David Patterson to be Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness at the Department of Defense. January 7 In the morning, the President was briefed on the recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico, including the most recent one early that morning, and efforts by administration officials, including Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Peter T. Gaynor, have been in touch with the Governor and her team today, and we will continue to monitor the effects and coordinate with Puerto Rico officials. In the afternoon, on the South Portico, the President and Mrs. Trump welcomed Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece and his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis and participated in a photo opportunity. Later, in the Cabinet Room, the President and Prime Minister Mitsotakis had an expanded bilateral meeting. Vice President Michael R. Pence also attended. During their meetings, the President and Prime Minister discussed joint efforts to promote 2 security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, economic reforms in Greece to improve its business climate for U.S. investors and opportunities to expand trade in energy, and their common approach on 5G network security. In the evening, in the Situation Room, the President was briefed on Iran's missile attacks on the Ain al-Asad and Erbil military bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces. Vice President Pence and White House senior advisers also attended. During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to discuss Qatar-U.S. relations and the situations in Iraq and Iran, among other critical bilateral and regional issues. He also had a telephone conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to discuss the security situation in the Middle East and Libya. The President announced his intention to nominate Charles A. Stones to be a member (Public Member) of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation. The President announced his intention to nominate Thomas M. Mistele to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. The President declared an emergency in Puerto Rico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from earthquakes beginning on December 28, 2019, and continuing. January 8 In the afternoon, in the Oval Office, the President had an intelligence briefing. During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom to discuss the situation in the Middle East and U.K.-U.S. coordination on advancing shared national security interests. He also had a telephone conversation with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the opportunity for NATO to increase its role in preventing conflict and preserving peace in the region. He also had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to discuss critical bilateral and regional issues. Also during the day, the President met with National Security Secretariat Secretary General Shigeru Kitamura of Japan and National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong of South Korea to discuss the longstanding Japan-U.S. and South Korea-U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific region. The President announced the designation of the following individuals as members of a Presidential delegation to attend the Inauguration of Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei Falla as President of Guatemala in Guatemala City, Guatemala on January 14: Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. (head of delegation); Luis E. Arreaga; Chad F. Wolf; and Adam S. Boehler. The President announced his intention to nominate John C. Johnson to be Inspector General of the Federal Communications Commission. January 9 In the afternoon, in the Oval Office, the President had an intelligence briefing. Later, he traveled to Toledo, OH, arriving in the evening. In the evening, at the Huntington Center, the President recorded an interview with Lee Conklin of 13abc WTVG in Toledo for later broadcast and delivered remarks at a "Keep America Great" rally. Vice President Michael R. Pence also attended. Later, he returned to Washington, DC. 3 During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with Mayor Bobbie Jones of Princeville, NC, to notify him that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will move forward on a flood mitigation project with an estimated cost of $39.6 million to improve levee and drainage systems in the community. January 10 In the afternoon, the President met with Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo. During the day, the President had separate telephone conversations with Sen. Richard L. Scott; and Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer A. González- Colón of Puerto Rico to discuss the recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico and review local response and recovery efforts.