Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2018 Digest of Other White House Announcements December 31, 2018 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 West Palm Beach, FL. In the afternoon, the President, Mrs. Trump, and their son Barron returned to Washington, DC, arriving in the evening. Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., and U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer accompanied them. January 2 In the morning, in the Oval Office, the President had an intelligence briefing. In the afternoon, in the Private Dining Room, the President and Vice President Michael R. Pence had lunch with Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta. The President declared a major disaster in Maine and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, Tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding from October 29 through November 1, 2017. The President declared a major disaster in New Hampshire and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding from October 29 through November 1, 2017. The President declared a major disaster in Vermont and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding on October 29 and 30, 2017. The President declared a major disaster in California and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires beginning on December 4, 2017, and continuing. January 3 In the morning, in the Oval Office, the President had an intelligence briefing. In the afternoon, in the Private Dining Room, the President and Vice President Michael R. Pence had lunch with Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with President-elect Sebastian Pinera Echenique of Chile to congratulate him on his victory in the Presidential runoff election, emphasize his desire to work closely on issues of mutual interest, and discuss the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and their joint desire to see democracy restored for the Venezuelan people. The President announced his intention to nominate Holly W. Greaves to be Chief Financial Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency. The President announced his intention to nominate Josephine Olsen to be Director of the U.S. Peace Corps. 1 The President announced his intention to nominate Anne M. White to be Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management at the Department of Energy. The President announced his intention to nominate Marco M. Rajkovich, Jr., to be a member and Chairman of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission. The President announced his intention to nominate Marie Royce to be Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of State. The President announced his intention to nominate William Roper to be Assistant Secretary for Acquisition at the Department of the Air Force. The President announced his intention to nominate Kevin Fahey to be Assistant Secretary for Acquisition at the Department of Defense. The President announced his intention to appoint Jesse Delmar as a member of the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children. January 4 In the afternoon, in the Oval Office, the President presented the National Security Medal to Richard Ledgett, Jr. Then, in the Roosevelt Room, he met with Senators to discuss legislative priorities for 2018, including securing more equitable trade deals with our partners, increasing U.S. exports, and ensuring U.S. industries are treated fairly around the world. Later, in the Oval Office, he met with Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. He also had a telephone conversation with Rebekah Mercer. In the evening, the President had a telephone conversation with former Gov. W. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. During the day, the President had a telephone conversation with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula, agree to continue the campaign of maximum pressure against North Korea, and emphasize their joint commitment to ensuring a safe and successful 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. The President announced his intention to nominateSean Cairncross to be Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The President announced his intention to nominate Tim Thomas to be Federal Cochair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. The President announced his intention to nominate Kevin E. Moley to be Assistant Secretary for International Organizational Affairs at the Department of State. The President announced his intention to nominate Andrew Gellert to be Ambassador to Chile. The President announced his intention to nominate Leandro Rizzuto to be Ambassador to Barbados and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis and Ambassador to Saint Lucia. The President announced his intention to appoint James L. Woodworth as Commissioner of Education Statistics at the Department of Education. The President announced his intention to appoint Michelle Giuda as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of State. January 5 In the morning, in the Oval Office, the President had an intelligence briefing. 2 In the afternoon, the President traveled to Camp David, MD, where, in the Laurel Lodge, he hosted congressional Republican leadership retreat with Senate Majority Leader A. Mitchell McConnell, Minority Whip Sen. John Cornyn III; and Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul D. Ryan; Majority Leader Kevin O. McCarthy, and Majority Whip Stephen J. Scalise. Vice President Michael R. Pence also attended. In the evening, in the Laurel Lodge, the President had a working dinner with Leader McConnell, Sen. Cornyn, Speaker Ryan, Leader McCarthy, and Rep. Scalise. Later, he hosted a Camp David screening of the film "The Greatest Showman" for participants in the Republican leadership retreat. The White House announced that the President will travel to Nashville, TN, on January 8. The President announced his intention to renominate Elizabeth L. Branch to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The President announced his intention to renominate Michael B. Brennan to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The President announced his intention to renominate Ryan W. Bounds to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The President announced his intention to renominate Stuart K. Duncan to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The President announced his intention to renominate Kurt D. Engelhardt to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The President announced his intention to renominate David R. Stras to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. The President announced his intention to renominate Barry W. Ashe to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The President announced his intention to renominate Annemarie Carney Axon and Liles C. Burke to be judges on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The President announced his intention to renominate Jeffrey U. Beaverstock and Terry F. Moorer to be judges on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. The President announced his intention to renominate Daniel D. Domenico to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The President announced his intention to renominate Thomas A. Farr to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The President announced his intention to renominate Charles B. Goodwin to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. The President announced his intention to renominate Michael J. Juneau to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The President announced his intention to renominate Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The President announced his intention to renominate Emily Coody Marks to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The President announced his intention to renominate Mark S. Norris, Sr., to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. 3 The President announced his intention to renominate William M. Ray II to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The President announced his intention to renominate Eli J. Richardson to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The President announced his intention to renominate Holly Lou Teeter to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. January 6 In the morning, in the Laurel Lodge at Camp David, MD, the President participated in a congressional Republican leadership retreat with Senate Majority Leader A. Mitchell McConnell and Majority Whip Sen. John Cornyn III; and Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul D. Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin O. McCarthy, and Majority Whip Stephen J. Scalise. Vice President Michael R. Pence, several Cabinet members, and senior advisers also attended. During the day, in the Laurel Lodge at Camp David, the President and Vice President Pence received a briefing from Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis. Participants in the Republican leadership retreat also attended.