Tag Archives: progress

Trump delays tariff hike on Chinese goods, citing trade talk progress

By Jeff Mason and David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would delay an increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods thanks to “productive” trade talks and that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would meet to seal a deal if progress continued.

The announcement was the clearest sign yet that China and the United States are closing in on a deal to end a months-long trade war that has slowed global growth and disrupted markets.

Trump had planned to raise tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports into the United States if an agreement between the world’s two largest economies were not reached by Friday.

After a week of talks that extended into the weekend, Trump said those tariffs would not go up for now. In a tweet, he said progress had been made in divisive areas including intellectual property protection, technology transfers, agriculture, services and currency.

As a result, he said: “I will be delaying the U.S. increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1. Assuming both sides make additional progress, we will be planning a Summit for President Xi and myself, at Mar-a-Lago, to conclude an agreement. A very good weekend for U.S. & China!”

Mar-a-Lago is the president’s property in Florida, where the two men have met before.

The president did not set a new deadline for the talks to conclude, but he told U.S. state governors gathered at the White House that there could be “very big news over the next week or two” if all went well in the negotiations.

The White House did not provide specific details on the kind of progress that had been made.

The Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, told a forum in Beijing on Monday that the talks had made “substantive progress”, providing positive expectations for the stability of bilateral ties and global economic development, China’s Foreign Ministry said.

China’s official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary that the goal of an agreement was getting “closer and closer”, but also warned that negotiations would get more difficult as they approached the final stages.

“The emergence of new uncertainty cannot be ruled out, and the long-term nature, complexity, and difficulty of China-U.S. trade frictions must be clearly recognized,” Xinhua said.

Trump and Xi called a 90-day truce last year to give their advisers time to negotiate a deal. The threat of tariff increases represented significant leverage for the Trump team as Beijing is trying to stabilize China’s cooling economy.

“We can’t be sure whether this constitutes a major cave or success because we don’t know the details of what has been negotiated. But … agreeing to extend negotiations a few more weeks definitely is in China’s interests,” said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

“At this point, the U.S. has likely gotten all it’s going to get out of China.”

J.P. Morgan Asset Management market strategist Tai Hui said the move suggested both sides wanted a settlement of the dispute and added that further tariff escalation would have added to concerns about the U.S. growth outlook.

Markets, which have been sensitive to the dispute as it has slowed global growth, and some U.S. trade associations cheered Trump’s move.

U.S. equity index futures opened higher on Sunday evening as trading kicked off for the week. S&P 500 e-mini futures ticked higher after Trump’s tweets on trade, suggesting Wall Street would open on positive footing on Monday morning.

Asian shares scaled a five-month high and the Australian dollar, a proxy for China investments, got a 0.4 percent lift from the news. [MKTS/GLOB]

Chinese stocks and the yuan jumped at the start of trade, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite index up 2.1 percent, its highest since Aug. 1, and the yuan hit its strongest level against the dollar since July.[.SS]

Trump leaves on Monday for Vietnam, where he will hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The president, who faces a re-election battle next year, has portrayed his engagement with Kim and forcefulness with China as key successes of his presidency.

ENFORCEMENT STICKING POINT

Trump said on Friday there was a “good chance” a deal would emerge. But his lead trade negotiator, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, emphasized then that some major hurdles remained. Lighthizer has been a key voice in pushing China to make structural reforms.

China’s negotiators stayed for the weekend and the two sides discussed the thorny issue of how to enforce a potential trade deal on Sunday, according to a person familiar with the talks. Tariffs and commodities were also on Sunday’s agenda, he said.

Negotiators have been seeking to iron out differences on changes to China’s treatment of state-owned enterprises, subsidies, forced technology transfers and cyber theft.

Washington wants a strong enforcement mechanism to ensure that Chinese reform commitments are followed through to completion, while Beijing has insisted on what it called a “fair and objective” process. Another source briefed on the talks said that enforcement remained a major sticking point as of Saturday.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that both sides were drafting memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, agriculture and non-tariff barriers to trade, including subsidies.

Trump said he did not like MOUs because they are short-term, and he wanted a long-term deal. That sparked a back-and-forth with Lighthizer, who argued that MOUs were binding contracts, before saying they would abandon the term altogether going forward.

The source familiar with the talks played down the apparent tension between the top trade negotiator and the president, saying Trump, a former New York businessman, had viewed MOUs from a real estate perspective, while Lighthizer had done so from a trade perspective. There was no daylight between the two men, the source said.

At the White House event with governors on Sunday, Trump said Lighthizer was doing a “fantastic” job.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and David Lawder; Additional reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sarah N. Lynch and Howard Schneider in Washington; Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; and Michael Martina and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Peter Cooney & Kim Coghill)

North Korea’s Kim sets denuclearization time line, prompting thanks from Trump

Chief of the national security office at Seoul's presidential Blue House Chung Eui-yong meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, North Korea September 5, 2018. Picture taken September 5, 2018. The Presidential Blue House/Handout via REUTERS 


By Hyonhee Shin and Susan Heavey

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has given his first timeline for denuclearization, aiming for the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, Seoul officials said on Thursday, prompting thanks from Trump who said they would “get it done together”.

Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will also meet in Pyongyang on Sept. 18-20 for a third summit and discuss “practical measures” toward denuclearization, Moon’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, said a day after meeting Kim.

The summit could provide renewed momentum to talks over denuclearization between North Korea and the United States, after Trump canceled a visit to Pyongyang by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month citing lack of progress.

Kim told South Korean officials his faith in Trump was “unchanged” and that he wanted denuclearization and an end to hostile relations with the United States before Trump’s first term in office ends in early 2021, Chung said.

“He particularly emphasized that he has never said anything negative about President Trump,” Chung said.

Trump welcomed Kim’s remarks in a trademark Tweet.

“Kim Jong Un of North Korea proclaims ‘unwavering faith in President Trump.’ Thank you to Chairman Kim. We will get it done together!” Trump wrote.

In previous, failed talks, North Korea has said it could consider giving up its nuclear program if the United States provided security guarantees by removing troops from South Korea and withdrawing its so-called nuclear umbrella of deterrence from the South and Japan.

U.S. officials involved in the latest negotiations have said North Korea has refused to even start discussions about defining denuclearization or other key terms such as “verifiable” and “irreversible”, and has insisted the United States must first agree to simultaneous steps to reduce economic pressure.

Pompeo, visiting New Delhi, declined to discuss the next steps but said there was a long road ahead in the denuclearization process.

Pompeo visited Pyongyang in July, after which North Korea accused him of making “unilateral and gangster-like demands for denuclearization” while showing little interest in ending the war.

“It is the case that there is still an enormous amount of work to do,” Pompeo told a news conference on Thursday.

Asked about U.S. intelligence that North Korea was still advancing its weapons programs, Pompeo noted that Pyongyang had ceased its nuclear tests and test-firing missiles, “which we consider a good thing.

“But the work of convincing Chairman Kim to make this strategic shift that we’ve talked about for a brighter future for the people of North Korea continues,” Pompeo said.

Moon’s national security adviser Chung said Kim had stressed the need for the United States to reciprocate North Korea’s initial moves, which have included dismantling a nuclear test site and a missile engine facility.

The U.S. embassy in Seoul said it had no information to share on the matter.

FRUSTRATION

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said Kim told the South’s envoys that his “fixed stand” was to turn the Korean peninsula into “a cradle of peace without nuclear weapons, free from nuclear threat”.

Chung said Kim showed “frustration over the doubt raised by some parts of the international community about his willingness to denuclearize, and asked us to convey his message to the United States”.

“He said he would appreciate that such good faith is accepted with good faith,” Chung said. “He expressed his strong will to carry out more proactive measures toward denuclearization if action is taken in response to the North’s preemptive steps.”

U.S. officials have previously said they have already made concessions, such as halting joint military exercises with South Korea.

During his meeting with Kim, Chung delivered a message from Trump and will relay comments from Kim to U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton, Moon’s spokesman, Kim Eui-kyeom, told reporters.

Trump spoke to Moon on the evening before Chung’s trip and asked Moon to act as “chief negotiator” between Washington and Pyongyang, the spokesman said.

WHAT HAPPENS FIRST?

Kim and Trump held a landmark summit in Singapore in June, in which they agreed to work toward complete denuclearization. But negotiations have made little progress, while signs North Korea has maintained work on its weapons have emerged.

Under discussion is whether denuclearization or declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War should come first.

The war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, meaning U.S.-led U.N. forces, including South Korea, are technically still at war with the North.

“The United States shouldn’t delay any further an end-of-war declaration, which the U.S. president promised at the Singapore summit,” the North’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in an editorial.

U.S. officials have said such a declaration could weaken North Korea’s incentive for denuclearization, and create uncertainty about the purpose of 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the three-year war.

“Looks like Kim is trying to wash away worries that talks could stall or fail, knowing well that Washington is losing patience,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul.

“Kim also made it clear that he needs some kind of proof Trump has abandoned the U.S.’s hostile policy before moving toward denuclearization. Kim is trying to prove his sincerity.”

(Additional reporting by Cynthia Kim Joyce Lee in SEOUL John Walcott and Susan Heavey in WASHINGTON and Phil Stewart in NEW DELHI; Writing by Soyoung Kim; Editing by Chris Cushing and Nick Macfie)

President Donald Trump Accomplishments

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order on education as he participates in a federalism event with Governors at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S. April 26, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

By Kami Klein

When President Donald Trump was elected, those that voted for him expected results.  It has been 3 years since Donald Trump took his Presidential oath and despite consistent political turmoil he has set about working towards keeping his promises to the American people.

The following is a list of accomplishments that can be found in the Washington Post as well as from the White House website. The list is extraordinary and quite long.  If you wish to see more facts and achievements broken down by year please visit the Promises Kept website. 

President Trump has taken unprecedented steps to protect the health and safety of Americans during the COVID-19 crisis. This pandemic came suddenly, reaching around the globe.  The President continued to stay on top of constantly changing facts, attempting to keep Americans informed.  Please click here for a list of actions taken by President Trump during this crisis.   

The President has not accomplished these monumental tasks alone.  We ask that you continue to keep him, our  Lawmakers, Senators, World Leaders, as well as community leaders in your prayers.  

May God’s blessings be upon this Nation! 

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

  • Since President Trump’s election, more than 7 million jobs have been added to the economy.
  • For the first time on record, there are more job openings than unemployed Americans.
    • There are more than 7 million job openings, outnumbering job seekers by more than 1 million.
    • Nearly two-thirds of Americans rate now as a good time to find a quality job, empowering more Americans with rewarding careers.
  • This year, the unemployment rate reached its lowest level in half a century.
    • The unemployment rate has remained at or below 4 percent for the past 21 months.
    • The unemployment rate for women reached its lowest rate in 65 years under President Trump.
  • Under President Trump, jobless claims hit their lowest level in half a century.
  • The number of people claiming unemployment insurance as a share of the population is the lowest on record.
  • American workers of all backgrounds are thriving
    • The unemployment rates for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those without a high school diploma have all reached record lows under President Trump.
  • The booming economy is putting more money in Americans’ pockets.
    • Wages are growing at their fastest rate in a decade, with year-over-year wage gains exceeding 3 percent for the first time since 2009.
    • November 2019 marked the 16th consecutive month that wages rose at an annual rate of at or over 3 percent.
    • Median household income surpassed $63,000 in 2018 – the highest level on record.
  • President Trump’s policies are helping forgotten Americans across the country prosper, driving down income inequality.
    • Wages are rising fastest for low-income workers.
    • Middle-class and low-income workers are enjoying faster wage growth than high-earners.
    • When measured as the share of income earned by the top 20 percent, income inequality fell in 2018 by the largest amount in over a decade.
  • Americans are being lifted out of poverty as a result of today’s booming economy.
    • Since President Trump took office, over 2.4 million Americans have been lifted out of poverty.
    • Poverty rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans have reached record lows.
    • Since President Trump’s election, nearly 7 million Americans have been lifted off of food stamps.
  • Americans are coming off the sidelines and back into the workforce.
    • The prime-age labor force has grown by 2.1 million under President Trump.
    • In the third quarter of 2019, 73.7 percent of workers entering employment came from out of the labor force rather than from unemployment, the highest share since the series began in 1990.
  • President Trump’s pro-growth policies are helping businesses of all sizes thrive like never before.
    • Small business optimism broke a 35-year old record in 2018 and remains historically high.
    • The DOW, S&P 500, and NASDAQ have all repeatedly notched record highs under President Trump.
  • President Trump is following through on his promise to revitalize American manufacturing, with more than a half-million manufacturing jobs added since the election.
  • President Trump has prioritized workforce development to ensure American workers are prepared to fill high-quality jobs.
    • The President has worked to expand apprenticeship programs, helping Americans gain hands-on training and experience with no student debt.
    • Since President Trump took office, over 660,000 apprentices have been hired across the country.
    • President Trump established the National Council for the American Worker, tasked with developing a workforce strategy for the jobs of the future.
    • Over 370 companies have signed the President’s “Pledge to America’s Workers,” pledging to provide more than 14.4 million employment and training opportunities.
    • President Trump signed an Executive Order prioritizing Cyber Workforce Development to ensure that we have the most skilled cyber workforce of the 21st century.
  • President Trump signed the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act in 2017 – the largest tax reform package in history.
    • More than 6 million American workers received wage increases, bonuses, and increased benefits thanks to the tax cuts.
    • $1 trillion has poured back into the country from overseas since the President’s tax cuts.
  • President Trump is revitalizing distressed communities through Opportunity Zones, which encourage investment and growth in underserved communities.
    • More than 8,760 communities in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 5 Territories have been designated as Opportunity Zones.
    • The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council has taken more than 175 actions to encourage investment and promote growth within Opportunity Zones.
    • The White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council is engaging all levels of government to identify best practices and assist leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs in using the Opportunity Zone incentive to revitalize low-income communities.
  • The President is ensuring that America is prepared to lead the world in the industries of the future, by promoting American leadership in emerging technologies like 5G and AI.
    • The Administration named artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and 5G, among other emerging technologies, as national research and development priorities.
    • President Trump launched the American AI Initiative to invest in AI research, unleash innovation, and build the American workforce of the future.
    • President Trump signed an Executive Order that established a new advisory committee of industry and academic leaders to advise the government on its quantum activities.
  • President Trump has made supporting working families a priority of his Administration.
    • President Trump signed legislation securing historic levels of funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, helping low-income families access child care.
    • During his Joint Address to Congress and each State of the Union Address, the President called on Congress to pass a nationwide paid family leave plan.
    • The President signed into law 12-weeks of paid parental leave for federal workers.
    • President Trump’s tax reforms provided a new tax credit to incentivize businesses to offer paid family leave to their employees.
    • The President’s historic tax reforms doubled the child tax credit, benefitting nearly 40 million American families with an average of over $2,200 dollars in 2019.

LIFTING THE BURDEN OF OVER REGULATION: President Trump’s historic deregulation efforts are driving economic growth, cutting unnecessary costs, and increasing transparency.

  • President Trump has delivered on, and far exceeded, his promise to slash two existing regulations for every new regulation.
    • Since taking office, President Trump has rolled back nearly 8 regulations for every new significant one.
  • The Trump Administration’s deregulatory efforts have slashed regulatory costs by more than $50 billion.
  • In the coming years, the average American household is projected to see an income gain of $3,100 per year thanks to President Trump’s historic regulatory reform.
  • Once fully in effect, 20 major deregulatory actions undertaken by the Administration are expected to save American consumers and businesses over $220 billion per year.
  • President Trump signed 16 pieces of deregulatory legislation that are expected to result in a $40 billion increase in annual real incomes.
  • President Trump established the Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation.
    • This initiative is working to reduce outdated regulations at the State, local, and tribal levels, advance occupational licensing reform, and align Federal and State regulation.
  • The President signed legislation eliminating regulatory barriers that made offering retirement benefits difficult for small businesses.
  • The President took action to increase transparency in Federal agencies and protect Americans from administrative abuse.
    • This year, President Trump signed two Executive Orders to guard against secretive or unlawful interpretations of rules and prevent Americans from being hit with unfair and unexpected penalties.
  • President Trump has followed through on his promise to repeal the Obama-era Waters of the United States Rule, lifting a burden off American farmers.
  • President Trump ended the previous Administration’s war on coal.
    • President Trump signed legislation repealing the harmful Obama-era Stream Protection Rule.
    • President Trump replaced the overreaching Obama-era Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, which respects States’ rights and promotes economic growth while lowering power-sector CO2 emissions.
  • In 2017, the President announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, which would have killed millions of American jobs.
  • The Administration has worked to undo the Obama-era fuel economy regulations by proposing the SAFE Vehicles Rule to lower the cost of new and safer cars.
  • President Trump helped community banks by signing legislation that rolled back costly provisions of Dodd-Frank.
  • President Trump established the White House Council on Reducing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing Development to bring down the costs of housing across the country.
  • The President’s deregulatory actions are removing government barriers to personal freedom and consumer choice in healthcare.
  • In 2017, President Trump corrected Obama Administration overreach by right-sizing Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

FIGHTING FOR FAIRER TRADE: President Trump is negotiating better trade deals for the American people after years of our country being taken advantage of.

  • President Trump negotiated the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA) to replace the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
    • USMCA includes tremendous wins for American workers, farmers, and manufacturers, generating over $68 billion in economic activity and creating 176,000 new jobs.
  • President Trump negotiated two tremendous deals with Japan to boost America’s agricultural and digital trade with the world’s third largest economy.
    • Thanks to President Trump’s efforts, Japan will open its market to approximately $7 billion in American agricultural exports.
    • The President’s negotiations will boost the already approximately $40 billion worth of digital trade between our two countries.
  • President Trump fulfilled his promise to renegotiate the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, providing a boost to American auto exports.
    • These efforts doubled the number of American autos that can be exported to South Korea using United States safety standards.
  • President Trump reached a historic phase one trade agreement with China that will begin rebalancing our two countries’ trade relationship.
  • As a result of President Trump’s leadership, China has agreed to structural reforms in areas of intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange.
  • China will be making substantial purchases of American agricultural products, marking a monumental win for American farmers.
  • President Trump fulfilled his promise to withdraw from the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
  • President Trump achieved a mutual agreement with the European Union to work together towards zero tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and subsidies on certain goods.
  • President Trump has worked to prepare for post-Brexit trade and made Congress aware of his intent to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK).
  • President Trump imposed tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum to protect our vital industries and support our national security.
  • President Trump imposed tariffs to protect American-made washing machines and solar products that were hurt by import surges.
  • The United States scored a historic victory by overhauling the Universal Postal Union (UPU), whose outdated policies were undermining American interests and workers.
  • President Trump has expanded markets for American farmers to export their goods worldwide, for example:
    • The European Union has opened up to more American beef and increased imports of American soybeans.
    • China lifted its ban on American poultry and opened up to American beef.
    • South Korea lifted its ban on American poultry and eggs and agreed to provide market access for the greatest, guaranteed volume of American rice.
  • The Trump Administration has authorized a total of $28 billion in aid for farmers who have been subjected to unfair trade practices.

SECURING THE BORDER: President Trump has taken historic steps to confront the crisis on our Nation’s borders and protect American communities.

  • President Trump is following through on his promise to build a wall on our southern border.
    • The Administration expects to have approximately 450 miles of new border wall by the end of 2020.
  • The President struck new agreements with Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to help stop the flood of illegal immigration.
    • The President worked with Mexico to ensure they would improve their border security.
    • The United States is working with Mexico and others in the region to dismantle human smuggling networks that profit from human misery and fuel the border crisis by exploiting vulnerable populations.
    • The Administration negotiated agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to stem the surge of aliens arriving at our border.
    • President Trump negotiated the Migrant Protection Protocols, requiring certain migrants to wait in Mexico during their immigration proceedings instead of allowing them to disappear into our country.
  • Thanks to the President’s swift action, border apprehensions fell by more than 70 percent from May – the peak of the crisis – to November.
  • The Trump Administration is stopping deadly drugs and violent criminals from flowing across our borders and into our communities.
    • Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized more than 163,000 pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl at the southern border in FY 2019.
    • The United States Coast Guard seized more than 458,000 pounds of cocaine at sea in FY 2019 and referred nearly 400 suspected drug smugglers for prosecution.
    •  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized over 1.4 million pounds of narcotics and made more than 12,000 narcotic-related arrests in FY 2019.
    • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 50,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and over 2,700 kilograms of fentanyl in FY 2019.
    • CBP apprehended 976 alien gang members in FY 2019, including 464 aliens affiliated with MS-13.
    • ICE HSI made over 4,000 arrests of gang members in FY 2019, including over 450 arrests of MS-13 members.

RESTORING THE RULE OF LAW: President Trump is upholding the rule of law, restoring integrity to our asylum system, and promoting immigrant self-sufficiency.

  • President Trump released an immigration plan to fully secure our border, modernize our laws, and promote an immigration system based on merit.
  • President Trump is working to combat the abuse of our asylum system that drives illegal immigration.
    • The Administration took action to close the Flores Settlement Agreement loophole and ensure alien families can be kept together through their proceedings.
    • The President released an order that makes aliens ineligible for asylum if they passed through another country in transit to our border and did not apply for asylum in that country first.
  • Since taking office, President Trump has stepped up enforcement to ensure there are consequences for breaking our laws.
    • In FY 2019, the Department of Justice prosecuted a record-breaking number of immigration-related crimes.
    • ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 143,099 aliens in FY 2019, 86 percent of whom had criminal records.
    • ICE ERO removed more than 267,000 illegal aliens from the United States in FY 2019.
  • The Trump Administration is cracking down on sanctuary cities and increasing cooperation at the local level on immigration enforcement.
    • The Administration has more than doubled the number of jurisdictions participating in the 287(g) program, enhancing local cooperation on immigration enforcement.
  • The Administration took action to protect taxpayers by ensuring that aliens wishing to enter or remain in our country are able to support themselves and not rely on public benefits.
  • The President issued a proclamation to ensure immigrants admitted to America do not burden our healthcare system.
  • The President has taken action to reduce nonimmigrant visa overstays, a problem that undermines the rule of law, impacts public safety, and strains resources needed for the border.
  • President Trump made our country safer by ordering the enhanced vetting of individuals attempting to come to America from countries that do not meet our security standards.
  • The President is taking a responsible approach to refugee admissions, prioritizing refugee resettlement in jurisdictions where both State and local governments consent to receive them.
    • This order is designed to ensure that refugees are placed in an environment where they will have the best opportunity to succeed in their new homes.

CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES: President Trump’s policies are supporting our brave law enforcement officers and making America’s communities safer.

  • Violent crime fell in 2017 and 2018, after rising during each of the two years prior to President Trump taking office.
    • Since 2016, the violent crime rate in America has fallen nearly 5 percent and the murder rate has decreased by over 7 percent.
  • President Trump signed the First Step Act into law, making our criminal justice system fairer for all while making our communities safer.
  • President Trump has promoted second-chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment, all while making our communities safer.
    • The Department of Education is expanding an initiative that allows individuals in Federal and State prisons to receive Pell Grants to better prepare themselves for the workforce.
    • The Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons launched a new “Ready to Work” Initiative to help connect employers directly with former prisoners.
    • The Department of Labor awarded $2.2 million to states to expand the use of fidelity bonds, which underwrite companies that hire former prisoners.
  • President Trump has revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods, bringing together Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement officials to develop solutions to violent crime.
  • The President is standing up for our Nation’s law enforcement officers, ensuring they have the support they need to keep our communities safe.
    • The President established a new commission to evaluate best practices for recruiting, training, and supporting law enforcement officers.
    • The Administration has made available hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of surplus military equipment to local law enforcement.
    • President Trump has signed an Executive Order to help prevent violence against law enforcement officers.
    • The President also signed legislation permanently funding the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, aiding our Nation’s brave first responders.
  • The President has taken action to combat the scourge of hate crimes and anti-Semitism rising in America.
    • President Trump signed an Executive Order making it clear that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination rooted in anti-Semitism.
    • The Administration launched a centralized website to educate the public about hate crimes and encourage reporting.
    • Since January 2017, the Civil Rights Division at the DOJ has obtained 14 convictions in cases involving attacks or threats against places of worship.
  • The President signed the Fix NICS Act to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
  • President Trump signed the STOP School Violence Act and created a Commission on School Safety to examine ways to make our schools safer.
  • The Trump Administration is fighting to end the egregious crime of human trafficking.
    • In FY 2019, ICE HSI arrested 2,197 criminals associated with human trafficking and identified 428 victims.
    • The President signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which tightened criteria for whether countries are meeting standards for eliminating trafficking.
  • President Trump established a task force to help combat the tragedy of missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

ADVANCING AMERICA’S INTERESTS ABROAD: President Trump is putting America first and advancing our interests across the world.

  • President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is countering Iran’s influence and pressuring the corrupt regime to abandon its malign activities.
    • The President removed the United States from the horrible, one-sided Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed all sanctions that were lifted by the deal.
    • In response to Iran’s aggression and gross human rights violations, the President authorized crippling sanctions on the regime’s leadership, including the Supreme Leader.
    • President Trump is working to vigorously enforce all sanctions to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero and deny the regime its principal source of revenue.
  • President Trump has held two historic summits with North Korea and earlier this year became the first President to cross the DMZ into North Korea.
    • The Administration has maintained tough sanctions on North Korea while negotiations have taken place.
  • Since taking office, President Trump has taken historic steps to support and defend our cherished ally Israel.
    • This year, President Trump acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and declared Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not inconsistent with international law.
    • The President made good on his promise to recognize Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel and move the United States Embassy there.
    • The President removed the United States from the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council due to the group’s blatant anti-Israel bias.
  • President Trump has successfully urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to increase their defense spending and to focus on modern priorities.
    • NATO Allies will increase defense spending by $130 billion by the end of next year.
  • The Administration has worked to reform and streamline the U.N., cutting spending and making the organization more efficient.
  • Earlier this year, the President took action to protect our Second Amendment rights by announcing the United States will not join the misguided Arms Trade Treaty.
  • President Trump has promoted democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere and imposed heavy sanctions on the regimes in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
  • The President reversed the previous Administration’s disastrous Cuba policy.
    • President Trump has enacted a new policy aimed at stopping any revenues from reaching the Cuban military or intelligence services, imposed stricter travel restrictions, and reaffirmed the focus ensuring the Cuban regime does not profit from U.S. dollars.
    • Earlier this year, the Trump Administration put a cap on remittances to Cuba.
    • President Trump is enabling Americans to file lawsuits against persons and entities that traffic in property confiscated by the Cuban regime, the first time that these kinds of claims have been available for Americans under the Helms-Burton Act.
  • President Trump has stood with the democratically elected National Assembly and the Venezuelan people and worked to cut off the financial resources of the Maduro regime.
    • President Trump recognized Juan Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela and rallied an international coalition of 58 countries to support him.
    • Earlier this year, President Trump blocked all property of the Venezuelan Government in the jurisdiction of the United States.
    • President Trump has sanctioned key sectors of the Venezuelan economy exploited by the regime, including the oil and gold sectors.
    • The Administration sanctioned Maduro’s key financial lifelines, including the Venezuelan Central Bank, the Venezuelan Development Bank, and Petroleos de Venezuela.
  • The Trump Administration has secured the release of Americans unjustly imprisoned abroad, including Kevin King, Xiyue Wang, Danny Burch, and more.
  • The President and his Administration have worked to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, promoting new investments and expanding American partnerships.
  • The President negotiated the return from Finland of approximately 600 tribal ancestral remains and other sacred objects for the American Indian and Pueblo communities from which they came.
  • The Trump Administration released an economic plan to empower the Palestinian people and enhance Palestinian governance through private investment.
  • The President created the first-ever whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment through his Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative.
  • In June of 2019, the President released the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, which focuses on increasing women’s participation to prevent and resolve conflicts.

REBUILDING OUR NATION’S DEFENSE: President Trump is investing in our military and ensuring our forces are able to defend against any and all threats.

  • President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2020, authorizing a historic $738 billion in defense spending.
    • President Trump continued to invest in rebuilding our military, after signing legislation to provide for $700 billion in defense spending in FY18 and $716 billion in FY19.
  • President Trump signed a 3.1% pay raise for our troops, the largest increase in a decade.
  • The President signed legislation establishing the Space Force as a new branch of the Armed Forces, the first new branch since 1947.
  • The United States Space Command was relaunched in August 2019.
  • The President is modernizing and recapitalizing our nuclear forces and missile defenses to ensure they continue to serve as a strong deterrent.
  • The President upgraded our cyber defenses by elevating the Cyber Command into a major warfighting command and reducing burdensome procedural restrictions on cyber operations.
  • President Trump is protecting America’s defense-industrial base, directing the first whole-of-government assessment of our manufacturing and defense supply chains since the 1950s.
  • Under the President’s leadership, the United States is taking the fight to terrorists all around the globe.
    • ISIS’ territorial caliphate has been defeated and all territory recaptured in Iraq and Syria.
    • The United States has brought Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder of ISIS, to justice.
  • The President has taken decisive military action to punish the Assad regime in Syria for the barbaric use of chemical weapons on its own people.
    • The President also authorized sanctions against those tied to Syria’s chemical weapons program.

HONORING OUR VETERANS: President Trump is standing up for America’s veterans by ensuring they receive the proper care and support they deserve.

  • President Trump signed the VA MISSION Act, revolutionizing the VA system, increasing choice, and providing quality care for our veterans.
    • This legislation reformed and expanded many of the existing programs to give veterans improved access to healthcare providers and offered entirely new options such as allowing veterans to get urgent care in their local communities.
    • The VA MISSION Act put veterans at the center of their healthcare decisions, not bureaucracy.
  • The Trump Administration has expanded veterans’ ability to access telehealth services, including through the “Anywhere to Anywhere” VA health care initiative.
  • President Trump has brought accountability to the VA, as promised.
    • President Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure VA employees are held responsible for poor performance.
    • Over 8,000 VA employees have been relieved of their duties at the VA since the beginning of the Administration.
  • Veterans are seeing an improvement in the quality of care under President Trump.
    • In the last year, the VA saw its highest patient experience ratings in history.
    • The Veterans of Foreign Wars found in its annual survey that more than 90 percent of respondents would recommend VA care to other veterans.
  • President Trump signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 to expedite the veteran appeals process.
  • The Administration is working to seamlessly align the VA and DoD’s electronic health records.
    • This new electronic health record system is on pace to launch next year in select areas.
  • Under President Trump, the VA launched a new tool that provides veterans with online access to average wait times and quality-of-care data.
  • Just as he promised, President Trump opened up a 24/7 White House VA Hotline to provide veterans access to help at all times.
  • President Trump has committed his Administration to addressing the horrible tragedy of veteran suicide.
    • President Trump signed the PREVENTS Initiative, which created a task force to develop a revolutionary roadmap to tackle the problem of veteran suicide.
    • President Trump signed an executive order to improve access to suicide prevention resources for veterans.
  • President Trump is expanding educational resources, promoting economic opportunity, and making sure our veterans have the support they need when they return home.
    • This year, the veteran unemployment rate reached its lowest level since 2000.
    • President Trump signed an executive order that paves the way for veterans to more easily join the Merchant Marine, providing quality job opportunities.
    • President Trump signed the Forever GI Bill, allowing veterans to use their educational benefits at any point in their lives.
    • President Trump expedited the process of discharging Federal student loan debt for our Nation’s totally and permanently disabled veterans.
    • President Trump signed the HAVEN Act to ensure that veterans who’ve declared bankruptcy don’t lose their disability payments.
  • President Trump signed legislation providing a pathway for Alaska Natives who served in Vietnam to receive the land allotments to which they are legally entitled.

COMBATING THE OPIOID CRISIS: President Trump has made battling the opioid crisis a top priority for his Administration, and the results couldn’t be clearer.

  • President Trump brought attention to the opioid crisis by declaring it a nationwide public health emergency.
  • To address the many factors fueling the drug crisis, President Trump launched an Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand.
  • Thanks to the President’s efforts, landmark new Federal funding and resources have been dedicated to help end this crisis.
  • President Trump signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the largest and most comprehensive piece of legislation to combat the opioid crisis in history.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded nearly $9 billion over 2016 to 2019 in grants to address the opioid crisis and improve access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services in partnership with State and local officials.
  • Nearly $1 billion in grants were recently awarded for the HEAL Initiative to support the development of scientific solutions to help prevent and treat addiction.
  • President Trump announced a Safer Prescriber Plan that seeks to decrease the amount of opioids prescription fills by one third within three years.
    • From January 2017 to September 2019, the total amount of opioids prescriptions filled in America dropped by 31%.
  • This year, the President launched FindTreatment.gov, a newly designed website that makes it easier to find substance abuse treatment locations.
  • The President implemented new efforts to educate Americans about the dangers of opioid misuse.
    • These efforts include an ad campaign on youth opioid abuse that reached 58 percent of young adults in America.
  • President Trump and his Administration aggressively worked to cut off the flow of deadly drugs into our communities.
    • In FY 2019, ICE HSI seized 12,466 pounds of opioids including 3,688 pounds of fentanyl, an increase of 35% from FY 2018.
    • The Administration shut down the country’s biggest Darknet distributor of drugs, seizing enough fentanyl to kill 105,000 Americans in the process.
    • Under President Trump, a DOJ strike force charged more than 65 defendants collectively responsible for distributing over 45 million opioid pills.
    • The Administration has brought kingpin designations against traffickers operating in China, India, Mexico and more who have played a role in the epidemic in America.
    • The Administration secured the first-ever indictments against Chinese fentanyl traffickers.
    • This year, President Trump convinced China to enact strict regulations to control the production and sale of all types of fentanyl.
  • Evidence suggests that President Trump’s efforts are making a real difference across the Nation.
    • Preliminary data shows overdose deaths fell nationwide in 2018 for the first time in decades.
    • Many of the hardest hit states – including Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia – saw drug overdose deaths drop in 2018.
    • Since 2016, there has been a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of Americans receiving medication-assisted treatment.

PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST: President Trump is working hard to give Americans better quality care at a lower cost.

  • The Administration is delivering quality healthcare and promoting innovative treatment options for American patients.
    • Earlier this year, President Trump signed an order to protect and improve Medicare for our seniors, encouraging even more competition and promoting innovative benefits.
    • President Trump signed and implemented the Right to Try Act, which has expanded treatment options for terminally ill patients.
    • The President has taken action to combat childhood cancer, initiating an effort to provide $500 million over the next decade to improve pediatric cancer research.
    • The President signed legislation providing an additional $1 billion in Alzheimer’s disease research funding.
    • The Administration launched a plan to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America in the next decade.
    • President Trump took action to increase the availability of organs for patients in need of transplants and provide more treatment options and improve care for patients suffering from kidney disease.
    • The President signed an order to modernize the influenza vaccine.
  • The Administration is making healthcare more affordable and transparent.
    • The Administration is requiring hospitals to make their prices negotiated with insurers publicly and easily available online.
    • The President is working to expand Association Health Plans, which would make it easier for employers to join together and offer more affordable health coverage to their employees.
    • President Trump extended access to short-term, limited-duration health plans, giving Americans more flexibility to choose plans that suit their needs.
    • The Administration expanded the use of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). Now, HRAs allow employers to help their employees pay for the cost of insurance that they select in the individual market.
    • The Administration has successfully worked to reduce Medicare Advantage and Part D premiums to their lowest in years.
    • The Administration has improved access to health savings accounts for individuals with chronic conditions.
    • The President has worked to reduce the burden felt by Americans due to Obamacare and eliminated Obamacare’s individual mandate penalty.
    • President Trump released legislative principles to end surprise medical billing and is working with Congress to give patients the control they deserve.
  • President Trump is following through on his pledge to combat high drug prices.
    • President Trump released a blueprint to reduce drug prices and expand affordability for American patients.
    • The Administration’s efforts to lower drug prices led to the largest year-over-year decrease in drug prices ever recorded.
    • The President has advanced efforts to import prescription drugs from Canada in partnership with several states, including Florida and Colorado.
    • The President launched an initiative to stop global freeloading in the drug market, proposing a new way for Medicare to pay for certain drugs based on prices other developed nations pay.
    • The President signed legislation to end pharmacy gag clauses, which prevented pharmacists from letting patients know when it would be cheaper to buy drugs without their insurance.

SAFEGUARDING LIFE AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: President Trump has made it a priority of his Administration to uphold the sanctity of life and safeguard religious liberty for all.

  • President Trump is unequivocally committed to protecting the sanctity of every human life.
    • The Administration issued a rule preventing Title X family planning funds from supporting the abortion industry.
    • President Trump has called on Congress to end late-term abortions.
    • The Trump Administration cut all funding to the U.N. population fund, due to the fund’s support for coercive abortion and forced sterilization.
    • HHS rescinded an Obama-era guidance that prevented states from taking certain actions against abortion providers.
    • President Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy in 2017, ensuring that taxpayer money is not used to fund abortion globally.
    • The President has taken action to end federal research using fetal tissue from abortions.
  • President Trump is protecting healthcare entities and individuals’ conscience rights—ensuring that no medical professional is forced to participate in an abortion in violation of their beliefs.
  • The Administration provided relief to American employers like Little Sisters of the Poor, protecting them from being forced to provide coverage that violates their conscience.
  • President Trump has taken unprecedented action to support the fundamental right to religious freedom.
    • In 2018, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.
    • In 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order upholding religious liberty and the right to engage in religious speech.
    • The Department of Justice created a Religious Liberty Task Force in 2018.
    • The Trump Administration continues to vigorously defend religious liberty in the courts at every opportunity.
    • President Trump reversed the Obama-era policy that prevented the government from providing disaster relief to religious organizations.
    • The Administration is preserving a space for faith-based adoption and foster care providers to continue to serve their communities consistent with their beliefs.
    • The Administration reduced burdensome barriers to Native Americans being able to keep spiritually and culturally significant eagle feathers found on their tribal lands.
    • The Administration has allowed greater flexibility for Federal employees to take time off work for religious reasons.
  • The Trump Administration has stood up for religious liberty around the world.
    • The Administration has partnered with local and faith-based organizations to provide assistance to religious minorities persecuted in Iraq.
    • President Trump hosted the Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom at the 2019 U.N. General Assembly, calling on global and business leaders to bring an end to religious persecution and stop crimes against people of faith.
    • The Administration dedicated $25 million to protect religious freedom, religious sites and relics.
    • The State Department has hosted two Religious Freedom Ministerials, with the 2019 Ministerial becoming the largest religious freedom event of its kind in the world.
    • In 2019, the Administration imposed restrictions on certain Chinese officials, internal security units, and companies for their complicity in the persecution of Uighur Muslims and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

TRANSFORMING THE COURTS: President Trump is transforming the Federal judiciary by appointing a historic number of Federal judges who will interpret the Constitution as written.

  • Working with the Senate, President Trump has now had 187 judicial nominees confirmed to the Federal bench.
    • President Trump’s remaking of the judiciary is only accelerating with 103 Federal judges confirmed in 2019, more than 2017 and 2018 combined.
  • The President named Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, fulfilling his promise to appoint justices who will uphold the constitution as written.
  • President Trump has appointed 50 Circuit Court judges – more than any other President at this point in their Administrations.
    • More than a quarter of all active Circuit Court judges were appointed by President Trump.
    • The average age of Trump-appointed circuit judges is less than 50 years old, ensuring that these qualified jurists will continue to have an impact for decades to come.
  • President Trump has flipped the Second, Third, and Eleventh Circuits from Democrat-appointed majorities to Republican-appointed majorities.

USHERING IN AN ERA OF ENERGY DOMINANCE: President Trump’s policies are ushering in a new era of American energy dominance.

  • President Trump has rolled back the burdensome regulations of the past Administration and implemented policies that are unleashing American energy.
  • The United States is the largest oil and natural gas producer in the world.
  • American oil production reached its highest level in history in 2019.
    • The United States became a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products in September 2019, the first time this has occurred since records began in 1973.
  • Natural gas production is projected to set a record high in 2019, marking the third consecutive year of record production.
  • President Trump is opening up more access to our country’s abundant natural resources in order to promote energy independence.
    • Department of the Interior energy revenues soared in fiscal year FY 2019, nearly doubling since FY 2016 to $12 billion.
    • Applications to drill on public lands have increased by 300 percent since FY 2016, and the time it takes to complete these permits has dropped by half.
    • President Trump signed legislation to open up Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration.
  • President Trump is promoting energy infrastructure to ensure American energy producers can deliver their products to the market.
    • This year, President Trump signed two Executive Orders to streamline processes holding back the construction of new energy infrastructure, like pipelines.
    • In 2017, the Administration took action to approve the Dakota Access pipeline and the Keystone XL pipeline.
    • The Administration issued permits for the New Burgos Pipeline that will export American petroleum products to Mexico.
    • The Administration has streamlined Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal permitting.
    • In 2019, the Department of Energy granted 11 new long-term LNG export approvals.
  • American energy exports have reached historic highs.
    • LNG exports have increased by 247% since 2017, hitting record highs in 2019 and are projected to continue increasing next year.
    • In 2017, the United States became a net natural gas exporter for the first time in 60 years.
    • The United States has exported LNG to five continents and 37 countries, marking 19 additional countries from the beginning of the Trump Administration.
  • President Trump strengthened America’s domestic energy production and supported our Nation’s farmers by approving year-round E-15.
  • President Trump worked to ensure greater transparency and certainty in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
  • President Trump has promoted domestic energy production and economic growth while working to ensure Americans have access to safe drinking water and a clean environment.
    • The United States environmental record is one of the strongest in the world and America continues to make environmental progress in clean air and clean water.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, the EPA took action to protect vulnerable Americans from lead exposure by proposing changes to the Lead and Copper rule.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, in FY 2019 the EPA completed cleanup on the most superfund sites on the National Priority List in 18 years.
    • Emissions of all criteria pollutants dropped between 2016 and 2018.

PROMOTING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY: President Trump is working to ensure all Americans have access to quality education.

  • President Trump signed into law a modernization of our country’s career and technical education system to ensure more Americans have access to high-quality vocational education.
  • This year, the Administration proposed Education Freedom Scholarships to expand education options for students of all economic backgrounds.
    • This plan will invest up to $5 billion in students through a tax credit for donations for state-based, locally-controlled scholarships.
  • President Trump is expanding education and training opportunities for incarcerated individuals to learn how to make a living before their release.
  • The President signed legislation reauthorizing the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program.
  • Thanks to President Trump’s historic tax reform, parents can now withdraw up to $10,000 tax-free per year from 529 education savings plans to cover K-12 tuition costs.
  • President Trump has made supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) a priority of his Administration.
    • President Trump signed the Farm Bill that included more than $100 million dollars for scholarships, research, and centers of excellence at HBCU land-grant institutions.
    • The Administration has enabled faith-based HBCUs to enjoy equal access to Federal support.
    • President Trump signed legislation providing $255 million dollars of permanent annual funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions.

 

Chicago homicides fall 16 percent in 2017

Chicago Police officers investigate a crime scene after a motorist was shot in the head and lost control of his vehicle along the 5300 block of west Monroe Street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 31, 2017. The driver later died in the hospital, according to the police.

(Reuters) – Homicides in Chicago fell 16 percent in 2017 while shootings were down and firearms arrests were up, police said on Monday, marking a reduction in bloodshed that made the city a symbol of U.S. gun violence and an object of criticism for President Donald Trump.

Police reported 650 homicides in an annual report on crime statistics, down from 771 in 2016. Shooting incidents fell 22 percent and the number of shooting victims fell by 892 people, a 21 percent drop. Meanwhile, gun arrests increased 27 percent and police reported seizing more than 8,600 illegal weapons.

Police attributed the drop to putting more officers on the streets, investing in new technology and a smarter policing strategy.

The city was also coming off a high baseline after the number of homicides in 2016, which represented a nearly 60 percent spike from the previous year.

The United States’ third largest city still ranks No. 1 in murders, with more than the two largest cities combined. New York and Los Angles each had fewer than 300 homicides in 2017.

Overall crime for other offenses – including sexual assault, robbery, aggravated battery, burglary and vehicle theft – was down 2 percent, police said.

“I am proud of the progress our officers made in reducing gun violence all across the city in 2017, but none of us are satisfied,” Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in the report. “In 2018, we are going to work to build on the progress we made last year – to reduce gun violence, to save lives and to find justice for victims.”

Chicago initiated police reforms in 2017 after a federal investigation found officers routinely violated people’s civil rights, citing excessive force and racially discriminatory conduct.

The city hired more than 1,100 new police officers in 2017, and the department issued a new policy on use of force.

Crime fell by 43 percent in Englewood district and 26 percent in Harrison, the first two districts to employ so-called Strategic Decision Support Centers, police said.

The centers use predictive crime software to enable a more efficient deployment of officers, install more cameras, set up gunshot detection systems and send real-time notifications and intelligence data to officers on their smartphones, the department said.

The deployment of more than 7,000 body cameras was the largest of its kind in the United States, the report said.

Trump made Chicago crime a theme of his 2016 campaign and kept criticizing the city in 2017 even as crime fell.

“Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year!” the Republican president wrote on Twitter in June.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Trump’s tweet referred to sending more federal agents to Chicago and plans to prosecute firearms cases aggressively.

A spokesman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, thanked the U.S. government for 20 additional agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives but said the progress was made before those agents had arrived.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Frank McGurty and Jonathan Oatis)