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President Donald Trump will speak Thursday at the White House for a Spirit of America Showcase, following a press briefing earlier in the morning.
Trump's expected to deliver his Spirit of America remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House at 11:30 a.m., ET. The White House will stream the president's speech on its YouTube channel and C-SPAN will also cover the event on its website and on television on C-SPAN 3.
Few details were released about the event, but it's possible the president will discuss the challenges the American workforce face because of the new coronavirus pandemic and the tenacity they exhibit. On Tuesday, Trump signed a proclamation deeming July "Pledge to America's Workers Month."
"Despite the hardship caused by the pandemic, it has not encumbered the American spirit or the unyielding resolve of our Nation's workers," Trump said in the proclamation. "The same resourcefulness and determination with which we have confronted this crisis will be the catalyst for our economic resurgence."
The purpose of Pledge to America's Workers Month is threefold: to celebrate the "resilience and unlimited potential" of America's workers; honor the organizations that pledged to train, educate and re-skill American workers; and "reaffirm our unparalleled support for our workforce as we emerge from the grip of this crisis."
As businesses shut down to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, unemployment rose to historic post-Great Depression levels. After weeks of dismal unemployment numbers, the economy started rebounding in May, when 2.5 million jobs were added. The trend continued in June with 4.8 million jobs and the unemployment rate declined to 11.1 percent, a 2.2 percentage-point decrease from the previous month.
The number of people who were unemployed dropped by 3.2 million people to 17.8 million. Although people returning to work is a positive sign for the economy and individuals' livelihoods, the unemployment rate remains elevated by 7.6 percentage points since February.
In his proclamation, Trump called American workers the "engine of our country's future prosperity," and said the pandemic further revealed a "critical need" to invest in workers.
Trump's speech also comes on the heels of a nationwide push to remove statue and monuments that honor men in America's history with blighted pasts tied to slavery. The president, a vocal critic of removing statues or monuments, committed to holding people accountable.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the Department of Justice charged four men for attempting to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square, located near the White House. McEnany said the "rampant destruction of statues" wasn't part of any ideology but rather anarchy "aided by failed Democrat leadership."
Vice President Mike Pence reiterated the administration's opposition to removing monuments and statues during a briefing on Wednesday with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. He praised Ducey for his "strong support for law and order" and said the administration is ready to support state and local partners to protect federal facilities, monuments and statues.
The push to remove monuments extended to Mount Rushmore that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem firmly dismissed, posting on Twitter "not on my watch." On Friday, Trump will visit Mount Rushmore for pre-Fourth of July fireworks.
About the writer
Jenni Fink is a senior editor at Newsweek, based in New York. She leads the National News team, reporting on ... Read more