Today President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will participate in an Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony to celebrate the historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Anticipated start time 12:00pm.

President Trump helped broker a historic agreement between the UAE and Israel to normalize relations in August. Last week, Trump announced that Bahrain had also reached a deal with Israel to normalize relations. The parties will sign the agreement, dubbed the “Abraham Accords,” at this White House ceremony, marking a notable diplomatic achievement for President Trump and mid-east partners.

UPDATE: Video Added

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And absolutely stunning day for the White House, Israel, the Arab peace coalition and the larger international community as peace begins to settle across the middle-east. Incredible.

President Trump holds an oval office meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and takes questions from the press pool. [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: (A ceremonial gold key is presented.) This was a special token of affection, given by myself and the First Lady to the Prime Minister and the First Lady of Israel. And it’s a key — we call it a key to the White House. And it’s a key to our country and to our hearts. And you’ve been an amazing leader for a long period of time. And this is — this is, in many respects, the big day, because this is something that’s very special.

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White House Senior Advisor to President Trump, Jared Kushner, is the lead liaison between the White House, Israel and mid-east interests.  In an earlier interview today Kushner discusses the historic importance of the new Arab-Israeli peace agreements and what they mean for U.S. national security interests.

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Start with the economics, not the conflict… then promote the goal of prosperity.

♦President Trump’s foreign policy approach brought North and South Korea together away from the table of conflict.  ♦President Trump’s foreign policy approach brought Serbia and Kosovo together away from the table of conflict.  ♦President Trump’s foreign policy rallied the Gulf Cooperation Council to stop Qatar’s support for Islamic extremists via the Muslim Brotherhood. ♦President Trump’s foreign policy brought Turkey and the Kurdish forces together away from war and conflict.  ♦President Trump’s foreign policy created a ceasefire to stop the bloodshed in Syria.  President Trump mediated a cessation of hostilities between India & Pakistan in the Kashmir region. ♦President Trump’s foreign policy brought Israel and the UAE together… and there will be more.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Kayleigh McEnany Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Hurricane Sally is now holding with 100mph winds and slowly moving (5mph) toward the West Northwest near the coastal region of the western Florida Panhandle.

The outer bands of Sally are moving onshore in the Florida Panhandle. Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Hurricane-Force Winds, and Flash Flooding Likely Along Portions of the Northern Gulf Coast Starting Later Tonight and Tuesday.

Residents in Western Florida, Alabama coastal area, Mississippi coastal area and Eastern Louisiana should pay close attention.  All hurricane preparations should be rushed to completion. The storm is expected to turn north, but the timing is uncertain.  The wind field is small; however, due to the slow movement the storm surge is a great concern.

Hurricane Center – Sally is moving toward the west-northwest near 5 mph (8 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through Tuesday morning. A northward turn is likely by Tuesday afternoon, and a slow north-northeastward to northeastward motion is expected Tuesday night through Wednesday night.

On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move near the coast of southeastern Louisiana tonight and Tuesday, and make landfall in the hurricane warning area Tuesday night or Wednesday.

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Those who have followed the Trump administration’s decoupling strategy will note the potential conflict from within this approach is a ‘nothing to lose’ proposition from Donald Trump’s perspective.

The Trump administration announced today the Department of Homeland Security, via U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, are about to start blocking the import of products from five specific entities in western China’s Xinjiang region.  The objective is to block products that come from forced Uighur labor in Xinjiang, China.

The authority comes from U.S. “Withhold Release Orders” (WRO’s) that allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detain shipments based on suspicion of forced-labor involvement under long-standing U.S. laws to combat human trafficking, child labor and other human rights abuses.  Ken Cuccinelli explains to Lou Dobbs.

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At first blush this might seem detrimental to the objectives of the U.S-China Phase-One trade deal. However, if you have followed the decoupling process closely; including the warnings given by Trump to U.S. multinationals; you will note there is no specific downside to this confrontation.

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Earlier today President Trump traveled to McClellan California for a briefing on the current status of current efforts to battle California wildfires.  The briefing was held in a Cal Fire hangar.  [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Great to be here. Great to be with the Governor. We’ve been speaking a lot about the problem, and it’s a big problem, and it’ll get solved. We want to pay our love and respect, and we say “God bless you” to those that were killed in this horrible fire, because it’s a series of fire. You put them together, and it’s a big monster, Gavin. Right?

GOVERNOR NEWSOM: A big monster.

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A federal judge in the Western District of Pennsylvania had ruled that Governor Tom Wolfe’s dictates, decrees and rules were/are unconstitutional restrictions on liberty.

U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV concluded the governor’s stay at home orders, limits on gatherings and closure of “non life-sustaining” businesses violated citizens’ Constitutional rights. The judge was responding to a lawsuit brought by a group of Pennsylvania businesses.

“The Constitution cannot accept the concept of a ‘new normal’ where the basic liberties of the people can be subordinated to open-ended emergency mitigation measures. Rather, the Constitution sets certain lines that may not be crossed, even in an emergency.” ~ Judge Stickman [full pdf below]

The well-thought ruling, while accepting and appreciating the challenges presented to government, finds the arbitrary and capricious definitions/applications of rules amount to ever-changing dictates that infringed on basic constitutional rights without any due process in place.  Full ruling below.

One win for freedom.

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Earlier today President Trump shared an incredible story of heroism by the Air National Guard during California wildfires.  Their incredible act of heroism during the Sept 5th  Creek Fire saved 242 adults and children.  [Video Below – Transcript Will Follow]

UPDATE: Transcript Added

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. This is a great honor. And this is a beautiful aircraft we’re looking at. Look at that beautiful, very expensive plane — for good reason.

Today it’s my profound honor to award seven extraordinary soldiers with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their remarkable courage to rescue their fellow citizens. I want to very much thank Major General Matthew Beevers for being with us today. Thank you, General. Thank you very much. Thank you, General, very much. It’s a great honor to see you.

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