KAMALA HARRIS IS NOT BARACK OBAMA, WILL NOT WIN.

ICHEOKU says there is a saying in some communities that a monkey see and a monkey do. Translated, imitating a success story is not always a form of flattery, as it sometimes leads to unintended consequences, failure. People who have mastered things make doing them appear easy. So it is not always sufficient by itself to try to replicate what they did; but to first try to understand how they did it. Thereafter, you can then travel through the same pathway which they followed and hope for the best, to achieve the same result. 

President Barack Obama understood this very well, the reason he charmed his way into the minds and hearts of the American people, who rewarded him with 8 years in the White House. First, he understood very well that there is no way he could win the White House without the approval and support of the white majority Americans and he went to work to win them over. He put his charm offensive on them and won their hearts. He had the disarming smile, cool mien, silky smooth mannerism, innocent attentiveness, great oratory prowess and above all, a serpentine cunning. His deftness was such that, any time there was any raising of eyebrow about his past possible anti white people sentiments, he rushed out to quell it. He vehemently denied and denounced it and went to whatever length possible to convincingly and satisfactorily explain away whatever the allegation. 

The former president was masterful in deploying all his qualities into wooing the white majority Americans and assured them that their fate under his presidency was safe. He did not scare them away but made them feel comfortable with his presidency. Even when any past incident which suggested that he was anti white people surfaced, he rushed out  to quell it. He was so clever in doing this, that even if it meant throwing his black mentors under the bus to prove and reassure white people that he got their back, he did so, effortlessly and without hesitation. It worked and it rewarded him with two presidential terms, eight years in the White House. Such a feat by a minority candidate will not be easily replicated again, if not impossible and at best, will be extremely difficult. Barack Obama is extremely gifted; he is a child of destiny and all the stars in the constellation correctly lined up to help make him president. 

Unfortunately, there is no Barack Obama among all the minorities running for president in 2020, because the good Lord does not make many of Obama's type, but randomly rewards every generation with just one or few of such figures. Such historical figures are like the Northern Star, of whose true fix there is no fellow in the firmament. Martin Luther King was such a fellow and since his assassination, many have tried but failed to fill his larger than life shoes. Barack Obama is it and possibly Barack Obama will be the it, the first and last one and only minority to ever be president of the United States of America, period. 

So, to all those people who are thinking that America has turned the corner by electing a black man president twice, and this thinking is the primary motive which is driving the minority candidates' quest for the presidency in 2020, ICHEOKU says not so fast. America has had their shot at a minority president and it will not happen again; at least not in the nearest future. Barack Obama was a smart and specially unique person. A well gifted political navigator, who cleverly masked himself and did not needlessly raise the antennas of white people. He was an epochal figure who had a perfect timing and made history as the first and possibly the last minority president of America; and such happenstance do not occur twice in a lifetime. 

ICHEOKU therefore is emphatic that there will not be another minority president of America, at least not in our lifetime. So, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Julio Caesar are wasting their time, energy and resources, gallivanting around in the name of running for president. The two black candidates, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, especially, lack everything which Barack Obama had in abundance. They lack his cucumber coolness, his air, his disarming smile, his decode-proof demeanor, his infectious charm, his eloquence and great oratorical skills, his ability to maintain his top gasket no matter the needling. In short, Barack Obama's personality is such that even his fiercest critics conceded that unique trait of his and are in agreement that he can never erupt, no matter the circumstance. 

Barack Obama is unlike the two black candidates, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, whose deep seated anger has repeatedly erupted on national television to the chagrin of the American people, who unfortunately will not be comfortable with having any of such irascible fella in their White House. Cory Booker bared his fangs with his Spartacus moment and Senator Kamala Harris displayed her temper also during the Judge Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing. Kamala also did herself in by comparing ICE officials to KKK and most recently during her spar with Joe Biden on busing of school children. Both candidates have shown their hands and American people are scared of them; and will avoid having them as president just as much as people avoids a leper. Simply put, both candidates are too risky a proposition, to even contemplate putting in the White House. 

ICHEOKU says both candidates are too brash, too angry, too rash, too cocky, too anti White people to be president. They both nurse deep seated rage against White people, that if given the opportunity, will possibly call for their pound of flesh. White people are afraid of suffering repercussions for what happened in their history with black people and will always guard against that possibility. Barack Obama conned them up to the point that they became assured on his harmlessness and thus comfortable with him, elected him president. But with Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, they are so scared of them to the point of even being repulsed by them, such that they will first elect a dead Harriet Tubman president, before looking at the two. 

The two candidates, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, blew their cover so early in the game, that winning back the confidence and trust of the white people will not be easy, if ever. People everywhere are about protecting themselves and their interests; and white people will not just lay down prostrate or let their guards down and tempt fate by allowing any of the two candidates get into the White House. As a result, their  presidential bid is as good as a lost cause, dead on arrival; because neither of them will win the Democratic Party's nomination and if it magically happens, Cory or Kamala will not win the presidential election in November 3rd, 2020. 

Both candidates are just too angry to be trusted with the office of the president. White Americans are not comfortable with them nor ready to entertain the idea that they will not take vengeance against them by formulating anti white people's policies that will affect them adversely. Unfortunately, anger alone is not enough nor sufficient to win an election. A matter made worse for this duo because White people are still the majority in America and without their accepting, approving and supporting a candidate, such a candidate might as well be on a frolic of his or her own, wandering in the laland of a wishful presidency in their dream, but definitely not in the White House. 

ICHEOKU says only Barack Obama could pull if off and he did twice pull it off. Unfortunately, neither Kamala Harris nor Cory Booker is a Barack Obama and their current effort will end up only in aspiration, but definitely not in realization of the presidency. The other bad news for the two "angry birds" candidates is that there is nothing they can do at this stage to repair the damage to their reputation which they brought unto themselves, having been recognized as two angry, white-hating, black candidates. Such reputation or notoriety is like a stigma, once it sticks, it does not easily get wished away. Were ICHEOKU to be advising either candidates, will encourage them to wind down their operations and cut their losses asap, because their road to the White House is blocked with insurmountable obstacles - their anger and their anti white people's deeply rooted passion are both a no no for any person aspiring for the White House. Simply put, their presidential bid is toast, a typical example of failure to launch. 

THE NEW FACE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

ICHEOKU says American people will remember when it matters most, come November 3rd, 2020, who the Democratic Party have ceded the control of their party to. SAD. Simply put, too radical and too left to be trusted with power.

ROSS PEROT: DEAD AT 89, RIP.

ICHEOKU says he was a billionaire politician and founder of the Reform Party, the first maverick to go up against the two political party establishment, running for president first as an independent in 1992 and later as a third party candidate in 1996. But where he failed, another billionaire politician, Donald John Trump, succeeded twenty years later, by using one of the political party as his platform, unlike Ross who wanted nothing to do with either party. 

Ross Perot was indeed an American icon, who founded EDS and once quipped: "Born in Texas, bred in Texas and when I die, it shall also read dead in Texas." He loved his State of Texas so much and unapologetically too. He also loved life and he lived it fully well, with great passion for dancing. Ross Perot died of old age infirmities and complications of leukemia; he was 89 years old. May his soul now rest. Adieu Perot.

United Kingdom AMBASSADOR TO THE USA: RECALL AND REPLACE HIM NOW.

ICHEOKU says the British government must be unequivocally read the riot act, either they recall their renegade ambassador to the United States of America for acts considered hostile to his host government or the United States of America government should revoke his diplomatic credentials and have him thrown out of America forthwith. There is no justification to be that critical of a president of America, regardless; moreso President Donald John Trump is not the president of Britain nor does America take their Queen to shredders. It also does not matter what informed his opinion, there are certain things that are beyond such acidic relationship-tearing outburst. 

Who is the ambassador to stay on United States of American soil and insult a duly elected president of America. Such an affront must be confronted head-on, otherwise other countries will follow suit in chastising an American president. Such behavior or rather misbehavior is simply a no, no and must not be tolerated nor condoned. Therefore Theresa May must be given a forty eight hours within which to recall her ambassador or have him thrown out and sent back to her. Either way, Ambassador Darroch must leave the United States of America for having irreparably broken the trust and confidence necessarily required for a good working relationship between the two countries, no negotiations on this matter required or needed because none is acceptable. 

ICHEOKU says does not even know if the ambassador is Chinese or North Korean, from his name; but the joke is on Kim Darroch and he should be declared a persona non grata immediately and expelled from America, never to come back as long as the two terms of President Donald John Trump shall last. The ambassador is part of the anti Trump world order which never wanted Trump to become president. Also, at this juncture of not having a good friendly relationship with 10 Downing Street, declassifying the Steele Dossier or threat of it, will be a good play. The British government has been hostile to President Donald John Trump and was part of the grand conspiracy to stop his election as president of the United States of America. ICHEOKU says the ambassador is out of his mind in  committing such a diplomatic faux passe, especially for a country with special relationship with America. What a goof ball.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN: THE BILLIONAIRE PEDOPHILIA.

ICHEOKU says when money is not the problem and he has more than he knew what to do with and diverted some of it into sexual pervasion of the worse kind; molesting underage children and paying them pittance in return. He is a maniacally possessed sex predator  who prefers to prey on young easily impressionable girls; and if the account of one his victims is believable, she alone supplied him with 75 underage girls for his addictive sexual fetish with children. 

He is a 66 year old New York billionaire with a net worth of $2 billion, no wife and no children, two private jets at his beck and call, as well as a network of six homes including a private personal island where he often stages the grand finale of his ultimate orgy. In addition, he has a callous impetus to mess up other peoples children and he succeeded at it as well. Now, indicted for sexual trafficking, abuse and running a sex operation ring with minors, billionaire Jeffrey Epstein will be facing a long prison sentence if convicted. 

What a way to live life without any family strings attached, no wife, no children and no relatives; and you wonder if he had children and they are girls, how would he feel to learn that they were abused by a man old enough to be their grandfather. But it is a cruel predatory world out there and people always do what they do to take advantage of the next person, believing that they would get away with it and he almost did with the unbelievable sweetheart deal he got in Florida but which the Souther District of New York said no, not under their watch. 

Like Harvey Weinstein and Anthony Weiner before him, Jeffrey Epstein is yet another Jew, caught, testing the elasticity of what he can get away before being caught; and trust the American law enforcement, he did not escape from being held accountable. It is very sad what he nearly got away with; an absolutely unimaginable sweetheart deal.

BIDEN 2020: WHO IS DOING THIS TO JOE, NOT FAIR.

ICHEOKU says if Joe Biden was a grandfather, would beg and plead with him to call if off. The race is taking too much toll on our dearly beloved Joey from Scranton and people who love him should pressure him to withdraw from the grueling endeavor and retire in peace. 

The presidency is not worth the torture and not for an old grandpa who has been in Washington DC for nearly 50 years. ICHEOKU says what is it exactly that old Joe wants to do now which the past 47 years did not let him do. Please Joe, rethink your decision to run for president at your very advanced age; not good for his overall health, mentally, psychologically and physically.

'C'MON MAN' JOE BIDEN: THE INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS CUOMO.

ICHEOKU says watching Joe Biden's interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo would make one wonder whether the eight years of Obama/Biden time in the White House never happened. He denied complicity in nearly everything and pretended as if everything he complained about that was wrong with government and which are afflicting American people as well as the world at large were not there when they both, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, were in the presidency, piloting the affairs of the nation and peradventure, the world. 

President Donald John Trump did not manufacture those problems but inherited them from Obama/BIden government and just trying his best effort to fix them, solve them or ameliorate them. From North Korea to China to NATO to Europe to Vladimir Putin, who Joe Biden said in the interview was corrupting democracies around the world, meddling in America's election, Britain, Poland, Georgia, Ukraine and Syria, as well as the greater Middle East; all predated the current Trump's government. Joe Biden failed to mention that all the Russian meddling, including in the 2016 America's election happened under his and Obama's watch; and that Putin has not meddled with anything since President Donald John Trump came into office. It is also noteworthy that the Obama/Biden government refused to build the anti missile defense shield in Poland and also refused to sell to Ukraine lethal weapons with which to push back at the Russians, possibly out of fear and deference to Vladimir Putin. 

But suddenly, look who is talking "tough" now, when he couldn't be that "tough" when it mattered most and now pretending that he is the one we have been waiting for, as the second best thing to happen to America since the sliced bread. ICHEOKU says if Joe Biden in fact knew what he is talking about now, why did he not implement them when he was Vice President or at least persuade his boss Barack Obama to implement them, while their government lasted? But no, he waited until their eight years in the White House was fretted away, to now pontificate on a no brainier nonsense nothingness. It was also under Obama/Biden government that China stopped respecting American presidency and the disrespect was such that on one of Obama's stopover in China for a conference, the Chinese government refused to bring a step for Obama to climb down from Air Force One forcing Obama to use a back stairways to climb down. 

The South China sea Island was reclaimed under Obama/Biden and Ukrainian Crimea was also forcibly annexed by Russia as Joe Biden and Barack Obama stood watching. But now, he has morphed into a John Wayne and Spiderman all in one and talking as if he never had the opportunity to do as he is now boastfully chastising the president. And speaking of the Chinese and Chris Cuomo failed or deliberately refused to ask Joe Biden about his son Hunter Biden's sweetheart deals from a Chinese company; ditto the Ukrainians. 

Joe Biden also spoke about NATO but failed to own up that under Obama/Biden government, NATO had a free reign on America treasury and were not paying their fair share of funds necessarily needed for the upkeep of the organization. But instead of giving President Donald John Trump credit for revamping NATO, Joe Biden was busy being the politician which he is, trying to split hairs in a failed attempt to rubbish the great work which the president did in repositioning NATO and increasing its liquidity. Joe Biden also refused to apologize for his wrong position on busing of school children and rebuffed the several opportunities extended to him to make that wrong right. Whether it was a result of his being arrogant or incapable of understanding the need to put that chapter behind him, ICHEOKU does not know; but says what an opportunity missed. 

What Joe Biden meant by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being merely a winner of a primary and not an election winner, needs further clarification because not only did the Congresswoman from New York win the primary, but she also won the main election, the reason she is in the Congress today. But Joe Biden would rather belittle her great accomplishment by suggesting that she is an ordinary political paperweight who does not control nor have any influence in the Democratic Party. ICHEOKU says may be the grand ole boys and girls who own and run the Democratic Party have decided that it was about time the Congresswoman from New York is kneecapped. Possibly, things are about to get ugly in the Democratic Party, in a dog eats dog night of long knives fight, to finally finish off themselves in their war over ideological divide and generational leadership gap, which is brewing in the party. 

AOC must therefore prove to Joe Biden that she is the new deal; that Joe Biden belongs in the past; that his time has now gone and that the future of the Democratic Party belongs to her generation. She must take up the challenge thrown by Joe Biden's dismissal, by endorsing a new generation candidate and mount a fierce battle to humiliate Joe Biden out of clinching the party's presidential nomination. 

Joe Biden was also conceited about the economy and refused to acknowledge that the policy change from his Obama/Biden inept government was the reason for the current economic boom, as all the Obama/Biden strangulating regulations on business have been removed, business freed to do what they do best, create jobs. 

From his reaction on Kamala Harris attack during their debate, it seems that he was expecting Bernie Sanders and other male candidates to attack him, but not a woman, especially when that woman is a black woman, who happens to know him and his son Bo; when he served a black president Barack Obama as Vice President. His thinking might be, since he has suffered the humiliation of serving under a black president, every black person in America now owes him big time and must line up behind his presidential quest, having earned his black bona fides by agreeing to serve under a black president. 

ICHEOKU says Joe Biden repeatedly made references to Trump being a bully, which forces the question, who is really the bully between the two men. This is a man who regularly invaded women's space, sniffed their hair, touched and kissed them without their consent and against their will. This is a man who wouldn't apologize and has refused to apologize to the many he has offended, including these women-victims of his unwanted touchy-feely, those school children who his action denied busing to better performing schools. In fact, Joe Biden sounds off as a bully himself, having repeatedly stated how he taunted and smacked people on the mouth during his school years. 

The questions remains, if Joe Biden chickened out and failed to run against Hillary Clinton in 2016; couldn't defeat Barack Obama in 2012 primaries and instead was settled with a consolatory prize of a Vice President; now couldn't stand up to Kamala Harris, how does anyone, especially the Democratic Party voters, find comfort that such a wimp could stand the unabashed, no holds bare, fearsome awesome political guru that is President Donald John Trump, who fires from all cylinders, shooting first and then asking questions later. Probably, Joe Biden is just running his mouth as weaklings always do; because he knows down the bottom of his heart that he stands zero chance whatsoever in a brawl with President Donald John Trump, both then and now; and if he is in doubt, he should ask Vince McMahon of his encounter with the Donald on WWE. 

ICHEOKU says Joe Biden knows that China did not get to where they are presently within just the last two years of the Trump's presidency. They used the period when Obama and Biden were in charge of affairs to build up their economic and technological holdings, including their 5G Network. So who is really to blame for the Chinese audacity other than the two men who chaperoned America for 8 long years while China was pulling off from its leash, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. 

ICHEOKU says a man who speaks from both sides of his mouth and who readily changes his positions admitted to Chris Cuomo that the Democratic Party's presidential debate should focus on futuristic things and not things that are past. However, he forgot to add that the futuristic aspiration should appertain to everything, including a futuristic candidate; but not a man who has been in Washington DC for 47 long years and definitely belong in the past which he is urging the debate to avoid. So, why would anybody listen to Joe Biden canvassing for a forward looking debate, but silent on a forward looking candidate and when his candidacy itself is from the ancient world, a nostalgic blast from the past. 

The other shocker in the interview was his constant "c'mon man" refrain to every attempted push back by Chris Cuomo. It was rather strange, his repetition of "C"MON MAN". It later became obvious why he did it as he wanted to sound hip, aware that he is out of touch and no longer belongs in today's world. Joe Biden laboriously tried to sound as if he belongs in this era's politics; and you wonder what somebody who first got elected to Washington DC in 1972, is still doing in politics 47 years later. 

Overall, the interview was revealing and showcased the real Joe Biden, the un-salvageable political sea-wreck which he is; and not the packaged Joe Biden which his minders would rather have and shamelessly trying to convince American people is the Joe Biden they should vote for. As you know, things could sometimes get crazy in life, but with Joe Biden, he is craziness personified. The interview unmasked him, the reason voices were heard from across the room shouting at Chris Cuomo to end the interview to stop the bleeding. Kudos to Chris Cuomo for snagging the interview and for his attempted push back on some issues; admitted that what was left unasked were plentiful. 

FIFA WOMEN'S World Cup FRANCE 2019 FINALS: TEAM USA WINS CHAMPIONSHIP.

ICHEOKU says congratulations to the ladies of soccer, American ambassadors of the round leather game, called football in some countries, while in the United States of America, it is called soccer. They were brilliant in the field and deservedly earned the trophy, beating Netherlands 2:0 to win the championship. Way to go gals. Congratulations. 

SALUTE TO AMERICA EVENT: A GREAT SUCCESS.

ICHEOKU says a success story well organized and American people responded to show their love both to their country and their beloved President Donald John Trump. Happy 4th America.

SALUTE TO AMERICA: THE 4TH OF JULY SPEECH AT LINCOLN MEMORIAL.

"Hello, America. Hello. The First Lady and I wish each and every one of you a Happy Independence Day on this truly historic Fourth of July! Today, we come together as one nation with this very special Salute to America. We celebrate our history, our people, and the heroes who proudly defend our flag -- the brave men and women of the United States Military. 

We are pleased to have with us Vice President Mike Pence and his wonderful wife Karen. We are also joined by many hardworking members of Congress; Acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and many other members of my Cabinet; and also the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford. Thank you. 

Thank you. Thank you. Lieutenant General Daniel Hokanson of the National Guard and distinguished leaders representing each branch of the United States Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, and, very soon, the Space Force. As we gather this evening in the joy of freedom, we remember that we all share a truly extraordinary heritage. 

Together, we are part of one of the greatest stories ever told: the story of America. It is the epic tale of a great nation whose people have risked everything for what they know is right and what they know is true. It is the chronicle of brave citizens who never give up on the dream of a better and brighter future. 

And it is the saga of thirteen separate colonies that united to form the most just and virtuous republic ever conceived. On this day, 243 years ago, our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to declare independence and defend our God-given rights. Thomas Jefferson wrote the words that forever changed the course of humanity: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." With a single sheet of parchment and 56 signatures, America began the greatest political journey in human history. 

But on that day, the patriots who would determine the ultimate success of the struggle were a hundred miles away in New York. There, the Continental Army prepared to make its stand, commanded by the beloved General George Washington. As the delegates debated the Declaration in Philadelphia, Washington's army watched from Manhattan as a massive British invading fleet loomed dangerously across New York harbor. 

The British had come to crush the revolution in its infancy. Washington's message to his troops laid bare the stakes. He wrote: "The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army…We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die." Days later, General Washington ordered the Declaration read aloud to the troops. 

The assembled soldiers just joined an excited crowd running down Broadway. They toppled a statue of King George and melted it into bullets for battle. The faraway King would soon learn a timeless lesson about the people of this majestic land: Americans love our freedom and no one will ever take it away from us. [Audience Chants "USA."] That same American spirit that emboldened our founders has kept us strong throughout our history. 

To this day, that spirit runs through the veins of every American patriot. It lives on in each and every one of you here today. It is the spirit of daring and defiance, excellence and adventure, courage and confidence, loyalty and love that built this country into the most exceptional nation in the history of the world, and our nation is stronger today than it ever was before. 

It is its strongest now. [Audience Chants "USA."] That same righteous American spirit forged our glorious Constitution. That rugged American character led the legendary explorers, Lewis and Clark, on their perilous expedition across an untamed continent. It drove others to journey West and stake out their claim on the wild frontier. 

Devotion to our founding ideals led American patriots to abolish the evil of slavery, secure civil rights, and expand the blessings of liberty to all Americans. This is the noble purpose that inspired Abraham Lincoln to rededicate our nation to a new birth of freedom, and to resolve that we will always have a government of, by, and for the people. 

Our quest for greatness unleashed a culture of discovery that led Thomas Edison to imagine his lightbulb, Alexander Graham Bell to create the telephone, the Wright Brothers to look to the sky and see the next great frontier. For Americans, nothing is impossible. Exactly 50 years ago this month, the world watched in awe as Apollo 11 astronauts launched into space with a wake of fire and nerves of steel, and planted our great American flag on the face of the moon. 

Half a century later, we are thrilled to have here tonight the famed NASA Flight Director who led Mission Control during that historic endeavor: the renowned Gene Kranz. Gene, I want you to know that we are going to be back on the moon very soon. And someday soon, we will plant the American flag on Mars. 

It's happening, Gene. It's happening. Our nation's creativity and genius lit up the lights of Broadway and the sound-stages of Hollywood. It filled the concert halls and airwaves around the world with the sound of jazz, opera, country, rock and roll, and rhythm and blues. It gave birth to the musical, the motion picture, the Western, the World Series, the Super Bowl, the skyscraper, the suspension bridge, the assembly line, and the mighty American automobile. 

It led our citizens to push the bounds of medicine and science to save the lives of millions. Here with us this evening is Dr. Emmanuel Freireich. When Emmanuel began his work, 99 percent of children with leukemia died. Thanks largely to Dr. Freireich's breakthrough treatments, currently 90 percent of those with the most common childhood leukemias survive. 

Doctor, you are a great American hero. Thank you. Americans always take care of each other. That love and unity held together the first pilgrims, it forged communities on the Great Plains, it inspired Clara Barton to found the Red Cross, and it keeps our nation thriving today. Here tonight from the Florida panhandle is Tina Belcher. 

Her selfless generosity over 3 decades has made her known to all as "Mrs. Angel." Every time a hurricane strikes, Mrs. Angel turns her tiny kitchen into a disaster relief center. On a single day after Hurricane Michael, she gave 476 people a warm meal. Mrs. Angel, your boundless heart inspires us all. Thank you. 

Thank you. Thank you very much. From our earliest days, Americans of faith have uplifted our nation. This evening, we are joined by Sister Deirdre Byrne. Sister Byrne is a retired Army surgeon who served for nearly 30 years. On September 11th, 2001, the sister raced to Ground Zero. Through smoke and debris, she administered first aid and comfort to all. 

Today, Sister Byrne runs a medical clinic serving the poor in our nation's capital. Sister, thank you for your lifetime of service. Thank you. Our nation has always honored the heroes who serve our communities: the firefighters, first responders, police, sheriffs, ICE, Border Patrol, and all of the brave men and women of law enforcement. 

On this July 4th, we pay special tribute to the military service members who laid down their lives for our nation. We are deeply moved to be in the presence this evening of Gold Star families whose loved ones made the supreme sacrifice. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Throughout our history, our country has been made ever greater by citizens who risked it all for equality and justice. 

100 years ago this summer, the women's suffrage movement led Congress to pass the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. In 1960, a thirst for justice led African American students to sit down at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was one of the very first civil rights sit-ins and it started a movement all across our nation. 

Clarence Henderson was 18-years-old when he took his place in history. Almost six decades later, he is here tonight in a seat of honor. Clarence, thank you for making this country a much better place for all Americans. In 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., stood here on these very steps and called on our nation to live out the "true meaning of its creed," and "let freedom ring" for every citizen all across our land. 

America's fearless resolve has inspired heroes who defined our national character -- from George Washington, John Adams, and Betsy Ross, to Douglass -- you know, Fredrick Douglass -- the great Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Jackie Robinson, and, of course, John Glenn. 

It has willed our warriors up mountains and across minefields. It has liberated continents, split the atom, and brought tyrants and empires to their knees. Here with us this evening is Earl Morse. After retiring from the Air Force, Earl worked at a VA hospital in Ohio. Earl found that many World War Two veterans could not afford to visit their memorial on the National Mall. 

So Earl began the very first "Honor Flights," that have now brought over 200,000 World War Two heroes to visit America's monument. Earl, thank you. We salute you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Earl. Thank you. Our warriors form a hallowed roll call of American patriots, running all the way back to the first souls who fought and won American independence. 

Today, just as it did 243 years ago, the future of American freedom rests on the shoulders of men and women willing to defend it. We are proudly joined tonight by heroes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, including three recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Thank you. Thank you. They, and thousands before us, served with immense distinction, and they loved every minute of that service. 

To young Americans across our country, now is your chance to join our military and make a truly great statement in life. And you should do it. We will now begin our celebration of the United States Armed Forces, honoring each branch's unique culture, rich history, service song, and distinct legacy. I invite Acting Secretary -- please -- Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense; and Chairman Dunford, Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- please join me. In August of 1790, by request of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, Congress established a fleet of ten swift vessels to defend our shores. 

These Revenue Cutters would fight pirates, stop smugglers, and safeguard our borders. They are the ancestors of our faithful Coast Guard. When our ships were seized and sailors kidnapped by foreign powers in 1812, it was a Revenue Cutter -- the swift schooner Thomas Jefferson -- that swept in to capture the first British vessel of the war. 

In 1897, when 265 whalers were trapped in ice -- and the ice fields of Alaska were closing up -- courageous officers trekked fifteen hundred miles through the frozen frontier to rescue those starving men from a certain death. In 1942, the Coast Guard manned landing craft for invasions in the Pacific. When the enemy attacked U.S. Marines from the shores of Guadalcanal, Coast Guard Signalman First Class Douglas Munro used his own boat to shield his comrades from pounding gunfire. 

Munro gave his life; hundreds of Marines were saved. As he lay dying on the deck, his final question embodied devotion that sails with every Coast Guardsman: "Did they get off?" On D-Day, the Coast Guard's famous Matchbox Fleet served valiantly through every hour of the greatest amphibious invasion in the history of our country. 

One coxswain said "the water boiled with bullets like a mud puddle in a hailstorm," but still the Coast Guard braved death to put our boys on Utah and Omaha beaches. Every Coast Guardsman is trusted to put service before all. Coasties plunge from helicopters, and barrel through pouring rain and crashing waves to save American lives. 

They secure our borders from drug runners and terrorists. In rough seas, at high speeds, their sharpshooters take out smugglers' engines with a single shot. They never miss. When the red racing stripes of a Coast Guard vessel break the horizon, when their chopper blades pierce the sky, those in distress know that the help is on their way, and our enemies know their time has come. 

These guardians of our waters stand, Semper Paratus. They are always ready. They are the United States Coast Guard. Representing the Coast Guard today, you will soon see an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter based at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, along with an HH-65 Dolphin from Air Station Atlantic City, and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry from Air Station Miami. [Planes fly overhead, "Semper Paratus" is played. 

Thank you. Thank you to the Coast Guard. On a cold December morning in 1903, a miracle occurred over the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, when two bicycle makers from Ohio defied gravity with a 12 horsepower engine, wings made of cotton, and just a few dollars in their pockets. 

Just six years later, America was training its first pilots to take these magnificent machines up and over the field of battle. In World War One, our flyboys rushed the skies of Europe, and aces like Eddie Rickenbacker filled hearts and headlines with tales of daring duels in the clouds. General Billy Mitchell saw the promise of this technology, and risked court martial in his quest for an independent air force. 

He was proven right when empires across the oceans tried to carve up the world for themselves, and America stood in the way. We wouldn't let it happen. After Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle and his raiders flew B-25 bombers off a carrier deck in the deep Pacific in a daring feat of American resolve. 

And, as President Roosevelt said, the Nazis built a fortress around Europe, "but forgot to put a roof on it." So we crushed them all from the air. One hundred and seventy-seven Liberator Bombers flew dangerously low, through broad daylight without fighter protection, to cripple the Nazi war machine at Ploiești. More than 300 airmen gave their lives to destroy the enemy oil refineries. 

And five pilots were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their actions in that single raid. It was airman Chuck Yeager who first broke the sound barrier. It was airmen like Gus Grissom and Buzz Aldrin, who traded their Sabre jets for rockets to the stars. And it is our incredible airmen today who wield the most powerful weapons systems on the planet Earth. 

For over 65 years, no enemy air force has managed to kill a single American soldier because the skies belong to the United States of America. No enemy has attacked our people without being met by a roar of thunder, and the awesome might of those who bid farewell to Earth, and soar into the wild blue yonder. 

They are the United States Air Force. Representing the Air Force you will soon see beautiful, brand new F-22 Raptors from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- and one magnificent B-2 Stealth Bomber from Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri. [Planes fly overhead, "The U.S. Air Force" is played. 

What a great country. In October of 1775, the Continental Congress ordered the construction of two swift-sailing vessels, each carrying 10 cannons and 80 men, to sail eastward. Our young fleet tested their sea legs against the most powerful navy the world had ever seen. John Paul Jones, America's first great naval hero, said: "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." He got his wish many times when his ship was shot into pieces off the coast of England by a British vessel and her four dozen guns. 

When demanded to surrender, Jones very famously declared "I have not yet begun to fight!" When our Navy begins fighting, they finish the job. The War of 1812: Captain James Lawrence fell with his brothers on USS Chesapeake. His dying command gained immortality, "Don't give up the ship." In the Battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral David Farragut lashed himself to the rigging of his flagship to see beyond the cannon smoke, crying, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." In World War Two, it was aviators launched from the carrier Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown who filled the skies of Midway and turned the tide of the Pacific War. 

Nobody could beat us. Nobody could come close. On D-Day, Seabee engineers came ashore to destroy blockades and barriers, making way for the invasion. Many lost their lives, but they took the German defenses with them, and our men crushed upon the beaches like a mighty storm. From the Naval demolition units of World War Two arose a force that became famous in the Mekong Delta. 

They don't want to see our force again. The very best of the very best: the Navy SEALs. It was the SEALs who delivered vengeance on the terrorist who planned the September 11th attack on our homeland. It was the SEALs who stand ready to bring righteous retribution -- in mountain, jungle, desert -- to those who do us harm. 

America's sailors are not born. They are forged by the sea. Their traditions are rich with the salt and blood of three centuries. When Old Glory crests the waves of foreign shores, every friend and every foe knows that justice sails those waters. It sails with the United States Navy. Representing our great Navy today will be two F-18 Super Hornets from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, along with two F-35 Lightning's from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. [Planes fly overhead, 'Anchors Aweigh' is played. 

So great. In November of 1775, the Continental Congress created two battalions of a new kind of warrior -- one who kept and would protect our ships and sailors, and be at home both ashore and in the mast, with musket in hand. Their versatility was proven in the War of Independence, when 234 Continental Marines conducted their first amphibious raid, capturing the British supply of gunpowder and cannons at Fort Nassau. 

Ever since, Marines have fought in every American war. Their legend has grown and grown and grown with each passing year. It was the Marines who won America's first overseas battle, vanquishing Barbary pirates on the shores of Tripoli. Their high, stiff collar, which shielded them from the pirates' sword, earned them the immortal name: Leatherneck. 

It was the Marines who, after two long days of battle, marched through the Halls of Montezuma. It was the Marines who took heavy casualties to kick the Kaiser's troops out of Belleau Wood in World War One, earning the title "Devil Dogs." And it was the Marines who raised the flag on the black sands of Iwo Jima. 

From the Chosin Reservoir to Khe Sanh, from Helmand to Baghdad, Marines have struck fear into the hearts of our enemies and put solace into the hearts of our friends. Marines always lead the way. After the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, which claimed the lives of 241 great U.S. servicemen, Marine Sergeant Jeffrey Nashton lay in bandages -- so badly wounded, barely alive. 

When the Commandant of the Marine Corps came to visit his hospital, Sergeant Nashton had to feel the General's collar; he wanted to feel his four stars. He could not see and he could not speak. He signaled for pen and paper, and with shaking hand he wrote two words: Semper Fi. That motto, Semper Fidelis -- "Always Faithful" -- burns in the soul of every Marine, a sacred promise the Corps has kept since the birth of our country. 

They are the elite masters of air and land and sea, on battlefields across the globe. They are the United States Marines. Representing the Marine Corps today will be a brand new VH-92, soon to serve as Marine One -- along with two V-22 Ospreys from the famed HMX-1 helicopter squadron at Quantico, the "Nighthawks." [Planes fly overhead, "Marines' Hymn" is played. 

In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified army out of the revolutionary forces encamped around Boston and New York, and named after the great George Washington, Commander-in-Chief. 

The Continental Army suffered the bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware, and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. Our Army manned the [Inaudible] -- it manned the ramparts. It took over the airports. It did everything it had to do. And at Fort McHenry, under the rockets' red glare, it had nothing but victory. 

And when dawn came, their Star Spangled Banner waved defiant. At Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg, our soldiers gave the last full measure of devotion for the true unity of our nation and the freedom of all Americans. In the trenches of World War One, an Army Sergeant named Alvin York faced an inferno of enemy fire and refused to retreat. 

He said, "I won't leave. I won't stop." He shot his rifle 18 times, killing 18 of the enemy. When they fixed bayonets and charged, he killed seven more. The entire German machine gun battalion surrendered because of one man, Alvin York. A generation later, the Army returned to Europe, and embarked upon a great crusade. 

With knives and rifles in hand, the Rangers scaled the cliffs of Normandy. The 101st Airborne leapt into the danger from above, illuminated only by enemy flares, explosions, and burning aircraft. They threw back the Nazi empire with lightning of their own, from the turrets of Sherman tanks and the barrels of the M1 rifle. 

In the darkness of the Battle of the Bulge, with Nazis on every side, one soldier is reported to have said: "They've got us surrounded again, the poor bastards." Outnumbered, American warriors fought through the bunkers of Pork Chop Hill and held the line of civilization in Korea. In the elephant grass of Vietnam, the First Cavalry made its stand amid a forest consumed in flame, with enemies at every single turn. 

The Army brought America's righteous fury down to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and cleared the bloodthirsty killers from their caves. They liberated Fallujah and Mosul, and helped liberate and obliterate the ISIS caliphate, just recently, in Syria. One hundred percent gone. 

Through the centuries, our soldiers have always pointed towards home, proclaiming, "This We'll Defend." They live by the creed of Douglas MacArthur: "In war, there is no substitute for victory." They are the greatest soldiers on Earth. [Planes fly overhead, "The Army Goes Rolling Along" is played. 

Nearly 250 years ago, a volunteer army of farmers and shopkeepers, blacksmiths, merchants, and militiamen risked life and limb to secure American liberty and self-government. This evening, we have witnessed the noble might of the warriors who continue that legacy. 

They guard our birthright with vigilance and fierce devotion to the flag and to our great country. Now we must go forward as a nation with that same unity of purpose. As long as we stay true to our cause, as long as we remember our great history, as long as we never ever stop fighting for a better future, then there will be nothing that America cannot do. [Audience Chants "USA." Thank you. 

We will always be the people who defeated a tyrant, crossed a continent, harnessed science, took to the skies, and soared into the heavens because we will never forget that we are Americans and the future belongs to us. The future belongs to the brave, the strong, the proud, and the free. We are one people, chasing one dream, and one magnificent destiny. 

We all share the same heroes, the same home, the same heart, and we are all made by the same Almighty God. And from the banks of the Chesapeake to the cliffs of California, from the humming shores of the Great Lakes to the sand dunes of the Carolinas, from the fields of the Heartland to the everglades of Florida, the spirit of American independence will never fade, never fail, but will reign forever and ever and ever. 

So once more, to every citizen throughout our land: Have a glorious Independence Day. Have a great Fourth of July. I want to thank the Army Band, the National Park Service, the Interior Department, the incredible pilots overhead, and those who are making possible the amazing fireworks display later this evening. 

Now, as the band plays "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," I invite the First Lady, Vice President and Mrs. Pence, the Service Secretaries and military leaders to join me onstage for one more salute to America by the famous, incredible, talented Blue Angels. God bless you. God bless the military. And God bless America. Happy Fourth of July."