White House 1600 Daily: The next chapter for the CIA

Driving the Day

President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are traveling to the State Department for the formal swearing-in ceremony of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Gina Haspel is President Trump’s choice to succeed Pompeo as CIA Director. Watch live at 11 a.m. ET.

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The next chapter for the CIA

President Trump travels to the State Department this morning. After the Senate voted to confirm then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State last Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito swore Pompeo in, allowing him to begin work right away. Today, the President will preside over a formal ceremony to introduce Secretary Pompeo to America’s diplomatic corps. As CIA Director, Mike Pompeo had a distinguished record. In just 15 months, he provided invaluable leadership on intelligence efforts regarding Syrian chemical weapons, North Korean sanctions, and ISIS territorial holdings. To build on these successes, President Trump is calling on the Senate to confirm Gina Haspel, current acting Director, to take over the Agency on a permanent basis. “Gina Haspel is a patriot,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). “She will be first woman director of the CIA and the first operations officer as opposed to a political appointee or an analyst in the last 40 years.” Read more of the bipartisan praise for Gina Haspel as CIA Director.

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Video of the day: The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy

President Trump welcomed the Army Black Knights to the White House yesterday. The U.S. Military Academy’s college football team defeated both the Navy Midshipmen and the Air Force Falcons this season to claim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the first time in 21 years. “Thank you for your service—and go Army!” the President told the players. Watch highlights from the trophy presentation.

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Our immigration system invites inhumane results

This week, the “caravan” from Central America began arriving at the U.S. border. Vice President Pence traveled to El Centro Station in California Monday to address the situation with American Border Patrol officials. “We’re grateful to each and every one of you,” the Vice President said. This situation is a direct result of our weak immigration laws, President Trump said. “The truth is our immigration laws today are ineffective, and they invite inhumane results,” Vice President Pence explained in California. “We call on the Congress to close deadly immigration loopholes that are exploited by terrorists, traffickers, and criminals.” Read Vice President Pence’s full remarks on the caravan and see photos of his visit to the border.

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Photo of the Day

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