Remarks
by President Trump to the People of Poland | July 6, 2017
Krasiński Square, Warsaw, Poland 1:16 P.M. CEST
MRS. TRUMP: Hello, Poland! Thank
you very much. My husband and I have enjoyed visiting your beautiful
country…. [She has good words for Poland’s
President and First Lady.]
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much.
That's so nice. The United States has many great diplomats, but there is truly no better ambassador for our
country than our beautiful First Lady, Melania. Thank you, Melania.
That was very nice. (Applause.)
We've come to your nation to deliver a very
important message: America loves Poland, and America loves the Polish
people. (Applause.) Thank you.
The Poles have not only greatly enriched
this region, but Polish-Americans have also greatly enriched the United States,
and I was truly proud to have their support in the 2016 election.
(Applause.) [[ED: So he
credits Poland, not Russia, for helping win.]]
It is a profound honor to stand in this
city, by this monument to the Warsaw Uprising, and to address the Polish nation
that so many generations have dreamed of: a Poland that is safe, strong,
and free. [Much of his talk
recounts the amazing history of the RESISTANCE.]
… We
are also pleased that former
President Leck Walesa, so famous for leading the Solidarity Movement,
has joined us today, also. … Mr. President, I congratulate you, along
with the President of Croatia, on your leadership of this historic Three Seas Initiative.
Thank you. (Applause.) Your nation is great because your
spirit is great and your spirit is strong. (Applause.) For two
centuries, Poland suffered constant and brutal attacks. But while Poland
could be invaded and occupied, and its borders even erased from the map, it
could never be erased from history or from your hearts. In those dark
days, you have lost your land but you never lost your pride.
(Applause.)
… The triumph of the Polish spirit over
centuries of hardship gives us all hope for a future in which good conquers
evil, and peace achieves victory over war.
For Americans, Poland has been a symbol of
hope since the beginning of our nation. Polish heroes and American
patriots fought side by side in our War of Independence and in many wars that
followed. Our soldiers still serve together today in Afghanistan and
Iraq, combatting the enemies of all civilization.
For America’s part, we have never given up
on freedom and independence as the right and destiny of the Polish people, and
we never, ever will. (Applause.)
…
[ED: He recounts the amazing
history of RESISTANCE. Watch the YouTube.]
Together, with Pope John Paul II, the Poles
reasserted their identity as a nation devoted to God. [“We Want GOD!” was the prayer/cry of a
million.]
This continent no longer confronts the
specter of communism. But today we’re in the West, and we have to say
there are dire threats to our security and to our way of life. You see
what’s happening out there. They are threats. We will confront
them. We will win. But they are threats. (Applause.) We
are confronted by another oppressive
ideology -- one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around
the globe. America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after
another. We’re going to get it to stop. (Applause.)
During
a historic gathering in Saudi Arabia, I called on the leaders of more than
50 Muslim nations to join together to drive out this menace which threatens
all of humanity. We must stand united against these shared enemies to
strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any
form of ideological support that they may have. While we will always
welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will
always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind. (Applause.) We
are fighting hard against radical Islamic terrorism, and we will prevail.
We cannot accept those who reject our values and who use hatred to
justify violence against the innocent.
Today, the West is also confronted by the
powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our
interests. To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial
crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete
effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields.
We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing
activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes --
including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of
responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of
civilization itself. (Applause.)
Finally, on both sides of the Atlantic, our
citizens are confronted by yet another danger -- one firmly within our control.
This danger is invisible to some but familiar to the Poles: the steady
creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the
people. The West became great not because of paperwork and regulations
but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their
destinies.
Americans, Poles, and the nations of Europe
value individual freedom and sovereignty. We must work
together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out,
from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values
and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are.
(Applause.) If left unchecked, these forces will undermine our
courage, sap our spirit, and weaken our will to defend ourselves and our
societies.
… We
reward brilliance. We strive for excellence, and cherish inspiring works
of art that honor God. We treasure the rule of law and protect the right
to free speech and free expression. (Applause.)
We empower women as pillars of our society
and of our success. We put faith and family, not government and
bureaucracy, at the center of our lives. And we debate everything.
We challenge everything. We seek to know everything so that we can
better know ourselves. (Applause.)
And above all, we value the dignity of every
human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every
soul to live in freedom. That is who we are. Those are the
priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies, and as a
civilization.
… PRESIDENT
TRUMP: As long as we know our history, we will know how to build our
future. Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and
independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests.
That is why my administration has demanded that all members of NATO
finally meet their full and fair financial obligation.
As a result of this insistence, billions of
dollars more have begun to pour into NATO. In fact, people are shocked.
But billions and billions of dollars more are coming in from countries
that, in my opinion, would not have been paying so quickly.
To those who would criticize our tough
stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely
with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment.
(Applause.)
… We
can have the largest economies and the most lethal weapons anywhere on Earth,
but if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak
and we will not survive. (Applause.) If anyone forgets the critical
importance of these things, let them come to one country that never has.
Let them come to Poland. (Applause.) And let them come here,
to Warsaw, and learn the story of the Warsaw Uprising.
The
Jerusalem Avenue passage required constant protection, repair, and
reinforcement, but the will of its defenders did not waver, even in the face of
death. …
Our own fight for the West does not begin on
the battlefield -- it begins with our minds, our wills, and our souls.
Today, the ties that unite our civilization are no less vital, and demand
no less defense, than that bare shred of land on which the hope of Poland once
totally rested. Our freedom, our civilization, and our survival depend on
these bonds of history, culture, and memory.
And today as ever, Poland is in our heart,
and its people are in that fight. (Applause.) Just as Poland could
not be broken, I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never,
ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive.
And our civilization will triumph. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Donald Trump! Donald
Trump! Donald Trump!
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you. So,
together, let us all fight like the Poles -- for family, for freedom,
for country, and for
God.
[This harkens back to “We Want GOD!”]
Thank you. God Bless You. God
bless the Polish people. God bless our allies. And God bless the
United States of America.
Thank you. God bless you. Thank
you very much. (Applause.) END
1:55 P.M. CEST
Click here for REAL News from www.Whitehouse.gov/the-press-office (transcript)
Interesting.... I'll study it more.
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