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President Donald Trump has shown time again how much he appreciates the men and women serving in the United States military, and a speech he gave to Marines last week was no different.

Trump delivered the message of gratitude Friday to the Marines of Helicopter Squadron One, the group that flies and maintains the presidential helicopter, Marine One, while on a visit to the Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Virginia.

“(F)or more than half a century, Marine Helicopter Squadron One has served as one of the most visible symbols of the presidency. Today, there are few sights more awe-inspiring than Marine One flying up the Potomac — true, incredible — past the Washington Monument and landing on the South Lawn of the White House,” he said, according to the White House.

“It’s an incredible privilege to take that flight,” he noted.

That kind of statement from the president, coming after the eight years of the Obama presidency, and a commander in chief who too often showed too little respect for the men and women in uniform under his command, had to shake up the military — and in the best way possible.

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Trump spoke at length about how much he appreciate the Marines who have cared for him and his family since he took office.

“A Marine is often the last person I see when leaving the White House and the first upon my return. Nothing is more reassuring,” he said. “And my pledge to you is that I will have your back just as you will always — and have always — had mine.”

The president also announced that he had recently signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized major investments in weapon systems, equipment, and “most importantly,” he said, in the servicemen and women themselves.

“I’m pleased to report this legislation also includes the largest pay raise you have received in more than eight years,” Trump told the group.

He also commended them for their role in fulfilling his campaign promise to “make America great again.”

“(W)e’re making America great again,” he said. “And it’s people like yourselves that are doing it. I am so impressed.”

He later tweeted about his visit, thanking the group for their “sacrifice and service” on behalf of the entire nation.

“I am honored to serve as your Commander-in-Chief,” he wrote.

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Today, it was my tremendous honor to visit Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) at the Marine Corps Air Facility in Quantico, Virginia.

I am honored to serve as your Commander-in-Chief. On behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for your sacrifice and service. We love you! http://pic.twitter.com/eLOTc7do52

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2017

The squadron felt a similar respect for the president, as they honored him with a hat from their group, which Trump said he would be “proud” to wear.

It’s great to see such mutual respect between the president and the brave men and women who protect him and our country. We’re glad to have a leader in the White House who is not afraid to let the military know how much they are appreciated.

Like and share this article on Facebook and Twitter if you agree with President Trump that the Marines who operate Marine One deserve our appreciation and gratitude.

What do you think about Trump’s message to this squadron? Scroll down to comment below!

President Donald Trump recently addressed law enforcement graduates at the FBI National Academy graduation in Quantico, Virginia, praising their efforts and lauding them as heroes.

During his heartfelt speech, he commented on the violent targeting of police officers that has been taking place since the Obama administration, saying that any time an officer is killed, it “fills our hearts with pain and with grief.”

“Every drop of blood spilled from our men and women in blue is a wound inflicted on our nation,” the president said. “And when a brother or sister in uniform is hurt, on that day, all of America bleeds blue.”

.@POTUS: “Every drop of blood spilled from our men and women in blue is a wound inflicted on our nation. And when a brother or sister in uniform is hurt, on that day, all of America bleeds blue.” http://pic.twitter.com/ZEUojSJt9d

— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) December 17, 2017

“I want to send a message today to those who threaten violence against our police: We will protect those who protect us, and we believe criminals who kill police officers should get the death penalty,” Trump said, according to the White House.

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The ceremony was held in honor of state, local and international law enforcement officers who had successfully completed the FBI’s National Academy — a rigorous program providing training in intelligence theory, terrorism and terrorist mindsets, management science, law, behavioral science, law enforcement communication, and forensic science, according to the program’s website.

“I am here not only to congratulate you, but to honor you for your courage and for your devotion,” Trump told the graduates. “And I want you to know that with me as your president, America’s police will have a true friend and loyal champion in the White House — more loyal than anyone else can be, I tell you.”

The president also addressed the families of the cops, thanking them for their “tremendous sacrifices.”

“American families can sleep soundly at night because of the burden that you carry for all of us,” he said. “So on behalf of all Americans, to every law enforcement family here today, and all across the nation: Thank you, thank you, thank you very much.”

He then pointed out why police officers are such special figures in American society, doing their job diligently, not for recognition, but because it needs to be done.

“It’s not a news story when our officers save a life, rescue a family, or stop a crime,” Trump said. “It’s just another day on the job. Yet, no matter the circumstances, you serve tirelessly, selflessly, and heroically. You do it because you really believe in doing your duty and doing it properly.

“Being a police officer is not just a career, it’s a calling,” he continued.

He asked that each graduate return home to their precincts and tell their fellow cops that the president has their backs “100 percent.”

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“You represent the best of America,” Trump concluded. “And you leave us with a debt we can never hope to repay.”

The president’s touching words were completely accurate, not to mention indicative of how much he truly loves our nation’s heroes and supports their efforts.

We’re proud to have a commander in chief willing to stand up for them and give them something to cheer about, again.

Like and share this article on Facebook and Twitter if you agree with President Trump’s heartfelt message to cops across the nation.

What did you think about the president’s message to our nation’s heroes? Scroll down to comment below!

Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration “derailed” a DEA operation targeting Hezbollah’s multi-million-dollar drug trafficking activities in Latin America to secure approval of the controversial Iran nuclear deal, reports Politico.

Iran’s narco-terrorist proxy Hezbollah is involved in a plethora of criminal activities in Latin America, ranging from money laundering to massive drug trafficking.

“This was a policy decision, it was a systematic decision,” David Asher, a veteran Pentagon illicit finance expert deployed to combat the alleged Hezbollah criminal enterprise, told Politico, referring to the DEA operation, dubbed Project Cassandra. “They [Obama administration] serially ripped apart this entire effort that was very well supported and resourced, and it was done from the top down.”

For years, the U.S. military has been sounding the alarm on the threat against the United States posed by the presence of Iran and Hezbollah in America’s backyard — Latin America.

However, the Obama administration argued that Iran’s influence in the Western Hemisphere was “waning,” reported the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’ watchdog arm, in late September 2014, months before world powers and Iran approved the nuclear deal in July 2015.

Politico now reports:

In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was funneling cocaine into the United States, according to a POLITICO investigation.

The campaign, dubbed Project Cassandra, was launched in 2008 after the Drug Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities.

Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC), the chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, chastised the Obama administration for undermining the DEA operation.

In a statement, Pittenger, the vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, declared:

The nexus between terrorists organizations, including Hezbollah, and Latin American drug cartels is a subversive alliance which provides hundreds of millions of dollars to global jihad. “The witnesses providing account of the Obama administration derailing and stonewalling the prosecution of this illicit funding investigation has resulted in the most serious consequences of the misguided and injudicious actions of President Obama and his team.”

In June 2016, Michael Braun, a former DEA agent, told lawmakers that Hezbollah is generating hundreds of millions from a “cocaine money laundering scheme” in Latin America that “provides a never-ending source of funding” for its terrorist operations in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Iran has deployed thousands of Hezbollah militants to fight on behalf of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a move that has allowed the ruthless leader to remain in power.

Both the U.S. military and State Department have warned against the menace that Hezbollah and Iran’s presence in Latin America represents.

Politico reveals:

As Project Cassandra reached higher into the hierarchy of the conspiracy, Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way, according to interviews with dozens of participants who in many cases spoke for the first time about events shrouded in secrecy, and a review of government documents and court records. When Project Cassandra leaders sought approval for some significant investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, officials at the Justice and Treasury departments delayed, hindered or rejected their requests.

The Justice Department declined requests by Project Cassandra and other authorities to file criminal charges against major players such as Hezbollah’s high-profile envoy to Iran, a Lebanese bank that allegedly laundered billions in alleged drug profits, and a central player in a U.S.-based cell of the Iranian paramilitary Quds force. And the State Department rejected requests to lure high-value targets to countries where they could be arrested.

Soon after U.S.-led world powers and Iran approved the nuclear pact, Obama predicted that Iran would use sanction relief funds to boost its terrorist proxies, namely Hezbollah, saying in August 2015:

Let’s stipulate that some of that money will flow to activities that we object to … Iran supports terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. It supports proxy groups that threaten our interests and the interests of our allies — including proxy groups who killed our troops in Iraq.

A day after the deal’s approval, Obama also said:

Do we think that with the sanctions coming down, that Iran will have some additional resources for its military and for some of the activities in the region that are a threat to us and a threat to our allies? I think that is a likelihood that they’ve got some additional resources. Do I think it’s a game-changer for them? No.

They are currently supporting Hezbollah, and there is a ceiling — a pace at which they could support Hezbollah even more, particularly in the chaos that’s taking place in Syria. So can they potentially try to get more assistance there? Yes.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Iran has dramatically increased its financial support to Hezbollah from $200 million to $800 million per year, two years after the nuclear deal was signed by Iran and world powers.

In 2010, John Brennan, Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser and then CIA director, confirmed that former president’s administration was trying to build up “moderate elements” within Iran’s terror proxy Hezbollah.

“Hezbollah is a very interesting organization,” Brennan told a Washington conference, saying it had evolved from “purely a terrorist organization” to a militia and, ultimately, a prominent Shiite political party in Lebanon, reported Reuters.