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The White House • October 15, 2018 Welcome home, Pastor Brunson! On Saturday, President Donald J. Trump greeted Pastor Andrew Brunson in the Oval Office, shortly after the pastor’s release following two years of detainment in Turkey. “You have galvanized this country,” the President told him. Watch President Trump welcome Pastor Brunson home. President Trump surveys hurricane damage As President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit Florida and Georgia today, thousands of first responders and volunteers have mobilized to restore the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Michael. This storm of historic proportions has been met in turn with a massive Federal response. Here’s a look at that response, by the numbers: A major on-the-ground operation: More than 16,000 Federal employees, including over 8,000 military personnel, have been deployed. Search-and-rescue efforts underway: FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Guard are working alongside state responders and volunteers. As of this morning, they have completed 110 evacuations, 4,193 rescues/assists, 15,287 shelter-in-place checks, 128 animal assists, and 16,827 structural assessments. Power restoration a top priority: More than 35,000 utility workers from 26 states are working to bring power back to impacted areas. Food and water distribution: In Florida, FEMA has provided 715,000 meals and 1.5 million liters of water per day. FEMA has also transferred more than 350,000 meals to Georgia, and 30+ distribution sites are being supported. Over the weekend, President Trump issued a major disaster declaration for Georgia and mobilized additional disaster assistance for Florida. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams have been knocking on doors to help families register for support. So far, more than 28,000 individuals and households have registered for assistance. “The response to Hurricane Michael continues,” FEMA reports via Facebook. “Tens of thousands of industry workers continued restoring power and volunteers with many different organizations served hot meals and provided comfort.” “We’ve called for maximum relief,” President Trump said as he and the First Lady spent today meeting with first responders, volunteers, and families affected by the storm. When asked about his biggest priority for today’s trip, his answer was simple: “Just making sure everyone is safe, that they’re fed.” President Trump: Thank you to FEMA and our first responders. For updates: See the latest on the Federal response to Hurricane Michael. Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit Florida after Hurricane Michael | October 15, 2018 President Trump’s List: 289 Accomplishments in Just 20 months, ‘Relentless’ Promise-Keeping “The Trump administration’s often overlooked list of achievements has surpassed those of former President Reagan at this time and more than doubled since the last tally of accomplishments after his first year in office,” Paul Bedard writes in the Washington Examiner. As the President nears the two-year mark of his historic election, “the administration has counted up 289 accomplishments in 18 categories, capped by the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.” “Trump’s successes in reducing the cost of taxes and regulations, rebuilding our military, avoiding wars of choice and changing the courts rival those of all previous Republican presidents,” American for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist said. Click here to read more. “President Trump said Hurricane Michael packed ‘tremendous power’ on its destructive path through Florida and Georgia, but fortunately is moving quickly so emergency crews can begin their work,” Dave Boyer reports for The Washington Times. “Mr. Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state authorities and electric company crews have already moved in to repair damage and help those left homeless.” “Nearly twice as many registered voters said they thought President Trump was responsible for the current state of the economy compared to those who credited former President Obama,” Julia Manchester reports in The Hill. “The poll, conducted by Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company, found that 49 percent of respondents attributed today's economy to Trump, while 24 percent of respondents credited Obama.” “President Donald Trump added his signature to the ‘Save Our Seas Act’ on Thursday, green-lighting an initiative to clean up eight million tons of debris from the planet’s oceans,” Jason Hopkins reports for The Daily Caller. “As president I will continue to do everything I can to stop other nations from making our oceans into their landfills,” President Trump said.    “President Trump signed the eagerly anticipated Music Modernization Act into law at a ceremony at the White House on Thursday, in the most high-profile event for the music industry in several years,” Amy X. Wang writes in Rolling Stone. President Trump called the MMA a milestone that would “close loopholes” in copyright law and help songwriters get paid. “They were treated very unfairly. They’re not going to be treated unfairly anymore,” the President added.