Remarks on Signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation With Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore in New York City
Issued 2019-09-23 by Donald J. Trump
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
On September 23, 2019, President Trump signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in New York City. This agreement updated an existing defense cooperation arrangement between the United States and Singapore that had been in place since 1990 and was previously updated in 2005. The new memorandum extends this defense cooperation for at least the next 15 years.
The agreement addresses defense matters between the two countries and was described by Prime Minister Lee as reflecting cooperation in multiple areas including security, economics, counterterrorism, and culture and education. President Trump indicated that the agreement would involve trade and military equipment transactions between the United States and Singapore.
This action affects the defense and security relationship between the United States and Singapore specifically. According to Prime Minister Lee, it also serves as a means for the United States to deepen its engagement in Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. The memorandum represents a continuation and strengthening of the longstanding defense partnership between the two nations.
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Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
This presidential memorandum ("Remarks on Signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation With Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore in New York City") provides direction to executive branch agencies. Presidential memoranda function similarly to executive orders but are typically more narrow in scope, addressing specific agencies or implementation details. The President's authority to direct executive branch operations is grounded in Article II of the Constitution.
Memoranda are a routine administrative tool. They guide agencies on priorities, interpretation of statutes, and implementation procedures. As long as they operate within the bounds of existing law and respect congressional mandates, they are a standard exercise of presidential power that every modern administration has used.
Official Summary
Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2019 Remarks on Signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation With Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore in New York City September 23, 2019 President Trump. Well, thank you very much. We are close friends with Singapore and with Prime Minister Lee, and we've gotten to know each other very well. And we're signing a memorandum of defense, an—really, an understanding. And it's a very strong understanding. We know where we are. We have an extraordinary relationship with Singapore and with the Prime Minister. And we're going to be—there'll be a lot of trade involved in our agreement today. We're going to be doing a lot of trade, a lot of military equipment, et cetera, et cetera. So I just want to thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Prime Minister Lee. Thank you, Mr. President. President Trump. And a great honor to be with you. It's a great honor. Prime Minister Lee. Thank you. President Trump. Thank you. Prime Minister Lee. I'd like to thank the President for signing this memorandum with me, updating our memorandum on defense cooperation between Singapore and the United States. We've had this since 1990.