September 27th – 2017 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #251

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

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This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

Wednesday September 27th – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Oh My, "Killers" – Wilbur Ross Smacks Canadian Airline Company Bombardier With 220% Countervailing Duty…

Whoo-doggies, Wilburine ain’t messing around with this dispute.
U.S. aerospace manufacture Boeing filed an unfair trade complaint against Canadian aerospace company Bombardier stating the Canadian government was subsidizing the manufacturing of 100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft.  Canada does subsidize their airline manufacturing, everyone knows this is true – even Canadians admit it.

Boeing was seeking an 80% import tariff on purchase contracts from U.S. airline carriers.  Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross looked into the trade dispute and agreed with the position of Boeing.  However, the Commerce Dept. did not stop at 80%. Wilburine estimated, then initiated, a whopping 219.63% countervailing duty assessment against Bombardier.
U.S. Commerce Department Announcement:

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of 100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft from Canada, finding that exporters of this merchandise received countervailable subsidies of 219.63 percent.
The Commerce Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of 100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft based on these preliminary rates.
“The U.S. values its relationships with Canada, but even our closest allies must play by the rules,” said Secretary Ross. “The subsidization of goods by foreign governments is something that the Trump Administration takes very seriously, and we will continue to evaluate and verify the accuracy of this preliminary determination.”

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**UPDATE** Roy More Wins Alabama GOP Runoff – Results and Open Discussion Thread W/ Livestream

Alabama voters head to the polls today to pick a Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. The GOP runoff is between former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (Team Bannon) -vs- interim Senator Luther Strange (Team McConnell).
Tonight’s winner advances to face Democratic nominee Doug Jones on Dec. 12th to fill the Senate seat Jeff Sessions left to become President Trump’s attorney general.

Polls closed at 8:00pm EDT – Results announced shortly thereafter.


Update 9:45pm EDT.  Senator Luther Strange concedes. Judge Roy Moore Wins.  Approximately vote distribution: With 42 percent of the precincts reporting, Moore leads Strange 57 percent to 43 percent, a margin of just over 25,000 votes. State officials estimated a low turnout of between 12 and 15 percent of eligible voters.
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Saudi Arabia King Salman Issues Decree Allowing Women To Drive…

Some people might remember a specific and strategic Trumpian approach toward social reform in Saudi Arabia which was highlighted by Rex Tillerson during his senate confirmation hearings.  WATCH AGAIN (prompted to 06:09 – just hit play):

Secretary Tillerson’s explanation of the Trump administration position was then followed by the respectful administration strategy during their Saudi visit.  First-Lady Melania Trump figured prominently in that strategy during the February delegation visit.
Well, today:

RIYADH/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Saudi King Salman on Tuesday ordered that women be allowed to drive cars, ending a conservative tradition seen by rights activists as an emblem of the Islamic kingdom’s repression of women.
The kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, has been widely criticized for being the only country in the world that bans women from driving, despite gradual improvement on some women’s issues in recent years and ambitious government targets to increase their public role, especially in the workforce.

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Secretary Rex Tillerson Announces Travel to China Sept 28th – October 1st…

Well, well, well…. According to a breaking State Department release T-Rex will be headed to Beijing the day after tomorrow (Thursday) through Sunday.   Yup, everything proceeding swimmingly.  A very predictable plan, for an intensely smart geopolitical strategy.  Walking in a Winner Wonderland !

STATE DEPT – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Beijing September 28 – October 1 to meet with senior Chinese leaders. Secretary Tillerson will discuss a range of issues, including the President’s planned travel to the region, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and trade and investment. Secretary Tillerson’s visit to China reaffirms the Administration’s commitment to further broaden and enhance U.S. economic and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

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U.S. Treasury Sanctions Banks and Individuals of North Korea…

President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin are is using the newly constructed sanctions authority to punish eight North Korean banks and 26 bank workers living abroad.
The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sanctions (full outline below) rely on an executive order President Donald Trump signed last week to target North Korea’s access to the international banking system. The Trump/Mnuchin action comes as as a separate outcome from the recently passed United Nations sanctions package targeting North Korea.

The eight banks are all in North Korea. The Treasury Department says the 26 individuals are North Korean nationals employed by those banks who work in Russia, China, Libya and the United Arab Emirates.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the U.S. is targeting those “across the globe” who facilitate financial transactions for North Korea. He says it’s part of the effort to isolate North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. (link)

Treasury announcement below.
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President Trump Joint Press Conference with Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey – 1:45pm Livestream…

Today President Donald Trump meets with Spanish President Mariano Rajoy Brey and will be holding a joint press conference at the conclusion of their meeting.  Approximate start time 1:30pm – 1:45pm EDT
UPDATE: Video Added


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President Trump Announces Visit To Puerto Rico on Tuesday (Video)…

During a meeting at the White House with congressional committee members, President Trump announced he is planning to visit Puerto Rico, and possibly the Virgin Islands, on Tuesday of next week.
The visit is being timed to avoid any impact on first responders, U.S. military units and FEMA crews who are currently working in “urgent mode” to reestablish basic elements of recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s devastation.  WATCH:


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President Trump’s Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert and FEMA Director Brock Long have been in Puerto Rico reviewing recovery efforts and coordinating the administration’s efforts to assist the island.
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