North Korea state-run news agency is reporting on a letter from U.S. President Trump to North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-Un.    In an interesting aspect to the media report, KCNA releases a picture of Chairman Kim reading the letter.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reads a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump, in Pyongyang, North Korea in this picture released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 22, 2019.

On the hostage dynamic…. last week the hostage taker (Chairman Xi), finally positioned the public optics of Chairman Kim as the hostage; and indicated a likelihood Beijing would negotiate terms for release (better trade deal) with President Trump.  Therefore the rescuer (Trump) now communicates with the hostage (Kim) against an entirely different geopolitical background.
Additionally, both President Trump and Chairman Kim know the picture will be analyzed by high-tech software (Beijing, China and Russia) and the content is easily discoverable.   The message itself, as well as the answer to the message (from Kim), is likely in the picture.  [Note: the White Shirt, business office, is part of the reply].
(more…)

Chopper pressers are the best pressers.  Earlier today President Trump was departing the south lawn for a trip to Camp David.  The President stopped to deliver remarks to the White House press pool on current issues.
Topics include: Immigration enforcement, the decision not to strike Iran, the economy overall, trade and the geopolitics therein, John Bolton as a ‘hawk’.
[Video – Transcript ADDED]

.
[Transcript] – South Lawn – 10:18 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: So we’re going to Camp David. We’re going to have meetings and a lot of work. Coming back sometime tomorrow, but we’re heading out right now to Camp David.
(more…)

Oh boy, this is interesting.

BACKSTORY: A little more than a week ago President Trump identified former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, as a likely candidate for the position of border czar. “He’ll be a border czar, he’ll be very much involved in the border, he’ll be reporting directly to me,” Mr. Trump said.
However, in a follow up interview with Lou Dobbs, Tom Homan said there were discussions, and he wants to support the president, but he would only take the position if certain “structural changes” within the internal DHS system were made.  In essence, Homan appeared to be saying he’d only take the job if chain-of-authority was changed, and all the hurdles to doing the job were removed.
Today, Mr. Homan seemed to clearly identify Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan as the person working against the interests of the President; leaking information to impede the immigration policy of President Trump; and likely the reason why Homan would only consider entering back into the administration if the process was changed to allow him to work around a corrupt Acting DHS Secretary, McAleenan.
Suffice to day, after this interview Tom Homan and Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan will likely never work together. It would appear if President Trump wants Homan as border czar, he’s going to have to fire McAleenan…. or change something.

President Trump announced on Twitter last week about an enhanced immigration enforcement action to remove illegal aliens.  National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd appears on Fox Business to discuss the upcoming program.

.
Interestingly, no-one has wondered why there would be such advanced and public notification of the upcoming enhanced enforcement. Curiouser and curiouser…

(more…)

The money quote from Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping in the role of magnanimous panda as he departs Chairman Kim:

“This visit has achieved complete success in reinforcing the traditional friendship between China and North Korea”..

Kim remains hostage, and Xi highlights his captive capabilities in advance of the G20 ‘expanded’ meeting with President Trump in Osaka, Japan.  Magnanimous panda thinks he’s created leverage for hostage release negotiations with Trump in exchange for economic and trade concessions… except he hasn’t.
Beijing has fallen into a trap created by a combination of their cultural approach toward geopolitical confrontation and an echo-chamber that does not allow -or consider- warnings from dissenting voices.  In essence, it might sound goofy considering the magnitude of the issues at hand, but Beijing doesn’t know President Trump.
One of the reasons for the miscalculation is likely due to Beijing weighing their analysis and strategy based on typical Western reporting similar to THIS ARTICLE in the New York Times.
(more…)

Jim Jordan appears on Fox News to explain how House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler is attempting to weave a tenuous impeachment plan through the politicization of ongoing congressional hearings.  The latest evidence is within in the testimony of former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks. [Full pdf below]

.
The transcript of Hope Hicks testimony is below:
(more…)

Lots of differing opinion on the decision by POTUS to cancel a retaliatory strike against Iran.  Some praise and some criticize.   Here’s President Trump’s reason for cancelling the strike against Iran:

As it relates to the Trump doctrine, CTH would note any current ally of the U.S; and/or any entity engaged with significant economic interests attached to the U.S; including any EU entity who might have previously been skirting the sanctions against Iran (think Turkey); would now be very cautious about appearing on President Trump and Secretary Mnuchin’s proverbial radar.

Joe diGenova has a great deal of confidence in AG William Barr.  After the interview last night (w/ Hannity) where President Trump outlined the lack of investigative information from the DOJ and FBI to the executive office of the president, I’m not sure that confidence is deserved.
In this interview with Lou Dobbs, diGenova and Victoria Toensing discuss the currently suppressed Rosenstein scope memos issued to allow Weissmann and Mueller to expand their targeting of Trump; while simultaneously retaining optimism toward Bill Barr.
Additionally, both Toensing and diGenova discuss presidential candidate Joe Biden.

(more…)

Chairman Xi Jinping arrives in North Korea to support the “correct thinking” within his proxy province and hostage Kim Jong-Un.   Magnanimous Panda, and defender of all enlightened Asian progress, exhibited great smiles as nervous Kim worries over the dust on the military shoestrings.  WATCH:

(Reuters) BEIJING (Reuters) – The world hopes North Korea and the United States can talk to each other and for those talks to be successful, Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, praising Pyongyang’s efforts toward denuclearization.

(more…)

Justin from Canada travels to the White House for a conversation with President Trump about the USMCA deal, ratification, and a request from Canada for assistance in their conflict with China.  The relationship between President Trump and the arrogant Justin from Canada is tenuous at best.  [Video and Transcript]

.
[Transcript] 12:10 P.M. EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. We had some good news. The market hit a all-time high today. The S&P just broke its record, so we’re very happy about that. The stock market continues to do well. Jobs have been literally through the roof. And, speaking of jobs, we have the USMCA with Canada, with Mexico. And we’ve come a long way. It’s a great agreement. As you know, Mexico, yesterday, approved it.
(more…)