U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began the first meeting with North Korean emissary Kim Yong-chol today in New York.  Over the next two days the two leaders are anticipated to discuss terms of North Korean denuclearization and the possibility of a summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.

Pompeo arriving like a boss

Kim Yong-chol, is one of the most influential North Koreans outside of the Kim Jong-un family.  Premier Kim Yong Chol has been closely involved in with talks with South Korea and is the most senior DPRK official to set foot in the US since 2000.

Over the next two days Secretary Pompeo and Premier Kim Yong-chol are anticipated to discuss the granular details of North Korea giving up all nuclear weapons.  There is a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of Pompeo to ensure clarity of expectations in advance of any further diplomatic meetings.

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Last night on Fox News Representative Trey Gowdy stunned many people with multiple comments.  There are multiple aspects to the interview that were/are alarming.

In one segment Gowdy stated the Mueller investigation was both a criminal and counterintelligence investigation.  Moments later Mr. Gowdy proclaimed his advanced knowledge of the innocence of FBI Director James Comey and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe surrounding Spygate.

In another segment Gowdy, a former prosecutor himself, asserted that President Trump should sit down with Robert Mueller for a dangerous inquisition by a team of political prosecutors hired specifically because of their adverse ideology.  SEE INTERVIEW HERE.

In a well-timed (pre-planned) follow-up, Trey Gowdy appeared on CBS this morning to finish execution of the plan.  Notice Norah O’Donnell has her carefully crafted (pre-written) bullet-point questions at the ready.  Watch:

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The more you know the raw source material behind the Spygate story; the more you can see the false assertions behind Gowdy’s statements, and the strategic purpose therein.

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The comprehensive IG final draft report on the FBI handling of the Clinton investigation was circulated for principal feedback on May 16th. Following typical timelines of IG ‘draft reports’ we anticipated the Final Report release around the first week of June.

Well, Senator Chuck Grassley has just scheduled a hearing on the release for next Tuesday June 5th. So anticipate the final publication and public release any day now.

Senate Committee Hearing LINK

In the DOJ oversight aspect the Senate Judiciary Committee ranks #2.  Second only to the House Judiciary Committee (Goodlatte) who holds primary justice department oversight.

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The 30-day extension on exemptions for Steel and Aluminum tariffs is scheduled to expire June 1st.  President Trump is positioning the U.S. Trade Team for a substantial reset. According to reports, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystina Freeland held a terse meeting today over the tariffs and Canada’s unwillingness to close the NAFTA ‘fatal flaw‘ (loophole).

Both Canada and Mexico have structured key parts of their trade agreements to take advantage of their unique access to the U.S. market.  Mexico and Canada generate billions in economic activity through exploiting the NAFTA loophole.  China, Asia (writ large), and the EU enter into trade agreements with Mexico and Canada as back-doors into the U.S. market.  So long as corporations can avoid U.S. tariffs by going through Canada and Mexico they will continue to exploit this approach.

If the U.S. applies the same tariffs to Canada and Mexico we apply to all trade nations, then the benefit of using Canada and Mexico -by those trade nations- is lost. Corporations will no longer have any advantage, and many are likely to just deal directly with the U.S.  However, this would mean hundreds of billions in lost economic activity for Mexico and Canada.  It is the NAFTA fatal flaw.

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According to Yonhap News North Korea’s vice chairman of the Central Committee, Kim Yong-chol, is traveling to Beijing China for an operational briefing -and likely instructions- prior to heading to the U.S. where he might possibly be scheduled for a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The travel plans highlight the influence strategy deployed by China and Chairman Xi Jinping ahead of the tenuously scheduled June 12 summit between the U.S. and North Korea in Singapore.  The U.S. negotiation team is currently in South Korea working on summit details amid discussions between all significant stakeholders.

Watch the U.S. -vs- China trade front closely.  U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on June 2nd to discuss current trade issues.  China is hoping to manipulate their North Korean proxies as trade leverage. Communist Chinese trade negotiators are notorious for their cunning manipulation.

BEIJING, May 29 (Yonhap) — A senior North Korean official arrived in Beijing on Tuesday apparently en route to the United States to hold preparatory talks over a possible summit between the leaders of the two countries.

The trip by Kim Yong-chol, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, came as Washington and Pyongyang are holding working-level talks on the summit agenda and issues related to security and protocol.

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Byron York has an interesting article today outlining his interview with former Trump campaign official Sam Clovis.  Within the article Clovis shares the unexpected contact he received, via email, from CIA Asset Stefan Halper.   As shared:

“I am a professor at Cambridge University lecturing on US politics and foreign policy. I am what is called a ‘scholar practitioner,’ having served in the White House and four presidential campaigns — two as policy director. Over the past month I have been in conversation with Carter Page who attended our conference in Cambridge on US elections. Carter mentioned in Cambridge, and when visiting here in Virginia, that you and I should meet. I have enjoyed your comments and appearances in the media; you hit the sweet spot focusing Trump’s appeal to working America. May I suggest that we set a time to meet when you are next in Washington. Meanwhile, all the best, Stefan Halper.”

The York article then goes through the hindsight possibilities Sam Clovis now considers amid recent revelations the FBI was using Halper as an ‘agent provocateur’.  Make sure you read it. However, journalist Byron York makes a critical assumptive mistake within his discussion with Mr. Clovis that misses a very important detail.

As York discuss the testimony delivered by Clovis to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), they cite further testimony by Carter Page. Unfortunately, both York and Clovis forget two critical points that must overlay any review of congressional inquiry.

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George Washington University Professor Jonathan Turley discusses the ramifications of the Obama administration conducting surveillance on the Trump campaign vis-a-vis ‘Spygate’, and the self-interested comments from former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates who participated in authorizing the DOJ national security division aspect to that surveillance.

Sally Yates signed the sketchy FISA Title-1 application against U.S. person Carter Page, a former low-level, unpaid, Trump campaign aide/policy adviser.  Recent congressional investigations have revealed that much of the FISC application was based on intentionally constructed false human intelligence, and fraudulent representations to the FISA Court.

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Interesting dynamics at play.   President Trump has announced via Twitter the U.S. advance team has arrived in North Korea to position for a possible June 12th summit between President Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.

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Yesterday South Korean Prime Minister Moon Jae-in and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un held an impromptu summit/meeting in the DPRK to display their unified smiles.

The influence agent, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping, has been unusually quiet since President Trump asserted that Chairman Xi was the agent provocateur behind Kim Jong-un’s diplomatic bi-polarism.  Apparently, Chairman Xi did not anticipate President Trump being so public with the sunlight; and there’s no way Xi anticipated the economic consequences POTUS Trump outlined in the 232 Auto-Sector review.

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Fox News Host Trish Reagan sits in for Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures and interviews former U.S. Attorney Bud Cummings on the current issues surrounding the Spygate scandal:

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It is important to note Democrats in general, and their media allies writ large, are having increasing difficulty obfuscating around direct questions about this scandal. The average American has a very adept BS monitor.

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Following on the FtN interview with James Clapper, Representative Mark Meadows discusses the ramifications of Spygate with Margaret Brennan. Additional conversation surrounds immigration.

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