In advance of the formal answer to the Senate summons, the White House counsel held a background press briefing with media.  Here’s the transcript as released:
MR. GIDLEY: Thank you very much. Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for taking the time to join this background call regarding impeachment.
The ground rules are as follows: Information on this call is on background, and can attributable to “sources close to the President’s legal team.”
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thanks, Hogan. I’m going to start, and then I’m sure my colleague is going to want to jump in.
So, from a procedural standpoint, we’re going to be filing in the next — probably next hour or two — our answer to the summons. [pdf Answer Here] This was the summons, which is part of the process that the Senate sent over to us with the articles of impeachment. We are issuing a very detailed response. This is not to be confused with our brief; our brief is not due until Monday.
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Folks, this is alarming.  An explosive video from Puerto Rico shows a massive warehouse of emergency hurricane relief supplies discovered highlighting emergency supplies delivered in the aftermath of hurricane Maria that were never distributed.

The warehouse was discovered after the recent earthquake, and the building suffering damage. After CTH initially saw the report, I had to go find the raw video to see just how much 2017 aid was being hidden in this warehouse; and the full video is simply stunning.  First, the report:

(VIA CBS) Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced fired the island’s emergency management director on Saturday, after a video showing aid sitting unused in a warehouse went viral on social media. Some of the aid has allegedly been sitting in the warehouse since Hurricane Maria struck in 2017.
“There are thousands of people who have made sacrifices to help those in the south, and it is unforgivable that resources were kept in the warehouse,” Vázquez said in a statement.

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A response to the formal summons from the Senate, notifying the Executive Office of the President of impeachment proceedings, was due at 6:00pm ET today.   The White House has responded [WH pdf link – and embed below] with a seven-page position answer.

[Via White House] THE HONORABLE DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, HEREBY RESPONDS:
The Articles of Impeachment submitted by House Democrats are a dangerous attack on the right of the American people to freely choose their President. This is a brazen and unlawful attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election and interfere with the 2020 election—now just months away. The highly partisan and reckless obsession with impeaching the President began the day he was inaugurated and continues to this day.

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It has always been a curious question about who released the controversial text messages between FBI lawyer Lisa Page and FBI Supervisory Agent Peter Strzok.  In a DOJ court brief (full pdf below) in support of a motion to dismiss the lawsuit of Peter Strzok, former Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein explains how and why he authorized the release:
It would have been a little more interesting if Rosenstein could have narrowed down the timing of OIG notification from “in the summer of 2017”, as it would outline specifically when Rosenstein became aware of the controversial issue.  Before or after he joined the crew in authorizing -and signing- a false FISA application?….
Obviously, at least in my opinion, the lack of specificity here is evidence of Rosenstein’s CYA motive.  If Rosenstein was aware of the texts from inside the key participants of the Crossfire Hurricane team, prior to authorizing the third FISA renewal… he was either a complete doofus, or complicit and willfully blind.   I digress.
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There is a remarkable confluence of data-points surrounding a second amendment rally in Virginia this holiday weekend that bear a strong note of caution.  Something akin to an astroturf event appears in the background.  ♦ Data-points:
♦ Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is running for President.  Bloomberg has funded the majority of Virginia anti-gun legislators who are now proposing considerable restrictions on lawful gun ownership in the commonwealth.
♦ It is also worth noting in the wake of the astro-turfed Charlottesville narrative, the professional political messaging of the Democrat apparatus, via Joe Biden, proclaimed in April 2019 that Charlottesville represented “the battle for the soul of this nation.”
If there is one consistent aspect to DNC activists (Occupy Wall Street, Antifa etc.), it’s that they use the same playbook.
♦ Provoking civil unrest to achieve political objectives is a well known strategy of the Alinsky wing of the apparatus.  ie. “never let a crisis go to waste”; and they are very good at creating the appearance of an organic crisis.  It’s usually in hindsight when the astroturf originating the crisis is identified.
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White House manufacturing policy advisor Peter Navarro has an interview today to discuss the enforcement mechanisms behind the U.S-China trade agreement.
One of the interesting points Navarro raises is how the intellectual property provisions align with the newly initiated Customs and Border Protection “operation megaflex” where thousands of packages from China are opened looking for counterfeit goods.
According to Navarro the operation has identified a counterfeit rate of ten percent; fake goods and contraband narcotics.  China prosecuting these identified companies becomes part of the compliance system to see if China is adhering to the agreement.

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Senator Ted Cruz appears for a discussion on the Senate impeachment trial.  Cruz walks through the most likely scenario of 24 hours prosecution case (two or three days), then 24 hours of defense case (two or three days); then the individual Senators submitting questions to the Chief Justice, John Roberts, to ask both sides.   This phase of the process should take two to three weeks total.  Then the issue of “witnesses” will be debated.

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While the first week is unfolding in the Senate, President Trump will be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and negotiating more economic benefits for the U.S.  Quite a remarkable contrast.
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I’m skipping any further discussion of Pam Bondi because, quite frankly, while she may be considered a member of President Trump’s team, if we are honest about her background –particularly in the Zimmerman case fraud– there’s nothing good to say.
Bondi was the Florida AG and convinced Gov. Scott to appoint a special prosecutor.  Bondi picked her campaign manager, Jacksonville state attorney, Angela Corey; who constructed a fraudulent witness against the accused. AG Pam Bondi specifically knew Witness #8 was manufactured. In ’12/’13 Pam Bondi attempted to frame a transparently innocent man.
Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz appears on Fox News for a discussion of his role in the upcoming senate impeachment trial of President Trump. Mr. Dershowitz states he will be presenting the constitutional argument against the entire premise for the insufferable impeachment. WATCH:

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Earlier today President Trump honored NCAA Football Champion LSU Tigers with a celebration at the White House.  [Video and Transcript Below]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, this is an exciting day in the White House. We have very exciting days — more than most Presidents, I would say, times 10. (Laughter.) We like to keep it that way. The coach likes to keep it that way. But we really do. We just had a — I was just telling the coach; I said, “I know I just made some additional money. We just had another all-time high for our stock market. Just hit.” So that will be 149 times in less than three years. That’s not bad. Coach, that’s good, right? (Applause.)
COACH ORGERON: It is.
THE PRESIDENT: Steve, that’s good. We’ll take that, Coach. Right?
COACH ORGERON: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: But today, it’s about the coach and the team and that unbelievable quarterback, unbelievable players.
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MAGAnomics – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons describes how President Donald Trump has “delivered” for manufacturers, noting that “promises are being kept” on tax reform, regulation, and trade.

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The passage of USMCA in combination with incentives for domestic manufacturing investment in the U.S.; and overlayed with the framework of the China ‘phase-one’ agreement, has set the foundation for a competitive North American manufacturing alternative to southeast Asia.  The capital investment will follow.  America First!
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