President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deliver remarks and hold a bilateral press availability prior to bilateral discussion over issues of trade and regional security with North Korea.
Polls are all closed. Election results are beginning to come in fast. The overall result in the European (EU) Parliamentary Election reflects massive gains for conservative nationalists in Italy, Greece, France, Poland, Hungary, Austria, U.K. and others…
Over 400 million people can vote in 28 countries, seven of which held ballots between Thursday and Saturday, with the remainder voting today, Sunday.
Source Feeds: Here (BBC) and Here (Reuters) and Here and Here and Here (UK centric)
♦In France Marine Le Pen has defeated the party led by Emmanuel Macron. Exit polls in France indicated that Marine Le Pen’s far-right, anti-immigrant National Rally party came out on top in an astonishing rebuke of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has made EU integration the heart of his presidency (link).
♦In Greece Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is likely to call a snap general election in June, after the opposition party took the lead.
♦Poland’s ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party is expected to come first in the election with 42.4% of the vote.
♦Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, was expected to win 56% of votes, state television reported.
♦Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz leading with support for Kurz’s conservative People’s Party, at 34.5%.
♦In Italy Matteo Salvini’s far-right League is now emerging as Italy’s largest party, and the 5-Star Movement has lost a third of its voters over the course of a year.
♦Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition, the CDU/CSU, has lost multiple seats now dropping to a projected 28 (out of 96).
♦In the U.K. Nigel Farage Brexit Party is crushing the traditional political classes. With 100 of 373 counts complete, the brand new Brexit Party is in the lead with 31.9%, crushing the two largest parties,Conservatives and Labour, who are down 12-14% each so far.
Based on time zones (Japan is 13 hours ahead), and considering Lighthizer left on Thursday; it would appear Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are meeting right about now.
(Reuters) – Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that he will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Tokyo on Saturday for trade talks ahead of a summit meeting between leaders from the two nations on Monday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to discuss topics including North Korea’s nuclear programs, trade issues and the coming Group of 20 leaders’ summit. (link)
Following the State Dinner to celebrate the beginning of the Reiwa Era, introduced with the coronation of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are scheduled to hold a summit and joint press conference on Monday.
(more…)
President Trump is holding a White House event to support Farmers and Ranchers and announce a transitionary aid package to help during the restructuring of the global supply chain and a reset in U.S-China engagement. Anticipated start time 3:15pm EDT.
Quite a remarkable presser.
UPDATE: Video Added
The headlines are once again examples of an ideological media. “Stunning”, “surprising”, “unexpected”, etc. However, far from the headline ideology; in a result that is splendidly falling into place for a much more consequential geopolitical landscape; things are going swimmingly…
Reuters Headline: “India’s Modi stuns opposition with huge election win”
NEW DELHI/AYODHYA (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi scored a dramatic election victory on Thursday, putting his Hindu nationalist party on course to increase its majority on a mandate of business-friendly policies and a tough stand on national security.
His re-election reinforces a global trend of right-wing populists sweeping to victory, from the United States to Brazil and Italy, often after adopting harsh positions on protectionism, immigration and defense.
The White House provided a background presser for information about President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump’s upcoming state visit to Japan. [Transcript below] There are some interesting aspects to the itinerary as outlined; however, first, it’s important to emphasize the context.
As CTH shared earlier: At the highest levels of finance and business; in a process within both private industry and the geopolitical realm of government; a key aspect to every long-term strategic reset is the formation of an alliance. Every successful titan of industry who has structurally changed history has influenced an alliance toward the effort.
I strongly suspect, in anticipation of the China confrontation; and considering the scale of the consequences therein; President Trump selected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as the center of an Indo-Pacific alliance (several years ago). With the knowledge of USTR Lighthizer heading to Japan with an advance trade team…. now consider:
Via Teleconference – 2:31 P.M. EDT – PRESS OFFICER: Good afternoon, everybody. I’m happy you all could join. We have with us today [senior administration official]. He’ll be providing some brief remarks about the President’s upcoming trip to Japan and a few Q&A afterwards. This will be on background and you can attribute what he says to a senior administration official.
President Trump was scheduled to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for a discussion over an infrastructure spending bill. However, after partisan remarks by Nancy Pelosi accusing President Trump of a cover-up, any hope of negotiating an infrastructure bill collapsed. President Trump is angered:
In a clear signal toward the trade conflict with the United States, Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping is preparing his nation for a protracted trade conflict. Chinese state-run media have been deploying propaganda to shift public opinion toward the U.S. as a direct threat, and the latest developments by Xi showcase that agenda.
(South China Post) Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the nation to embark on a new Long March and “start all over again”, in the most dramatic sign to date that Beijing has given up hope of reaching a trade deal with the United States in the near term.
Xi is in Jiangxi province for his first domestic tour since the escalation of the trade war two weeks ago. Jiangxi is where China’s defeated Red Army started its fabled Long March in 1934, and Xi’s choice of destination is being viewed as an effort to invoke a spirit of endurance and to rally public spirit amid rising tensions with Washington.
Tonight President Donald J. Trump will be holding a high-energy MAGA rally at the Energy Aviation Hangar in Montoursville, PA. (North-Central PA) The President is expected to speak at 7:00pm EDT with pre-event speakers ongoing.
RSBN Livestream Link – GST Livestream Link – NBC Livestream Link
Louisiana congressional representative and house minority whip Steve Scalise discusses current trade and economic initiatives from President Trump’s agenda. Representative Scalise outlines the importance of the challenge to China and the benefits within the USMCA agreement.
Beyond the economics, Scalise notes the recent report about running for Louisiana governor stemmed from a short, off-the-cuff, conversation with President Trump and he dismisses the seriousness of the discussion.