Earlier today U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper held a press briefing. Video below. When the transcript is available it will be posted HERE.

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Earlier today Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a press briefing to discuss the ongoing issues with Iran and Iraq.

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CNNi  (CNN international) via Becky Anderson, based out of Abu Dhabi, attempts to push a false propaganda narrative against State Dept Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.   Things didn’t work out as planned.  The pontificating Anderson was left speechless.  Funny.

Ms. Anderson intentionally ignored the E-3 Statement of support from earlier today and attempted to push a narrative of the U.S. being isolated within the international community.  Mrs. Morgan Ortagus shredded the CNNi narrative engineer.  WATCH:

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Representative Jim Jordan discusses the ongoing impeachment fiasco and Pelosi still withholding the articles from the Senate; and contrasts the DC nonsense against the foreign policy accomplishments of President Trump.

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Earlier today Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered remarks about the U.S. strike in Iraq that killed terrorist Qassem Soleimani:

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[Transcript] “As the Senate convenes this afternoon, we find our nation facing two grave and serious choices. One concerns our unity at home and the future of our Constitution; the other involves our strength abroad and the security of our homeland.
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Any headline that uses the phrase “France Warns” immediately requires a background review to understand the big picture driving French fears.
Just like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinking he could outwit President Trump’s policies on NAFTA trade (he failed), Trudeau’s bestie, French President Emmanuel Macron, has stupidly exhibited similar shortsightedness.  In the case of both leaders their weasel moves have put their nations’ into a precarious economic position.
To consider the future for France, it would be wise to remember last year when President Trump arrived to attend the G-7 in Biarritz, France, President Macron was waiting at the Hotel du Palais to ambush Trump for an unscheduled luncheon (pictured below):

This was just one example in a series of scripted weasel-moves played by Macron in an attempt to pontificate his importance for the international audience.  Another example from the same event was Macron inviting the Iranian foreign Minister to the G7 for sideline meetings unrelated to the topics being discussed in Biarritz.
In an effort to create leverage against the U.S. position, President Macron never discussed his Iranian invitation -in advance- with the U.S. delegation.  It did not go over well.
The EU, and specifically France, have a dependence on foreign energy sources as a result of their ridiculous climate policies and narrow thinking.  In essence the EU wants to do business and receive oil from Iran; however, U.S. sanctions against Iran forbid those business deals.  Ergo Macron attempted to inject influence and position his interests.
As stated, the ambush approach did not go well, but POTUS played it cool.
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Several days ago CTH pondered the possibility part of President Trump’s decision-making would be intended to provoke a request by Iraq for the U.S. to leave the region….
The United States-led military coalition against Islamic State said on Monday that it was pulling out of Iraq and would be repositioning forces over the next few days and weeks. The authenticity of this letter has been confirmed:

Perhaps this is why Senator Lindsey Graham was so ‘out-of-sorts’ yesterday.  A request for the U.S. to leave Iraq was not against the interests of President Trump; however, it was against the interests of Lindsey Graham’s war-council.
Speaker Pelosi can modify and change all of the War Power resolutions she wants to; it matters not.  President Trump’s preferred weapons are not kinetic, they are economic.
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Good grief there’s a lot to unpack within this insufferable beltway cocktail party disguised as a high-brow TV review of the U.S-Iraq-Iran conflict. (Video Below)  However, both of them are clueless about what President Trump is about to do.
First, the generous opinion of General Petraeus as a military strategist is massively inflated. As the recently released Afghanistan Papers have revealed the entire premise of the Petraeus’ strategy was based on lies; fundamental falsehoods; and an upper-tier military devoid of anyone willing to say the emperor was naked. It was all BS.

Secondly, and in support for the first point, any General who would commit himself to a career blackmail position by engaging in grossly inappropriate sexual conduct with a pontificating pustule like Paula Broadwell isn’t exactly a smart fella; and that’s without even considering the Kelly sisters leading him by the penis when Petraeus was CentCom Commander.
Internationally espousing a break-through in a mid-east anti-terror strategy while simultaneously positioning himself to be hoodwinked and blackmailed by the political powers in DC does not lend itself to strategically intelligent bona fides.
The outcome of that Broadwell hot-mess was leverage deployed against General Petraeus when he was CIA director and the crisis around the State Department and CIA joint operational station in Benghazi, Libya, erupted. In the aftermath the Panetta/Clinton operation needed an ally, enter interim political ideologue Michael Morell to replace Petraeus after ODNI James Clapper told the General to exit, or else.
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Something is ‘off‘ with Senator Graham’s demeanor in this interview segment; there’s a visible lack of confidence.  Perhaps, and this is only a guess, Graham is wondering if President Trump has out-maneuvered the neocon position toward ultimate mid-east failure by applying the: “be careful what you wish for” approach. Ultimately if the Iraqi government asks the U.S. to leave, I doubt President Trump would be adverse to that request.
In the first half of the video Senator Graham discusses his perspective on the current issues in/around Iraq and Iran vis-a-vis the U.S. killing Iranian terrorist Soleimani.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared on Fox News, CBS, NBC and ABC to discuss the killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani and the current status with Iran.  Here’s the roundup:
CBS Margaret Brennan clutches her pearls and sits aghast at the audacity of the United States to kill a terrorist on foreign soil: “what right do you have” she condescendingly snarls, positioning herself as more experienced in the world than Secretary Pompeo.  With dramatic flair and purposeful constitution, Brennan rises to protect the Iranian regime.

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ABC George Stephanopoulos is shocked, s.h.o.c.k.e.d, that U.S. policy would mean Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani could be killed.
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