REMARKS BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG IN JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE

White House East Room

[Transcript] 4:03 P.M. EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you. Secretary General Stoltenberg, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to the White House — especially at such an important moment in our great Alliance.

I also want to acknowledge the great work being done by our Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to strengthen the NATO Alliance, as well as the Secretary’s trip to Moscow to promote the security interest of the United States and its allies. He did a terrific job. Just watched parts of it — an absolutely terrific job.

Sixty-eight years ago this month, not far from where we are gathered today, President Harry Truman spoke at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty. In the nearly seven decades since Harry Truman spoke those words, the NATO Alliance has been the bulwark of international peace and security.

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President holds joint press conference with NATO Sec. General Jens Stoltenberg hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday, April 12th.
The press conference is scheduled to start at 4:00 pm eastern time.

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Previously we discussed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson having a conflict in schedules with a Brussels NATO meeting.  Both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are visiting President Trump and Secretary Tillerson in the first week of April.  The Brussels NATO meeting was scheduled for April 5th and 6th.
The U.S. leftist media tried to make a controversy over the scheduling conflict.  However, now NATO has agreed to change their meeting date.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of NATO says he is certain a semiannual meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers can be rescheduled so Secretary of State Rex Tillerson can attend.

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Spidey Sense Level remains elevated…

(Via Reuters)  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will make his first state visit to Washington during the first week of April at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, Egyptian state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported on Sunday.
The trip will be Sisi’s first U.S. state visit since being elected president in 2014 as former U.S. President Barack Obama had never extended an invitation.

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Yesterday, against the backdrop of Senator Rand Paul objecting to a unanimous consent call by Senator McCain, McCain claimed Senator Paul was working for Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Today, Senator Rand Paul responds:

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There is a longer history here. Previously Senator McCain called Senator Rand Paul a “Hobbit“, and earlier claimed that anyone who supports Senator Paul is a “whack-o-bird“.
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I think Senator Rand Paul’s aversion to going to war with Russia over Montenegro just triggered Senator John McCain.
While speaking from the Senate floor, in support of a bill advancing the country of Montenegro’s bid to join NATO, Senator John McCain anticipated opposition from Rand Paul. McCain requested unanimous consent for advancement of the bill.
After Rand Paul objected to the UC, Senator McCain lost it saying:

…”he has no justification for his objection to having a small nation be part of NATO that is under assault from the Russians. So I repeat again, the senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin.”

Watch:

Vice-President Mike Pence delivers remarks at a news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday in Brussels.
Vice-President Pence reassured nervous Europeans that President Donald Trump remains committed to transatlantic ties. However, Pence also reasserted the current president’s policy that NATO allies must boost their defense spending in return.
After the prepared remarks Mr. Pence answered questions from EU news media in Brussels.

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Vice-President Mike Pence traveled to Munich on behalf of the President Trump administration to deliver a speech at the security conference.

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The level of absurdity from the official media channel of the U.S. Department of State, CNN, is reaching new levels of Tokyo Rose disinformation and propaganda.

♦ ‘President Trump’s temporary pause and reassessment of visa approvals, combined with the implementation of “extreme vetting” will make our mid-east allies unhappy’… they say.

♦ ‘President Trump’s request for a reevaluation of our relationship and structure with NATO will make our European allies unhappy’…. they say.

Let’s think about this factually and logically.  Who are these “mid-east allies” who would be upset?  Seriously, think about it.
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The Senate has just voted to confirm Representative Mike Pompeo as CIA Director.  This represents the third intelligence and security nomination confirmed –  General Kelly (DHS) and General Mattis (DoD) receiving earlier confirmations.

WASHINGTON – The Senate has confirmed Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, to be President Donald Trump’s CIA director.  The vote tally is 66-32, with a significant number of Democrats voting no. Two senators are delayed by weather. (link)

Two republican senators Tom Cotton (Yes) and Rand Paul (No) outline the dynamic within the overall DC intelligence outlook from the GOP.  Neither are 100% correct; each distinct outlook has both merit and concern.
In the space between the two Senators, we can identify the fundamental position of President Trump toward this nomination.  The “deep state” is dangerous, even when it is necessary; however, liberty must not be sacrificed upon the alter of security.
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