White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a press conference from the Brady room of the White House. Anticipated start time 2:00pm ET. [Livestreams Below]
UPDATE: The briefing has been postponed until after President Trump’s roundtable on fighting for seniors. (link) UPDATE #2 – The Briefing Was Cancelled. (link)
Wow. Today, in celebration of President Trump’s birthday, thousands of boats assembled in massive flotillas around the country to celebrate. Here’s some videos of the events starting with over a thousand boats in Jacksonville, Florida:
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Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss his committee investigation into what the U.S. intelligence apparatus was doing during the 2016 election, transition, and first two years of President Trump’s tenure in office.
It’s a good interview, and chairman Johnson outlines additional subpoenas that his committee is submitting to compel testimony and gain documents. However, it’s now mid-June 2020.
I’m reposting a prior research outline below because something odd is happening in the background of this story. I’m not sure what it is, but there are small -seemingly disconnected- issues surfacing, that might tie back to this much bigger and purposefully avoided story. I have learned to trust my instincts on this.
♦One – The FISA reauthorization legislation was dropped by Nancy Pelosi and all media conversation immediately vaporized.
♦Two – Crowdstrike is very concerned about this story every time it surfaces.
♦Three – If you understand the scale and scope of surveillance… does that explain the behavior of some people today [legislative (politicians), judiciary (judges), Pentagon (military)].
With the release of recent transcripts and the declassification of material from within the IG report on the Carter Page FISA, there is a common misconception about how the intelligence apparatus began investigating the Trump campaign. In this outline we hope to provide some deep source material that will explain the origin, and specifically why those inside the Intelligence Community began using Confidential Human Sources.
During the time-frame of December 2015 through April 2016 the NSA database was being exploited by contractors within the intelligence community doing unauthorized searches.
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell discusses his prior approach toward declassifying documents behind the Obama administration’s efforts to disrupt the incoming Trump administration.
As Grenell notes the prior administration was politically focused on targeting Donald Trump and weaponizing the intelligence apparatus to disrupt the Trump administration. Grenell discusses the over-classification of documents as a tool to hide intentional wrongdoing and corrupt intent.
It’s worth noting the interview is heavily edited; which, given Ms. Bartiromo’s granular insight on the issues, may indicate some of the conversation extended beyond what would be comfortable for the current investigation to be seen in public. (Just a hunch).
A contrast in interviews between the obtuse Jake Tapper and Maria Bartiromo discussing the Trump administration efforts to reopen the economy. While Bartiromo still leans toward policy initiatives to bail out her Wall Street allies, the doomsayers who never focus on solutions. The previous economic package is working and delivering positive results.
As White House economist Kevin Hassett noted yesterday, any phase-4 relief package would be very specifically targeted -as tax incentives, not spending- toward only those companies and industries that are negatively impacted during earnest efforts to reestablish their footing.
White House Chief Economic Advisor to President Trump, Kevin Hassett, discusses the status of the U.S. economy and the difference between Red State and Blue State economic growth. As Hassett notes the Blue states have an intention to hold down the economy.
Always the happy warrior, Hassett walks through the data of tracking COVID-19 cases and notes there is no correlation between the level of economic activity in an area, region or state and the scale of positive test results for the virus. This is a key point.
On the potential for a phase-4 economic relief package, Mr. Hassett notes any legislative action requested by the White House would be very detailed and targeted down to specific tax policy for specific industry. There is no spending package being considered by the White House; instead they are looking at targeted tax relief to assist. WATCH:
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On a completely unrelated note Kevin Hassett is the kind of common sense advisor that all presidents’ would be fortunate to work with. He approaches the issues from a very pragmatic and reasonable direction, and is not prideful about saying a policy impact is unknown and should be monitored and adjusted in real time. We’re lucky to have him.
This is a little lengthy of a discussion, but it touches upon something very relevant to this election cycle. Author Diana West discusses a network and pattern of ideology within the modern pentagon leadership, and how a worldview is threatened by President Trump. The interview and discussion is below.
The conversation necessarily gets in the weeds and is filled with unique insight into a very complex alignment. However, in the big picture it’s not difficult to figure out why the Pentagon would be opposed to Trump. During the campaign and early administration President Trump’s expressed foreign policy was viewed by NATO alliance members as a threat. The same type of perspective applies internally to the U.S. military.
President Trump’s preferred use of economic warfare makes the Pentagon’s role diminished. Instead of punching North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, President Trump hits the checkbook of Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping. The primary has become the contingency. The value of James Mattis replaced by the effectiveness of Robert Lighthizer. JC Milley isn’t in the planning room; Milley’s been replaced by Wilbur Ross (until he’s needed).
In the Trump era the President is telling the Pentagon where and when to position; and asks them for ‘contingency’ preparation. Decades of Pentagon-centric foreign policy is lessened by an entirely new geopolitical approach based on economic strategy.
Take away power, or worse yet, stop using military power, and the leaders within the system start to sense their institution becoming functionally obsolescent. Overlay this military view upon pre-existing ideological differences and the situation gets worse.
CTH touched on this last year when we noted how the Pentagon, specifically the joint chiefs, never took any action when Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman positioned himself as an opponent to President Trump’s policy perspective. The pentagon left Vindman on assignment to the NSC even after Vindman attempted to take-down President Trump.
Another example was Joint Chief Chairman Milley, and the visit Pompeo and Milley took to Mar-a-Lago in December, where they were informing President Trump of military strikes in Syria and Iraq *after* they took place. [Background Here] [Background Here].
Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks at the 2020 United States Military Academy at West Point Graduation Ceremony. [Video and Transcript Below]
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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, General, and hello cadets. On behalf of our entire nation, let me say congratulations to the incredible West Point Class of 2020. Congratulations. Everyone have a good time, enjoy yourselves, because we are here to celebrate your achievements, and great achievements they are. Let us also recognize your remarkable Superintendent, General Darryl Williams, for his outstanding stewardship. General, thank you very much. Great job. Thank you. (Applause.)
On Thursday President Trump sat down for an extensive interview with Fox News host Harris Faulkner while in Dallas Texas. The lengthy interview was broadcast Friday.
Ms. Faulkner uses subtlety to present her emotional perspectives as facts; however, within the wide-ranging interview President Trump focuses on common sense perspectives, approaches and sensible applications of policy surrounding U.S. law enforcement reform.
