Earlier today President Trump participated in a Coast Guard change of command ceremony.
[Transcript] 11:17 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Secretary Nielsen. Great job you’re doing. That was a wonderful introduction and your leadership as the Coast Guard’s Service Secretary has been very much appreciated and respected. Thank you very much. Great job.
Grab your winnamins and hide the Ju-Ju bones. I thought this was going to be an issue when Prime Minister Trudeau publicly told reporters the content of a private conversation between Vice-President Mike Pence and himself. With incredibly bad diplomatic form, Justin from Canada has not only cemented the Steel and Aluminum tariffs as permanent – but Trudeau has likely destroyed any hope of the U.S. remaining in NAFTA.
The White House has delivered a statement to the media, with a request to ensure authorship is directly and personally cited from President Donald J Trump:
The United States has been taken advantage of for many decades on trade. Those days are over. Earlier today, this message was conveyed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada: The United States will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all. (link)
For those unfamiliar; this is about as close to an ultimatum as President Donald Trump generally delivers to his adversaries. Look back on his history and you’ll note rarely does Donald J Trump deliver ‘either this / or that’ approaches; it’s just not his style…. He doesn’t bluff. However, when Trump has decided to walk away from a deal, any deal, he delivers the “either/or” right before walking to the door. The final terms hang in the air providing the opposition with a few fleeting moments to reflect prior to exit.
The 17-month Inspector General review of the DOJ/FBI investigation of the Hillary Clinton email is soon to be made public, perhaps as early as tomorrow. This IG inquiry is specifically looking into whether the FBI investigation was corrupted by political influence in their determination of the Clinton outcome. The preliminary investigative outcomes speak for themselves.
This series of video reports provides background on the potential crimes, the subsequent coverup, and the corruption that infested the 2016 Department of Justice and the FBI.
WHITE HOUSE – Today, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Grant of Clemency (Full Pardon) to Dinesh D’Souza, an accomplished author, lecturer, and scholar.
Mr. D’Souza was, in the President’s opinion, a victim of selective prosecution for violations of campaign finance laws. Mr. D’Souza accepted responsibility for his actions, and also completed community service by teaching English to citizens and immigrants seeking citizenship.
In light of these facts, the President has determined that Mr. D’Souza is fully worthy of this pardon.(link)
Focusing a lot of today’s information on the economic front and the implementation of the U.S. America-First trade discussion because this is the very heart of the Trump MAGA initiatives. Everyone who voted for President Trump should be grinning ear-to-ear today at how steadfast POTUS has been – against all economic adversaries foreign and domestic.
White House Trade Council Director Peter Navarro discusses the implementation of countervailing U.S. duties; the transshipment issues, NAFTA and the intended trade reset therein. “Economic Security is National Security“!
Justin from Canada presents one of the most ridiculous contexts for the U.S. 232 Steel and Aluminum tariff decision. Justin proclaims the imposition of countervailing duties by the U.S. indicates that President Trump considers Canada a national security threat. Seriously, I’m not kidding, that’s what he is stating – watch. Additionally, his feelings are hurt.
Apparently Justin from Canada cannot draw a distinction between an industry being lost, and that loss being a national security risk, and the hurt feelings of the Canadian Prime Minister. Intensely ridiculous… even for Justin. Obviously the irrational liberals in both the U.S. and Canada will likely draw the same ridiculous and illogical conclusions.
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China, the EU, Canada and Mexico have been exploiting weak U.S. trade policy for years. Through the effective utilization of targeted tariffs, with multiple opportunities -and warnings- to avoid the outcome, President Trump and Wilbur Ross cut the Gordian Knot.
The Big Club, driven almost entirely by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Tom Donohue are going bananas….. They can’t believe Trump actually did it. He actually followed through. The Wall Street consortium of multinationals are apoplectic.
Decades of economic gaslighting upon the U.S. electorate; massive manipulative multinational corporate influences; hundreds of millions spent purchasing U.S. politicians; and POTUS has just punched it all square in the face.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korea Vice-Chair Kim Yong-chol have concluded two days of discussions and meetings surrounding an agreement for the DPRK to eliminate all nuclear weapons and retreat from their nuclear ambitions.
Secretary Pompeo and Vice-Chairman Kim Yong-chol continue working toward a possible meeting between President Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12th. After their meetings Secretary Pompeo held a press conference:
Amid ongoing trade stalemates with NAFTA and the EU, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has announced the U.S. Commerce Department will no longer provide exemptions for the European Union, Canada or Mexico.
As anticipated, during a telephone briefing with reporters Secretary Ross announced at midnight tonight the 25% steel, and 10% aluminum, tariffs on imported goods will begin.
Via Reuters: U.S Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters on a telephone briefing that a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico would go into effect at midnight (0400 GMT on Friday).
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began the first meeting with North Korean emissary Kim Yong-chol today in New York. Over the next two days the two leaders are anticipated to discuss terms of North Korean denuclearization and the possibility of a summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un.
Pompeo arriving like a boss
Kim Yong-chol, is one of the most influential North Koreans outside of the Kim Jong-un family. Premier Kim Yong Chol has been closely involved in with talks with South Korea and is the most senior DPRK official to set foot in the US since 2000.
Over the next two days Secretary Pompeo and Premier Kim Yong-chol are anticipated to discuss the granular details of North Korea giving up all nuclear weapons. There is a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of Pompeo to ensure clarity of expectations in advance of any further diplomatic meetings.
The Wall Street Journal is publishing a report the European Union is likely to lose their exemption on Friday June 1st, from the U.S. Steel (25%) and Aluminum (10%) tariffs. Despite their article outline almost everything is still speculation at this point; however, our own review of the trade position indicates the administration is very prepared to begin delivering the metal tariffs on all nations, including NAFTA partners, without reservation.
President Trump positioning the auto-industry 232 review, May 23rd, was one of the key ‘leverage signals‘ something was about to change.
Despite massively one-sided EU imposed tariffs against U.S. products, the EU is demanding to be permanently exempted from any U.S. reciprocal tariff measures or they will block the import of U.S. products. The hypocrisy is typically European.
Adding fuel to the speculation the tariff exemptions will be allowed to expire Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross stated earlier today, at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) summit – a multinational trade conference, that any/all trade discussions are entirely possible regardless of whether the U.S. begins the tariff against steel and aluminum imports.
WSJ – […] Mr. Trump has threatened to punish EU car exports if the bloc retaliates, and Mr. Ross is pursuing a study of car and auto-part imports similar to the one he completed on steel and aluminum.
Officials in some EU member states are already angry at Washington over Mr. Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Still, others, including some German officials, want to seek a solution that prevents economic damage.