Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price appears on ABC and CNN to discuss the GOP health care bill to replace ObamaCare.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer interviewed by Fox News Media Buzz host Howard Kurtz:
The insufferable DC Swamp media-guards were in full Swamp protection mode today. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney appeared on NBC (Chuck Todd) and CBS News (John Dickerson) to discuss the first Trump budget proposal.
Chuck Toad (Meet the Pus) was his insufferable, groaning, grunting, condescending and teeth gnashing self. Weird how Toad is a budget hawk all of a sudden:
Appearing on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Eric Trump discusses how he and the family handle intense criticism and changes within the family business as an outcome of his father’s presidency:
(Via Reuters) With warm words from Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended his first trip to Asia since taking office with an agreement to work together with China on North Korea and putting aside trickier issues. (link) All lumps removed…
Chinese President Xi Jinping:
“You said that China-U.S. relations can only be friendly. I express my appreciation for this.” … “We both believe that China-U.S. cooperation henceforth is the direction we are both striving for. We are both expecting a new era for constructive development.” … “The joint interests of China and the United States far outweigh the differences, and cooperation is the only correct choice for us both.”
Secretary of State Tillerson:
“President Trump places a very high value on the communications that have already occurred, and he looks forward to enhancing that understanding in the opportunity for a visit in the future.” … “We know that through further dialogue we will achieve a greater understanding that will lead to a strengthened, strengthening of the ties between China and the United States and set the tone for our future relationship of cooperation.”
Last Thursday Secretary T-Rex was in Japan (below left); Friday he was in South Korea (below right); tonight (tomorrow local) Secretary Tillerson will arrive in China.
During a flight between nations, Secretary Tillerson gave an interview to IJR reporter Erin McPike. A full audio file has been provided CLICK HERE (will open in separate window) The interview is almost 30 minutes in duration and takes place aboard the flight.
I would again strongly urge everyone to ignore the media presentations of the comments from Secretary Tillerson, and instead go directly to the unfiltered source material.
The Audio Interview is very interesting. Understandably, with the full content available, the DC media and their Deep State partnerships are frustrated and angry about their inability to manipulate the Tillerson narrative.
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(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.
♦ On Monday March 13th former president Barack Obama unexpectedly flies alone to Hawaii (link)
Obama returned to one of his regular stops for dinner, Buzz’s Original Steak House in Lanikai. The former president was seen with a much smaller entourage than his last visit, though it still includes a Secret Service detail. (link)
♦ On Tuesday March 14th Obama played golf and went to dinner:
“Tuesday evening, the former president dined with his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and friends in a private room at Noi Thai Cuisine at Royal Hawaiian Center.” (link)
♦ On Wednesday March 15th – Hawaii’s U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson issued a block of President Trump’s travel ban. A 43-page ruling within 2 hours of hearing: (more…)
President Trump’s U.S. trade policy of “America First”, free but FAIR trade, came to the forefront in Germany as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin subtly yet firmly pushed back against language that affirmed globalism and multilateral trade.
According to the Washington Post German officials urged Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to agree to their customary modern free trade language in the G20’s joint statement.
However, the U.S. Treasury Secretary refused their request and instead urged adoption of more general wording allowing each nation to make their own determinations of what constitutes “free and fair trade” with their own best interests in mind.
This approach is the basis for one-on-one bilateral trade. It is also the starting point toward negotiating exceptional trade deals by providing leverage which allows President Trump, Secretary Ross and Trade Rep Lighthizer to frame proposals (by competing nations) against each other. By holding firm to the basic trade outlook Secretary Mnuchin is setting the table for the U.S. trade team to renegotiate everything.
The disconnect from the traditional economic group-think of the G20 finance ministers is a direct break from the past two decades. This central approach reflects the baseline change in ongoing U.S. trade policy. It would appear President Trump and his economic team are more concerned about the interests of American workers than foreign nationals. Go figure.
Secretary Mnuchin suggested adding more general language committing to “strengthen the contribution of trade.” A version of that sentence was included in the statement, despite criticisms from some G20 finance ministers that it was pointless.
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