NEW YORK / WASHINGTON – U.S. equities closed at all-time highs on Wednesday after a series of executive orders from President Donald Trump increased bullish sentiment on Wall Street, while financials outperformed.

The Dow Jones industrial average broke above 20,000 for the first time, rising about 150 points as Boeing, Goldman Sachs and IBM contributed the most gains.
“People are seeing that the administration is carrying through with some of the things they promised,” said John Stadtler, head of U.S. Financial Services Industry Practice at PwC. “It looks like long-term capital gains are here to stay.”  (read more)

President Trump will be delivering remarks with DHS Secretary Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington DC.  Anticipated start time 2:30pm ET
Update – Video Added:

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Moments ago White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer held the White House press briefing and took questions from the media.  Here’s the video:

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sean Spicer Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Operation Bigly continues – President Trump met early this morning with key U.S. auto manufacturers. One of the key issues discussed was regulation and eliminating bureaucracy.  The tectonic shift within the discussion as framed by GM CEO Mary Barra, was a president asking industry: what can I do to assist your growth?
President Trump opened the meeting with GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford CEO Mark Fields and Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne at the White House by saying he wants to see new auto plants built in the United States.  (Story Here)

The new Republican president vowed to cut regulations and taxes to make it more attractive for businesses to operate in the United States. He promised frequently during his election campaign to be a job-creating president and stressed that message in his inaugural speech last Friday. (link)
At the conclusion of the meeting the CEO’s came forward to the media to discuss their perspectives: (more…)

According to several media reports (Fox News and Reuters) President Trump is starting tomorrow with executive action targeted toward the larger immigration policy initiatives discussed throughout the presidential campaign.  Don McGahn is obviously a very busy man:

(Via Fox News)  WASHINGTON –  President Donald Trump will begin rolling out executive actions on immigration Wednesday, beginning with steps to tighten border security — including his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — and other domestic immigration enforcement measures, according to two administration officials.
Later in the week, the president is expected to take steps to restrict the flow of refugees to the United States. One official said the president was expected to roll out immigration measures over the next few days.

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Nikki Haley confirmed; gee, no surprise here.  Pay attention to the trend, it’s GOPe transparent.  UniParty defenders Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn are only working on confirmations for GOPe (UniParty) preferred candidates.

[…]  Haley, the governor of South Carolina and a rising GOP star, was approved with wide bipartisan support, 96-4. (link)

The transparency within McConnell’s Machiavellian scheme is brutally obvious with Lisa Murkowski simultaneously slow-rolling Rick Perry for Energy Secretary.  Follow these Senatorial historic names folks, they are all entrenched operatives of the UniParty working earnestly in an almost predictable fashion.
Remember, it was only last year when Nikki Haley delivered the rebuttal speech to the President Obama State of the Union and castigated candidate Trump,  Don’t forget it was Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan who commissioned and approved of that rebuttal, then handed it to Haley to rehearse and deliver.
The enemy is NOT just Chuck Schumer, the real enemy is the entire UniParty apparatus which includes the GOPe swamp protection crew.  President Trump is an existential threat to the GOPe just as much as President Trump is an adversary to the visible democrats.   The GOPe just scheme it behind closed door.
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Begin, with the end in mind…

President Trump and Vice-President Pence met with Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D), and Chairs of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R) and Dianne Feinstein (D) today.  These are key members of the Senate who will be at the forefront of any Supreme Court nomination.

(Clockwise from bottom left: Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, Mike Pence, President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassley)

The small group meeting appears to be reconnaissance and temperature gauging for the upcoming Trump Supreme Court nomination which will be challenging.
In addition to the myriad of long-term impacts, Trump’s SCOTUS nominee will be a key element to the broader immigration issue.  Referencing back to the DACA topic, it is predictable the removal of DACA will eventually end up with immigration advocates selecting a deportee for use in their deportation court challenge.
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President Trump nominee for OMB Director Mick “Cantalopes” Mulvaney Senate Confirmation hearing – Ongoing:

The Office of Management and Budgets is a key role for any administration. Mulvaney represents Paul Ryan’s favorite nominee.  Previous discussion on Mulvaney below: (more…)