Comprehensive border security, and funding for a barrier therein, is the central topic in President Trump’s first Oval Office address.  President Trump will speak directly to the American people at the close of Day 18 of a partial government shutdown.  The anticipated start time is 9:00pm EST.   WH Livestream Link
UPDATE: Video Added

.
[Transcript] Oval Office – 9:01 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans: Tonight, I am speaking to you because there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.
Every day, Customs and Border Patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. We are out of space to hold them, and we have no way to promptly return them back home to their country.
America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation. But all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled, illegal migration. It strains public resources and drives down jobs and wages. Among those hardest hit are African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
(more…)

Following a meeting between Vice-President Mike Pence, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and acting WH chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney, the House leadership team (Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Liz Cheney) deliver remarks to the capitol press:

.
White House – We are no longer in a status quo situation at the Southern Border but in a crisis situation. Status quo funding is not enough.

• In fiscal year (FY) 2018, 17,000 adults at the border with existing criminal records were arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and border agents.
• In FY2017 and FY2018, ICE officers arrested approximately 235,000 aliens on various criminal charges or convictions within the interior of the United States—including roughly 100,000 for assault, 30,000 for sex crimes, and 4,000 for homicides.
• We are now averaging 60,000 illegal and inadmissible aliens a month on our Southern Border.

(more…)

In hindsight it is quite clear the professional political class had two approaches toward candidate Donald Trump:
♦ Approach #1 was to eliminate him: see spygate, surveillance, FBI, DOJ and CIA operations to destroy the threat etc.; the Special Counsel Mueller investigation is an ongoing continuance of that primary approach.
♦ Approach #2 was an effort involving the republican side of the deep state apparatus, who could be deployed as a controlling influence, on the inside.  [These would be the same people who earlier constructed the failed 2016 campaign ‘splitter strategy’ to help nominate Jeb Bush.]  Ongoing decepticon turnover, in opposition to the Trump policy implementation, seemingly reflects the consequences of the secondary approach.
While in charge of the transition team, Vice-President-elect Pence relied heavily on former Bush Secretary of State Condi Rice for cabinet and administration recommendations:

(Link)

Condi Rice recommended: Rex Tillerson, HR McMaster, Nikki Haley and James Mattis.
(more…)

White House policy counselor Kellyanne Conway delivers impromptu remarks to the media about the primary administration concerns surrounding the current crisis at the U.S. southern border.
Ms. Conway outlines a compelling case around the President’s concerns about human trafficking, drug smuggling, entry-points for terror threats, and the intent of open-border advocates to overwhelm the U.S. immigration system (800,000 asylum claim backlog).  However, at 05:34 of the video below – the insufferable Acosta happens:

(more…)

The New York Times is quick to the typeset to explain how Brussels is desperately offended because President Trump and Secretary Pompeo have lowered the importance of the EU.   Officials from the European Union are apoplectic that U.S. officials have downgraded their status amid the official registry of diplomatic protocols.

BRUSSELS — The Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change, a European official said on Tuesday.

(more…)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was inaugurated today and moments later reports surface from the Miami Herald that corrupt Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is packing up his office and preparing to be suspended.   Let us hope this is accurate….

(Via Miami Herald) It appears that Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is preparing to pack up his office.
The two-term sheriff, the object of fierce criticism over BSO’s handling of the Parkland massacre, told his top commanders that he will be removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis, sources have told the Miami Herald.

(more…)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is conducting a regional visit to multiple allies and partners in the anti-ISIS campaign.  Today, Secretary Pompeo is in Jordan for discussions as the U.S. anticipates withdrawing troops from Syria.

.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser John Bolton is in Turkey after announcing from Israel the U.S. will not withdraw from Syria until Turkey (NATO ally) agrees not to kill the Kurdish fighters. Turkish President Recep Erdogan said emphatically there would never be such assurances, therefore U.S. troops will never leave Syria.
(more…)

White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp discusses the partial government shutdown over the border wall funding and the most recent call by Democrats’ to raise taxes.

(more…)

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

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

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 †