The pesky thing about the truth is its figurative ambivalence to any feelings or emotions that surrounds it.  A few counter-intuitive media appearances by Michael Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, highlights this point succinctly.
Chuck Ross at the Daily Caller has been brilliantly monitoring the statements by far-left Clinton sycophant/convenient Cohen lawyer, Lanny Davis. Two big admissions today are toxic to the previously preferred media narrative.
In one interview Lanny Davis tells CNN, per his client, candidate Donald Trump had no knowledge of the Trump Tower meeting between Don Jr. and Natalia Veselnitskaya.

(Via Daily Caller) […] “So Michael Cohen does not have information that President Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting with the Russians beforehand or even after?” CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Davis.
“No, he does not,” replied Davis, a longtime Clinton insider who started representing Cohen earlier this summer.

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Cristhian Rivera is the illegal alien who killed 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in Iowa.  Today it is revealed that Rivera used fraudulent and stolen identification to apply for work, a VERY common way for illegal aliens to gain employment in the U.S.
The farm where he worked ran the social security number through the authentication process, after completing the I-9 form; however, they did not use E-Verify which is connected to the Department of Homeland Security.

IOWA – […] Cristhian Bahena Rivera,  the 24-year-old immigrant accused of abducting and killing Tibbetts, allegedly used a different name and provided false identification when he applied for employment at the farm just outside of Brooklyn, his employer said Wednesday.

Rivera worked at Yarrabee Farms in rural Poweshiek County for four years, Lang said. Yarrabee Farms is owned by multiple generations of the Lang family, including Craig Lang, former Farm Bureau President and prominent Iowa Republican.

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When discussing or reviewing trade deals, particularly NAFTA, it is important to remember two baselines: (1) The trade reset is President Trump’s personal legacy initiative; it’s personal – ignore media banter – it’s personal; like, the most important thing he ever thinks about. Always. 24/7. (2) President Trump has no multinational corporations or financial interests with leverage/influence over his decision-making.

There are trillions at stake.

We begin:

“We are already looking at all the issues. We might close this, not in a matter of hours, but these days. We still have next week,” Jesus Seade, designated chief negotiator of Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, told reporters.

Here’s where it becomes important to note that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has twice asked Jesus Seade to remain AFTER hours when all other trade officials have concluded discussions. Closed-door conversations between Lighthizer and Seade; and no-one else. [Refer back to the two Trump baselines again]
Next, before reviewing the comments and presentations of the media regarding the U.S. Mexico NAFTA status; again reference the team approach, and the division of responsibility. Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is meeting with the twitchy Chinese delegation – again, their arrival is not a matter of scheduling happenstance; it is directly related to the ongoing 301 hearings that began two-days-ago, Monday.
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President Trump awards a posthumous Medal of Honor for Air Force Tech Sgt. John Chapman. Chapman was considered a top performer in his field. He was an experienced static line and freefall jumper, as well as a combat diver. He was an expert in reconnaissance operations, air traffic control and terminal attack control operations, which integrates airpower onto the battlefield. He was also a dedicated husband and father to two girls.
Chapman was part of a joint special operations reconnaissance team in Afghanistan in 2002 taking part in Operation Anaconda, which worked to establish observation posts in strategic locations.
UPDATE: Video Added

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders conducts the press briefing for Wednesday August 22nd, 2018. Anticipated start time 2:15pm EST.
UPDATE: Video Added

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 †

The Michael Cohen plea agreement (full pdf here) is a total of eight counts claimed by the SDNY as unlawful activity.  However, one count is entirely political and not supported by the Federal Election Commission.  Guess which one the media focus on?
Yeah, let’s review.
Within the plea agreement the first five charges relate to tax avoidance, or tax evasion.  Each count relates to a specific tax year: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  The sixth charge, a bank fraud charge, relates to lying on a credit application.  These six charges appear valid, documented and agreed in the plea. The seventh charge, relates to structuring financial transactions through the use of a corporation. This charge is tenuous, but arguable.
However, the eighth charge is the one the media are focused on.  The charge of an illegal campaign contribution:

This Count Eight transaction surrounds a payment to Stephanie Clifford (Stormy Daniels) of $130,000 for a nuisance claim.  Who says it is a campaign contribution?  The SDNY does, no-one else.  Not even the FEC considers this a campaign contribution.
Count eight is a political charge/plea specifically included for the purpose of pulling Donald Trump into the SDNY Cohen case. There is no FEC violation here.  *Note it is not the Federal Election Commission making the claim, only the SDNY prosecutors.
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Tonight President Donald Trump heads to the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, WV, for a business round table and MAGA campaign rally.  Pre-rally speakers begin at approximately 6:00pm and President Trump is scheduled to speak at 7:00pm.
UPDATE: Video Added

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Earlier today a body was located in rural Poweshiek County, Iowa.  While investigators have yet to give an official identification, local officials have confirmed the body is missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts who disappeared over a month ago.

Moments ago the Poweshiek County Sheriff held a press conference and announced the arrest of Cristhian Rivera (24), an illegal alien, for her murder.

(USA Today) A murder charge has been filed in relation to the investigation of Mollie Tibbetts, according to the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office.

A first-degree murder charge was filed today in connection with the disappearance of Mollie Tibbetts, who was last seen jogging in Brooklyn, Iowa, on July 18, 2018.  A complaint and affidavit names Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, who resides in rural Poweshiek County, in the charge of Murder in the First Degree.

A female body was found in a cornfield with corn stalks on top of her, according to the sheriff’s office. The field is southeast of Brooklyn. While the body has not been identified, investigators believe it is Tibbetts.

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