President Trump appears on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) for a very extensive  interview with Governor Mike Huckabee.

(more…)

During a White House event earlier today President Donald Trump signed a Presidential proclamation designating October 6th as “National Manufacturing Day”.
One of President Trump’s top economic priorities, enmeshed in the America-First economic agenda, is to bring back U.S. manufacturing excellence as a priority to the foundation of a balanced American economy.

.
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP – AT SIGNING OF NATIONAL MANUFACTURING DAY PROCLAMATION – Oval Office – 2:05 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. It’s an honor to be here with the great men and women of American manufacturing. In a few moments, I will sign a presidential proclamation declaring today National Manufacturing Day.
(more…)

Earlier today President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a celebration of Hispanic Heritage month in the EAST ROOM of the White House.

[Transcript] 12:52 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you in Puerto Rico!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. You should, you should. (Laughter.) Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
And it’s great to be with you and Secretary Acosta, Treasurer Carranza, and to every Hispanic American serving in the White House and all across our administration. Thank you very much. (Applause.) It’s a great privilege for the First Lady, Melania, and I to be with you all today. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
(more…)

CTH has called out the anti-American economic positions of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for many years.  The U.S. CoC is the largest DC lobbying group for multinational corporations and multinational financial interests.  The CoC is at the very epicenter of the financial constructs that support the Washington DC UniParty.
When President Trump won the election in 2016 it was a thundershock to decades of work by the U.S. CoC to undermine economic nationalism in favor of global corporate interests. Within all of the economic, trade and policy discussion which subsequently flowed from the White House the CoC did not have a seat at the table.  Trump’s economic policy is adverse to the interests of The Big Club.
Today the CoC is taking a direct and adversarial position to oppose the White House and the intended framework (Trump, Ross, Lighthizer) for a renegotiated NAFTA deal.  The U.S. CoC is aligning with Canada and Mexico against the interests of the United States.
While predicted, it is a little surreal to see the U.S. CoC drop their mask so openly:

WASHINGTON DC – The Chamber of Commerce warned Friday that the Trump administration appears to be on the path to pulling out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, on the eve of the fourth round of talks to renegotiate that deal.

(more…)

{{snicker}} Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has announced a decision to delay a Commerce Department decision on Aluminum until sometime before November 30th.

…”Commerce said it would issue its preliminary determination in the aluminum foil case – along with a decision on China’s non-market economy status – by Nov. 30. A final duty determination is expected 75 days later.”…

When you analyze the Trump Doctrine, using economics as leverage for national security objectives, it becomes easier to understand the ebb, flow and timing of Wilbur Ross trade determinations. Economics, trade policy and national security objectives are all connected.
WASHINGTON(Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday it would defer issuing its preliminary determination in an anti-dumping duty probe into imports of aluminum foil from China.
The department said in a statement the delay would allow it “to fully analyze information pertaining to China’s status as a non-market economy (NME) country.”
U.S. aluminum foil producers have filed petitions with the U.S. government accusing Chinese manufacturers of dumping the product in the United States. In 2016, imports of aluminum foil from China were valued at an estimated $389 million, department figures show.
(more…)

CARIBBEAN SEA (NNS) — President Donald J. Trump visited the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Oct. 3, to discuss relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with Navy and Marine Corps leadership.  President Trump met with Governor Kenneth Mapp of the US Virgin Islands aboard the Kearsarge:

.
Ward Room – USS Kearsarge – [Transcript] 2:54 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much. I wanted to begin by saying well be leaving tomorrow morning very early from the White House. Well be going to Las Vegas. We will be paying our personal respects and condolences to everybody.
What happened is such a tragedy. So unnecessary — who can believe what happened in Las Vegas. Great love for the people, great love for the people of our country, and I look forward to going tomorrow. The First Lady will be coming with me, and were going to be paying our respects and condolences. Well be leaving early in the morning.
(more…)

The Backstory Here Is Important – Those who travel the deep weeds of politics might remember back in August when the Trump administration delayed $300 million in economic aid to Egypt.  The U.S. media made quite a fuss about it and claimed U.S. Egyptian relations would be stressed.  Reminder:

CAIRO— Egypt reacted angrily Wednesday to the Trump administration’s decision to cut or delay nearly $300 million in military and economic aid over human rights concerns, a surprise move given the increasingly close ties that have bound the two allies since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Hours after the U.S. announcement, Trump’s Middle East envoy, son-in-law Jared Kushner, arrived in Egypt as part of a Middle East tour to try to revive Arab-Israeli peace talks. He met with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and later conferred with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry before leaving for Israel.

(more…)

President Donald Trump spent much of the weekend working from his New Jersey golf club in Bedminister and then attended the international golf competition, The President’s Cup, at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City.
President Trump presented the winning trophy to Team U.S.A., and with compliments to the international competition dedicated the trophy to the people of Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas who are dealing with the aftermath of three devastating hurricanes.

(more…)

President Trump tweeted this morning while Secretary Rex Tillerson is in China meeting with Xi Jinping about what to do with North Korea. ….or put another way: Tillerson chats about Rocket-boy consequences with big Panda while the sound of a lion roaring is heard over the background of the bamboo forest.
If you’ve been following along, Trump/Tillerson creating the need for ‘Magnanimous Panda’ is actually quite fun to watch unfold.

President Trump will never use the U.S. military to solve this regional issue.  The national security strategy is based entirely on economics (leverage) and diplomacy (ownership).  President Trump’s words and rhetoric against Kim Jong-un, and the response from Jong-un in kind toward President Trump, creates the foundation of a need for magnanimous panda to step in.
Remember, Beijing doesn’t want to take ownership of DPRK.  China prefers to retain influence over behavior, they are the enablers, but not be directly responsible for the enforcement of any agreement which comes with attached consequences (economic punishment) for DPRK violations.
(more…)

Ahead of an upcoming trip by President Donald Trump, and against the backdrop of economic sanctions by Trump/Mnuchin and the U.N. toward North Korea, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson works on the “Magnanimous Panda” strategy within the Trump Doctrine.
The ‘Big Picture’ goal is for China to accept responsibility, publicly, for spearheading the denuclearizing program within an established “six party talk” framework.  China ultimately becoming the guarantor of a denuclearized DPRK, and President Trump stroking the Panda Fur (praise) while simultaneously controlling the amount of bamboo in the Beijing forest.  So far, things are proceeding swimmingly.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping offered warm words for U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, calling him a friend and saying he expected Trump’s visit to China in November would be “wonderful”.

(more…)