Earlier today President Trump traveled to The Villages in Florida to deliver a speech on protecting Medicare and sign an executive order therein.
The goal of the executive order is to: give patients more plan choices, more access to telehealth and new therapies, and more time with providers; streamline the approval of therapies, while reducing obstacles to improved patient care; and maximize freedom for Medicare patients and providers by reducing regulatory burdens and eliminating unnecessary barriers.  [Video and Transcript Below]

.
[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. Special place. Really special place. But where I’m disappointed: I said, “We could have had 25,000 people if we did it outside.” They said — (applause). Did you see all the people outside? They all want your seat. That’s the way life goes. (Applause.) And you’re not giving it up. I know you too well. You’re not going to give it up. Please sit down. Let’s enjoy it. Let’s enjoy ourselves.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, President Trump!
(more…)

Chopper pressers are the best pressers.  President Trump pauses to hold an impromptu press conference departing the White House for a trip to Florida. [Video and Transcript below]

.
[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. We’re going to The Villages in Ocala, Florida. We have a big crowd. We’re going to be talking about healthcare. We’re doing a lot of work on healthcare. We’re very successful at it. And so we’re going to be speaking to the great people of Florida. And I think they’re very happy with the job we’re doing.
Yeah.
(more…)

White House trade and manufacturing policy advisor Peter Navarro appears on Fox Business to discusses the World Trade Organization ruling granting the U.S. $7.5 billion in annual tariff countermeasures against the EU.

(more…)

Jumpin’ ju-ju bones – The Trump administration via U.S. Trade Rep Robert Lighthizer and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross won a massive $7.5 billion award as an outcome of the World Trade Organization agreeing with the U.S. against the EU and Airbus subsidies.  The WTO arbitrators decision is final and cannot be appealed.
This win sets the stage for President Trump to deploy $7.5 billion in countervailing duties against products from the EU.  Keep in mind, a final WTO ruling means the EU cannot retaliate against any WTO-authorized countermeasures.  The downstream ramifications are very significant. Think about it: at 25% the U.S. could tariff $30 billion in EU goods.

Man, talk about serendipitous timing… But first, here’s the press release from Robert Lighthizer:

Washington, D.C.–  The United States has won the largest arbitration award in World Trade Organization (WTO)  history in its dispute with the European Union over illegal subsidies to Airbus.  This follows four previous panel and appellate reports from 2011-2018 finding that EU subsidies to Airbus break WTO rules.
Today’s decision demonstrates that massive EU corporate welfare has cost American aerospace companies hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue over the nearly 15 years of litigation.

(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

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45

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 †

President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani appears for a discussion with Lou Dobbs to outline how Adam Schiff was working in concert with left-wing political allies to create the CIA whistle-blower complaint as evidence for their impeachment agenda:

.
Some of the information provided by the State Department IG to congress included the investigative notes of Rudy Giuliani in conversations with Ukraine officials. Additionally, Giuliani appeared on Fox News with Sean Hannity to expand the discussion.
(more…)

For two days the mainstream media were breathlessly reporting on an “urgent request” from the State Department Inspector General for a closed-door meeting.
Media sources whipped their left-wing audiences into an anticipatory frenzy with predictions of devastating information soon to come from an “explosive” and “highly unusual” request.  It must must be connected to President Trump and Secretary Mike Pompeo hiding devastating information, they said…

Well, the super-anticipated ‘closed door’ briefing was held today, and the IG handed out packets of information related to revelations of Democrats colluding with the Ukraine government.  The exact opposite of what the media and the professional left anticipated.

WASHINGTON –  The State Department’s Inspector General shared a packet of months-old news stories and other Ukraine-related documents during an “urgent” briefing with Congressional staffers on Wednesday, sources told the Daily Caller.
Sources familiar with the meeting said the IG handed over a packet containing, among other old materials, news articles written this past spring by The Hill’s John Solomon about Democratic ties to Ukraine.

(more…)

Through a FOIA request Judicial Watch has received Rod Rosenstein’s email communication around the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller [See Here]. The content further confirms when Rosenstein took Mueller to the White House on May 16th, 2017, the purpose was for Mueller to preview his target, President Trump.
Many are focused on May 12, 2017, where Rosenstein sent an email to Robert Mueller, Subject: “I assume you realize”… “The boss and his staff do not know about our discussions”; however, that date is being misconstrued.
Rosenstein took Mueller to visit Jeff Sessions on May 13th, the specifics of that email likely concern keeping prior private conversations out of the discussion with Sessions.

(Source pdf)

If we insert the Rosenstein email conversation into our timeline the picture is clear.
Perhaps the most important aspect is how DAG Rosenstein took Robert Mueller to the White House on May 16th, to interview President Trump.  The decision to appoint Mueller as special counsel was pre-determined prior to the White House visit:
(more…)

While diplomatic and fierce, President Trump delivers extensive remarks to the press pool today in advance of a bilateral meeting with President Niinistö of Finland.
[Video and Transcript Below]

.
[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. It’s a great honor to have a man that’s become a friend of mine — we’ve gotten to know each other well — the President of Finland. And we have many things to discuss, including trade and military and purchases, and lots of different very exciting events.
So we’ll have a long time together today. We’ll then be having lunch. And I think we’re going to be seeing the media right afterwards and say a few words.
But it’s an honor, Mr. President, to have you with us. Thank you.
(more…)