The Bloom Is Off The Ruse – President Trump Gains Ten More Florida Republican Congressional Endorsements, DeSantis Has One – Rep Greg Steube Explains Why


Posted originally on the CTH on April 19, 2023 | Sundance 

Another three endorsements for President Trump today from the Florida congressional delegation, bringing the total so far to ten with more anticipated.  Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in Washington DC seeking support.  DeSantis is warmly greeted, but President Trump gets the endorsements.  What’s going on?

Republican Congressman Greg Steube gives an explanation below about the Ron DeSantis Floridians know, but nationally most do not.

DeSantis is an out-of-touch aloof persona, who generally projects himself as better than others.  In person he projects an arrogance and condescending personality trait also carried by his insta-selfie supporters and ‘influencers.’ It comes through the camera lens.  Everything constructed around DeSantis is fake, even the fake blue-collar handshakes that have to be photo-shopped to give a common man impression.

The donors are pouring in hundreds of millions to pay for the fake DeSantis constructs, Top Gov brand imaging and Madison Avenue illusions, but you cannot purchase authenticity, and you cannot rewrite the history of who DeSantis is.  Greg Steube explains:

[I]n a brief interview last night [Steube noted] that DeSantis has never once reached out to him during his five years in Congress nor replied to his multiple attempts to connect. He recalled a recent news conference dealing with damage from Hurricane Ian where the governor’s aides initially invited him to stand alongside DeSantis, only to tell him that he wouldn’t be part of the event when he showed up.

Trump, on the other hand, was the first person Steube remembers calling him in the ICU to wish him well after he was injured in a January tree-trimming accident. “To this day I have not heard from Gov. DeSantis,” he said.

Things suddenly changed last week, Steube said, as Trump started rolling out his Florida congressional backers. ”For the first time ever, I hear from DeSantis’s political person,” he said, referring to aide RYAN TYSON, who reportedly contacted other Florida Republicans about their endorsements.

For Steube, the outreach was too little, too late. And he continues to have sharp words for DeSantis, criticizing him for his robust political travel schedule amid a busy legislative session and just months after winning a new four-year term.  “Floridians want him focused on Florida,” he said, “which is the job they elected him to do.” (read the entire article)

Like I said last year, once people get to see Ron DeSantis up close, his disdain for people just jumps out at you.  He loves standing at the podium telling you what’s wrong with you, and what is brilliant about himself; however, he just doesn’t like people in an authentic or natural way you would expect from executive leadership.

The same disconnected snobbery applies to everyone his team has recruited.

Ken Cuccinelli and Jeff Roe are two of the biggest self-important jackasses in national politics. They don’t carry an ounce of humility or introspection.  They are always right, and the problem is it just takes too long for everyone to come around to admitting how great they are.  This is the character of DeSantis that flows through everyone he associates with.  Here’s an example from one of the ‘influencers” a few days ago.

This Twitter account is connected to both Representative Thomas Massie and DeSantis campaign official Christina Pushaw:

That tweet encapsulates the worldview of the average Ron DeSantis supporter in Florida.

This is why the overwhelming majority of the Florida Republican delegation, will not endorse him.  These outlooks are toxic and elitist.  Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis did not wear elbow length silk gloves at the noon-time inauguration day event accidentally.  Casey already went shopping with Cindy McCain and has her 2024 tiara picked out.

As I keep saying, there are not enough people who take Instagram pictures of their lunches to make Ron DeSantis a viable candidate. The polo club, cocktail party circuit of people who eat crustless triangle cucumber sandwiches and look down their noses at everyone else, is just not a large enough coalition to win DeSantis the nomination.  It means he will have more money; however, factually, the professional donor class is annoying with the level of self-righteousness and condescension they promote.

WASHINGTON DC – […] In yet another blow to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s not-yet-official presidential bid, two more Republican members of Congress from his own state are gearing to endorse Donald Trump for another term. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Carlos Gimenez are each planning to announce their support for the former president this week, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell TIME.

Their pledges continue something of a downward spiral for DeSantis, who has been steadily losing ground in the endorsement battle for legislators from his own backyard. The development is even more noteworthy after his political team recently tried to stop the bleeding by asking Florida Republicans to refrain from endorsing Trump.

Bilirakis and Gimenez have also committed to be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach on Thursday night, as the former President hosts members of the Florida delegation who have already endorsed him, including Reps. Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, and Greg Steube. It’s not clear yet whether Reps. Byron Donalds and John Rutherford, who have also endorsed Trump, will be at the gathering.

Neither Bilirakis nor Gimenez responded to requests for comment. Rep. Brian Mast, another Florida Republican, has also told associates he plans to formally back Trump in the coming days. And on Wednesday, Rep. Vern Buchanan officially thew his weight behind Trump. TIME reported last week that Buchanan was planning to endorse Trump in the coming days.

All of their endorsements will bring Trump’s tally of members of Congress from Florida to ten, whereas DeSantis has just one, Rep. Laurel Lee, who announced her support for the governor on Tuesday. Before winning her House seat last year, Lee served as DeSantis’s first Secretary of State. (read more)

Lance Gooden (R-TX) – “Today, after careful consideration and a positive meeting with Governor DeSantis, I have decided to endorse President @realDonaldTrump for 2024.”

Rolling Stone – […] “Over the past few years, the Florida governor has risen to Trump’s top internal rival without even declaring his candidacy. And part of that rise has been fueled by his pull with the GOP’s megadonor class, who prefer him to Trump because, while he brings a similar set of MAGAfied policies, he has not, to date, attempted a coup. That wellspring of financial support has been instrumental in fueling his rise, but the investments are predicated in large part on a belief that he can take down Donald.

That belief seems to be wavering, as the donor revolt has been brewing since at least last month. And it’s not just skittish donors like Richard Uihlein or Thomas Peterffy, who went public with his complaints last week. Several other top donors to DeSantis were livid about the governor referring to the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” with at least one major donor calling DeSantis to urge a walk-back, a source with knowledge of the outreach and another person briefed on it say. “My understanding is that the message was: ‘If we wanted a fucking MAGA candidate, we would donate to Donald Trump,’” the second source says.

[…] Those polling troubles may be giving some megadonors second thoughts. Sources familiar with Schlitz Brewing heir and shipping titan Richard Uihlein’s thinking told NBC News that the “brakes are pumped” with the megadonor’s DeSantis giving after the governor’s lackluster polling has given some “pause” about his viability.

Other conservatives have taken to predicting that DeSantis is potentially the second coming of Scott Walker, another Republican governor and conservative-media darling who many thought would be the favored candidate in a presidential primary — only to flame out before any ballots were cast. (read more)

US Troops on the Ground in Ukraine


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Apr 18, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

It’s official – the US is at war with Russia. This is no longer a proxy war regardless of whether an official declaration has been made. Washington confirmed that there is “a small U.S. military presence,” but only made the admission after the Pentagon data leak. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby insists American soldiers are not fighting on the battlefield.

“I won’t talk to the specifics of numbers and that kind of thing. But to get to your exact question, there is a small U.S. military presence at the embassy in conjunction with the Defense Attachés office to help us work on accountability of the material that is going in and out of Ukraine,” Kirby said, claiming the troops are connecting to a specific embassy. The initial data leak showed that there are also at least 50 troops from the UK on the ground in Ukraine, along with military personnel from 33 NATO nations.

The New York Times reported on Monday morning that NATO members are amassing their troops along the border. “NATO is rapidly moving from what the military calls deterrence by retaliation to deterrence by denial. In the past, the theory was that if the Russians invaded, member states would try to hold on until allied forces, mainly American and based at home, could come to their aid and retaliate against the Russians to try to push them back,” Steven Erlanger wrote. But NATO is going on the offensive rather than the defensive this time around. “To prevent that, to deter by denial, means a revolution in practical terms: more troops based permanently along the Russian border, more integration of American and allied war plans, more military spending and more detailed requirements for allies to have specific kinds of forces and equipment to fight, if necessary, in pre-assigned places,” the journalist wrote.

The war in Ukraine has already cost more than any war since World War II. Ukraine is not a NATO member, and there has never been a situation where NATO prepared its troops to battle a country unaffiliated with its alliance. Russia is completely backed into a corner now and the war must escalate. Putin will not retreat or surrender. Russia does not have the option to surrender as the world powers would swoop in and take over the nation, including its very valuable resources, which they’ve wanted all along. Zelensky is no longer running the show, and the global elites will decide how quickly to escalate this battle. Countless men, women, and children will die, all for the pride of a few who want to destroy the world to Build Back Better.

Cathay Bank Reveals Biden Crime Family’s Activities


Armstrong Economics Blog/Corruption Re-Posted Apr 17, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The Biden crime family’s activities are coming to light after a bank with ties to China handed over records to Republican lawmakers. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa reached out to numerous banks for information without luck. “We are investigating the domestic and international business dealings of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and other Biden associates and family members to determine whether these activities compromise U.S. national security and President Biden’s ability to lead with impartiality,” they stated in a joint letter. Cathay Bank was the only bank that was willing to aid in the investigation.

Cathay Bank revealed that Rob Walker, a Biden family associated, received a $3 million payment from a Chinese firm. Walker distributed these funds to the Bidens the following day. The alleged payments were made to Hunter Biden for $610,692; the president’s brother James Biden for $360,000; Hunter’s mistress and wife of deceased son Beau, Hallie Biden, for $25,000; last of all, $70,000 was paid to an unknown Biden. Twelve additional transactions are currently under investigation.

The corruption began while Biden was Obama’s vice president. As indicated in the joint letter:

“The convergence of the Biden family’s political and business lives began during the Obama-Biden Administration. Obama Administration White House visitor logs show Hunter Biden’s business partner visited the White House at least 27 times during President Biden’s vice presidency. Hunter Biden’s business partner—Eric Schwerin—was later nominated for a position in the Obama-Biden Administration and handled then-Vice President Biden’s tax returns while he was in office and Schwerin was president of Rosemont Seneca Partners— another Hunter Biden-affiliated company. Republicans must track the dollars to uncover whether the current President himself benefitted from these transactions and whether the payments were from nations opposed to U.S. interests.”

Now-defunct CEFC China Energy, with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), wired $1 million to one of Hunter’s business ventures called Hudson West III. Northern International Capital Holdings, a CEFC associate, sent $5 million to Hudson West III. Hudson West III used the money to send $4.8 million to Owasco P.C. and Owasco LLC, and Lion Hall Group, owned by the president’s brother James Biden. Owasco P.C. sent over 20 wire transfer to Lion Hall Group. Hunter received a $500,000 a month retainer from Hunter West III on top of a $100,000 per month fee. I am assuming that is a lot of crack. James Biden received $65,000 per month.

Senator Johnson believes the CCP may have more dirt on the Biden’s and called this release a warning shot. “They willingly gave us the documents that backed up the Treasury records. Is that a Communist Party’s shot across President Biden’s bow? Listen, this is some of the information we have. If you don’t toe the line and do things that please us, we will release even more information,” stated Johnson. The House Oversight Committee needs to take this matter seriously. America’s national security is at risk if the sitting president is compromised.

Le Pen Criticizes Meloni – Encourages France to Leave NATO


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Apr 17, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

“I’m not Meloni’s twin sister, I remain faithful to Salvini,” French politician Marine Le Pen said in regard to the Italian PM. Le Pen condemned Italy’s Meloni for supporting NATO and the EU, and while she condemns Russia’s actions in Ukraine, she does not believe that the proxy war should continue. Le Pen said that European countries should remain “Eurosceptic” as there is clearly a larger agenda at play that does not consider individual nations.

She also said that she is convinced France should leave NATO immediately and cease all weapon exports to Ukraine. Why?

“I would do everything possible for France to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict. For one simple reason: I don't see any other valid solutions.” “Or Russia – continues Le Pen – wins the war, and it would be catastrophic because all the countries that have a territorial conflict will think they can solve it with weapons. Either Ukraine wins, and this would mean that NATO has entered the conflict, and thus the beginning of the Third World War. It doesn't seem like a happy prospect to me. Or, we will continue to supply Ukraine with weapons and then we will find ourselves facing a new Hundred Years War which, given the human losses, would be a tragedy.”

This is the exact problem. No one is going to “win” this war and World War III is imminent as NATO continues to embed itself in the conflict. All NATO leaders are abandoning their domestic policies in favor of an international one that does not benefit their respective countries in any way. This entire proxy war the entire world is now fighting is merely a ploy to eliminate Russia and end fossil fuel production. I discuss these topics in depth in my book, “The Plot to Seize Russia,” which my publisher is currently working on completing. I will let everyone know once the book is available for purchase in the coming weeks.