Dec 3 2025

Videos Worth Watching – President Trump asked About Witkoff and Kushner Visiting Moscow


Posted originally on CTH on December 3, 2025 | Sundance 

President Trump was asked about the Witkoff and Kusher trip to Moscow, Russia as negotiations for an end to the conflict are ongoing.  President Trump noted he had not yet heard from the emissary duo, as he is spending time with media, answering questions and being the most transparent administration in history [Video Here].

In the contextual background, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev spent time walking through Moscow center city with Trump Emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.  This is before the meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.

This move is typical Putin.  It’s not a negative per se’, but rather an emphatic narrative contrast intended to draw attention to a Russian/American dichotomy.

This optical presentation was likely coordinated via Yury Ushakov and Steve Witkoff.  The optical message is psychological targeting; the city of Moscow -structural order, cleanliness, visual and representative Christmas holiday festival spirit- contrast and compared to the city of Washington DC, chaos, conflict and lack of social cohesion.

Traditional American intelligence review would be angered by what would be deemed psy-op manipulation; however, the reality of the situation doesn’t diminish just because the intent is to emphasize the contrast.

In reality, the Russian system of social cohesion generates these visible outcomes, and yes, there is an authoritarian mechanism that mandates the mechanics of what is inherently visible.  The debate, which never takes place, regards the overall outcome, the value in the experience as contrast against the two systems.

Yes, despite our unwillingness to admit benefit, there is value in government setting social rules, enforcing cultural compliance standards, demanding self-respect, patriotism and the lack of visible vulgarity.  Yes, if govt enforces a rules-based order, it will be naturally oppressive to those who are non-compliant – perhaps to those who prefer vulgarity. However, it is not as simple as dismissing the value when contrast against the outcomes.

THE UNSPOKEN MESSAGE: President Trump has to put national guard troops on the ground in Washington DC to retain lawful order, to control the thugs and enhance the safety and security (domestic tranquility) of the region.  President Putin does not need to put the Russian army on the streets to control the thugs or generate the same outcome; Putin’s effort has a cultural outcome.

As the ‘West’ continues to destroy itself (Russian perspective), its culture, its moral decency – and by extension its identity – the position of Russia is to keep out these vulgar influences that devalue the national sense of self-respect.

From the position of the Russian standard, social indecency is not going to be permitted, and if it takes oppressive govt control mechanisms to enforce national cultural standards, if it takes govt to mandate self-discipline, then so be it.

That’s the larger message from Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, and it is a cold, unwavering and deliberate approach that appears hard, callous and dictatorial to the ‘West’, because in many ways, it is exactly that.

Taking part in the meeting on the Russian side were Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev.

On the American side, the meeting was attended by Special Envoy of the President of the United States of America Steve Witkoff ,together with entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Affinity Partners Jared Kushner.

Ushakov is to Witkoff as Dmitriev is to Kushner.  However, I will say very directly -and this might not please a lot of Trump critics- that Jared Kushner is the key influence agent in this negotiation.

Despite what people might criticize him for, Mr. Jared Kushner has a remarkable level of self-discipline and an emotionless face that would immediately earn the respect of any Russian opposition.  When you know how Russians think about strength, you realize the mental component is their focus.  When the Russian delegation looks upon Kushner, they see self-control, strength, limited words and ultimately that translates to power.

If there is a hard 10% needed to get to the finish line of negotiations, it will be Kushner who penetrates that difficult part.  If Ukraine is to achieve an outcome that leaves them with self-respect in the final product, it will be Jared Kushner who delivers that for them.

Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is happy, because he is in a strong position having just won control of the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine (Donbas region), saying the now-secured area is a key base for Moscow’s ongoing military advance.  Ukrainian resistance is falling, as the stronghold for the best units of the Ukraine military has now collapsed.

Dec 3 2025

Trump Endorsed Matt Van Epps Wins Tennessee Special Election for CD-07


Posted originally on CTH on December 2, 2025 | Sundance

Republican Matt Van Epps won a Tennessee House special election on Tuesday defeating Democrat Aftyn Behn.

CD07 covers portions of heavily Democrat Nashville, which gave Democrats hope to make a flip of this House seat.

(VIA AP) – […] A military veteran and former state general services commissioner from Nashville, Van Epps defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn to represent the 7th Congressional District.

In a victory statement, Van Epps said he will be “all-in” with Trump in Congress.

“Running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win,” he said. “Our victory was powered by a movement of Tennesseans that are ready for change. We are grateful to the President for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory.

Trump congratulated Van Epps, saying in a social media post: “The Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him, including Millions of Dollars. Another great night for the Republican Party!!!” (more)

Dec 3 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio Delivers Remarkable Affirmation of Trump Foreign Policy


Posted originally on CTH on December 2, 2025 | Sundance

Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio, delivers a passionate series of remarks in support of President Trump’s foreign policy.

Outlining the impact of federal policy under President Trump from the perspective of what is in America’s best interest, Rubio notes how foreign policy meshes with domestic policy and is specifically the combination of national security interests that secures prosperity for all American people.

“For the first time in four decades American foreign policy is based on what is in our interests,” Rubio notes.  The entire segment is well presented.  WATCH:

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This level of authenticity is very difficult to fake.  Secretary Rubio is an exceptional advocate for America’s interests.

Dec 3 2025

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Recaps IC Reform and Accountability Measures


Posted originally on CTH on December 2, 2025 | Sundance 

During the cabinet meeting, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recapped the reform efforts still underway to identify deep state actors within the federal intelligence bureaucracy and hold them accountable. WATCH:

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Dec 3 2025

President Trump Holds a Cabinet Meeting – 11:30am Livestream


December 2, 2025 | Sundance  December 2, 2025 | Sundance 

With the media chomping at the bit to take down War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and with Trump’s emissary Steve Witkoff in Moscow today to meet with Vladimir Putin, President Trump will hold a cabinet meeting with press availability today at 11:30am ET.

Livestream Links Below. UPDATE: VIDEO ADDED

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Dec 2 2025

Maduro Refuses to Flee – US to Attack Venezuela


Posted originally on Dec 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Venezuela Map

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has two options: flee immediately or propel your nation into a one-sided war with the United States. President Donald Trump offered Maduro one last chance to flee the nation. If not, the US will forcibly implement regime change.

It began with sanctions and secondary sanctions that implemented 25% tariff on imports from any nation purchasing Venezuelan gas.  The US placed a $50 bounty on Maduro’s head, but the price was not enough to cause his circle to falter. Thousands of illegal Venezuelan migrants were sent back to Venezuela over the past year. The US Department of Defense deemed drug smuggling from Venezuela a national security crisis that provided them with the right to destroy Venezuelan ships that could contain narcotics. Venezuela declared war against the US and called upon 4.5 million troops to protect the nation. President Trump determined there was no need to officially declare war or call upon Congress.

New FAA Airspace Warnings for Venezuela and Puerto Rico – International Ops 2025 – OPSGROUP

There is currently a no-fly zone over Venezuela as tensions are coming to a head. Washington has offered Maduro protection if he flees with his wife and son immediately. Reports state that Maduro was not receptive, and Washington escalated the matter within hours.

Maduro requested “global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed,” but that was rejected. No one will permit their enemy to flee, regroup and gain power. Maduro may be able to flee the nation but he will face life imprisonment. It seems more likely that he will go out shooting rather than in handcuffs. The same source told reporters that Maduro wants to retain control of the armed forces in exchange for free elections. Maduro attempted to phone Washington hours after refusing to flee, but Washington is no longer accepting his calls.

The US is prepared to force regime change. It is one thing to shoot down boats, but another to begin striking within the nation. “The targets have been identified through covert operations over the last several years by people on the ground,” Venezuelan diplomat Vanessa Neumann told Fox News Digital. “So they’re well-mapped. This is a capture-or-kill scenario, but there’s a limit to how many people you can remove quickly.”

China and Russia were Maduro’s last hope. Xi and Putin have criticized Trump’s actions in the region and will cite these actions as a reason that the US is an untrustworthy neo-colonizer. Still, Putin is wrapped up in peace talks, and China does not make impulsive moves. Maduro is on his way out.

This lines up perfectly with the Economic Confidence Model that pointed to 2024.35 to 2026.05 as the rise of civil unrest, political fragmentation, and deterioration of government confidence. The start of 2026 marks the beginning of the shift toward international war. The real areas of concern are Europe (NATO v Russia), the Middle East, and then Asia. The incoming regime change in Venezuela is inconsequential from a US perspective, but it is the beginning of the ongoing global conflict we will witness during this violent wave.

Dec 2 2025

Feeding Our Future Fraud Scandal


Posted originally on Dec 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Feed Our Future | CCBH

Federal child nutrition program guidelines were loosened during the COVID-19 pandemic to the benefit of corrupt NGOs that stole over $1 billion from the Feeding Our Future program in Minnesota. Workers at the Minnesota Department of Human Services are now asking Governor Tim Walz to resign for attempting a massive cover-up.

“Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response,” the Minnesota DHS employees’ X account posted. “Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports. Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation,” the account charged.

Feeding Our Future is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and dismantled in 2022 after it became apparent that the organization’s sole purpose was money laundering. Criminals created shell companies and billed the state for services that never occurred. The organization created fake “meal sites” that allegedly served thousands of meals per day to needy children. The state government reimbursed these agencies between $3 and $12 per meal. One site claimed it was serving 5,000 meals per day, seven days a week, and submitted its invoice to Feeding Our Future, which then passed on the bill to the Minnesota Department of Education.

These programs cost around $3.4 million in 2019, soaring to $200 million by 2021 as the pandemic was the perfect excuse to expand the program. Feeding Our Future took between 5% and 10% in administration fees. Site operators, if a site actually existed, took between 5% and 30% in kickbacks. The corruption was so blatant that restaurant owners and other nonprofits began enrolling into the Feed Our Future sponsorship program with the sole purpose of robbing the state.

Over 75 people have been arreste,d and the stories are relatively similar. As indicated in one court document:

“In 2020, Fidhin enrolled her company, M5 Café, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.  Fidhin later created a nonprofit organization called M5 Care, which, in 2021, she also enrolled in the program under another sponsor.  Fidhin fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to 500 children a day, seven days a week, at her sites.  In reality, Fidhin served few, if any, children at her sites.  Fidhin submitted fake invoices purporting to document the purchase of food for use in feeding these children. 

In all, Fidhin fraudulently claimed to have served more than 300,000 meals at her two food sites, for which she claimed to be entitled to approximately $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

Fidhin did not use these funds to purchase food to feed children.  Instead, she used the money to pay off her home mortgage, to purchase a car, and to fund her lifestyle.  Fidhin also wired tens of thousands of dollars out of the country.  She paid approximately $27,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for his sponsorship and submission of her fraudulent claims.”

Millions in funding were wired abroad to places like Somalia and China. The scam spread to NGOs that claimed to be helping the homeless epidemic. The scope of the fraud case is simply unbelievable and too massive to be chalked up to ignorance. The Minnesota Department of Education overlooked more than 30 fraud complaints from 2018 to 2021. One whistleblower alerted the department to a 1,900% spike in meal counts, kickbacks, and shell companies, but the state looked the other way.

Jurors convict 5, acquit 2 defendants in first Feeding Our Future trial - KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News

Certain agencies were above the law under Walz. Feeding Our Future sued the Minnesota Department of Education for racism in 2020. Remember: everything was racist back in 2020. The organization claimed that the state was preventing “minority-owned businesses” from receiving new application approval. Walz was willing to permit this activity to happen to avoid being a labeled a racist. Of the 78 people arrested, 70 are of Somali descent.

And now Tim Walz has been labeled “seriously retarded” by the POTUS. “Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for ‘prey’ as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,” Trump said. “The seriously r——d Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.” Walz claims there is a difference between “fraud” and “corruption” and claims no wrongdoing. He is extremely offended that Trump has continued to point out that the entire operation was run by Somali migrants.

Minnesota does not have term limits on governors and will continue to decay under Walz’s poor leadership. I do not understand how anyone could have cast a vote for him last November. The Harris-Walz ticket may have been the worst to appear on the ballot box in American history.

Dec 2 2025

Swiss Say NO to Inheritance Taxes


Posted originally on Dec 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Inheritance Tax

Governments believe the people should pay for their shortfalls. Switzerland proposed a 50% inheritance tax on fortunes above $62 million USD (50 million Swiss francs). Voters overwhelmingly said NO with 78% voting against the cash grab.

Leftist Social Democrats or JUSOs stated that the government needs to collect additional revenue to pay for climate change projects. “The super rich inherit billions, we inherit crises,”‍ they argued. The eat the rich, save the planet rhetoric has fallen on deaf ears.

Switzerland currently has a decentralized inheritance tax system that attracts the wealthy. The nation has already lost its destination for capital by handing over all banking information to centralized governments. Adolf Hitler deemed it illegal for Germans to store money outside the country, leading the way to Swiss banking. Decades later, centralized governments deem it illegal to store money anywhere that they cannot track and tax it. Christine Lagarde began the SWIFT confiscation when she was the head of the IMF. Lagarde threatened all tax havens to turn over accounts or be removed from SWIFT.  Not even Hitler violated the sovereignty of Switzerland where those in government today are far more ruthless and threaten other nations with ultimatums.

Franklin Taxes

Why would the government be entitled to half of someone’s fortune? The government collects its share when you earn your wealth. They tax the assets you hold, tax capital once realized, levy your property annually, and then, even in death, the government demands more. Family businesses cannot operate long-term under these conditions, and to the government’s advantage, families cannot grow in power. Inheritance taxes are not designed to fund the government; rather, they are intended to prevent intergenerational wealth transfer and keep citizens dependent on the state.

Inheritance taxes are nothing but state-sanctioned theft, rooted in Marxist ideology, imposed at the moment a family is most vulnerable, and proof that the government views your assets as its property. Swiss voters see that their government is attempting to scare away the features that make Switzerland a wealthy nation. But the government will continue to ask the people if it may kindly continue robbing them through taxation until the day comes that the government simply takes it away.

Dec 2 2025

The Federal Reserve Was Brilliant Until Politics Destroyed It


Posted originally on Dec 1, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

Federal Reserve map usa 12 districts

People love to blame the Federal Reserve for everything under the sun because it is easier than admitting the real problem: government. The tragic part of this entire monetary experiment is that the Fed, as originally designed in 1913, was brilliant. Each regional branch operated independently, responding to local capital flows instead of political agendas in Washington.

Money moved with the seasons. When crops were planted, capital flowed one way; when the harvest came in, it flowed another. The system was designed to absorb these fluctuations smoothly. It was never supposed to be a political arm of the federal government. In fact, the Fed was owned by the member banks and functioned as a true lender of last resort — buying corporate paper, not government debt. That allowed elastic money that expanded and contracted with economic activity. Corporate paper matures. Government debt does not.

Then came World War I, and with it, the beginning of the end.

Washington needed to borrow staggering amounts of money, so the government told the Fed: stop buying corporate paper and buy our debt instead. From that moment forward, the independence of the branches was eroded. The original structure was discarded in favor of centralized political control. Roosevelt finished the job during the New Deal by usurping the authority of all the regional banks and concentrating everything in Washington under a single chairman. What should have remained a decentralized system responding to capital flows became a one-size-fits-all political tool.

Federal Reserve Eagle

This is why I say the central bank does not need reform, but the government does.

The Fed does not create inflation; the fiscal side of the ledger does. Once Washington discovered that it was less inflationary to borrow than to print outright, the entire system became debt-driven. And because government debt never expires, the money supply never contracts. If the Fed does absolutely nothing, the money supply still expands because the government continually rolls the debt and pays interest on interest. That is why we are in a perpetual cycle of rising obligations.

The Fed has been politically gutted. Every time Washington meddles with the structure, nothing is ever restored afterward. There is no long-term planning, no institutional memory. When I go down to Washington and speak with people, I feel as though I’m explaining basic arithmetic to a grade-school classroom. The political class does not understand markets, capital flows, or historical monetary structure.

The Fed was designed to stabilize regional capital flows. Today, it is blamed for inflation it does not create, forced to manage debt it does not issue, and expected to solve political failures it did not cause. The lender-of-last-resort function only made sense when the Fed bought corporate paper that rolled off the books. Government debt has destroyed that mechanism. Once money becomes tied to sovereign debt, it never contracts, rather it becomes perpetual.

This is why our monetary system is collapsing into the Sovereign Debt Crisis. Not because of the Fed, but because government destroyed the very architecture that once allowed the economy to breathe.

Dec 2 2025

China is not a Communist Country


Posted originally on Dec 1, 2025 by Martin Armstrong |  

China Yuan Currency

The Chinese Communist Party is not “communist.” China permits private ownership and corporations. Consumerism and capitalism are alive and well. Forbes reported in April 2021 that a new billionaire was created worldwide every 17 hours, with the majority of newfound wealth coming from China.

The USA may be the billionaire capital of the world, with between 813 and 902 billionaires recorded, but China has seen a significant rise in the top wealth bracket in recent years. Mainland China currently has around 450 billionaires with a combined wealth of $1.7 trillion. China also hosts over 1,400 people with fortunes above $700 million. Billionaires do not exist in communist nations.

Karl Marx’s communism involved seizing the means of production. The government owns land, infrastructure, factories, and corporations under the premise that the ruling class could be eliminated by surrendering ownership to the state. Citizens may not accumulate wealth, as no one may have more than another, and certainly not more than the state. Everyone must be equal in poverty.

Under communism, the incentive for innovation is null and void. China has become a pioneer in innovative technologies and discoveries in every sector. Entrepreneurs are abundant in China, and investment and international trade are encouraged. The China of today is one of the leading players in the global economy, driven by modernization and competitiveness. The China of the past may have been communist, but the government is not going to take down statues of Mao or announce past wrongdoings.

China quietly moved away from communism decades ago. They saw it wasn’t working and made a change without a public declaration. Yes, the CCP is certainly authoritarian to some degree, but it is a fallacy to call China a communist nation.