Representative Don Bacon Says if Trump Left NATO “There Would Be a Civil War in The Republican Party”


Posted originally on CTH on March 18, 2026 | Sundance 

Representative Don Bacon is openly and publicly in opposition to every President Trump policy.  Bacon is a ‘professional republican’, a traditional DeSantis republican.

Appearing on CNN the Nebraska Republican says if President Trump were to leave NATO, “there would be a civil war in the republican caucus.”  WATCH (prompted):

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DNI Tulsi Gabbard Releases 2026 Unclassified National Threat Assessment


Posted originally on CTH on March 18, 2026 | Sundance

In fulfilling her legislatively mandated annual report called the “National Threat Assessment,” Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, releases the combined intelligence assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

You can read the Unclassified 2026 National Threat Assessment Here

Additionally, here is the transcript of DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s statement to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence:

[TRANSCRIPT] – “I am here today to present the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, joined by the Directors of the CIA, DIA, FBI and NSA.

This briefing is being provided in accordance with ODNI’s statutory responsibility and represents the Intelligence Community’s assessment of the threats facing U.S. citizens, our Homeland, and our interests.

As President Trump’s National Security Strategy highlights, America is blessed with an enviable geostrategic position, unparalleled assets, resources and a military second to none. Intelligence remains among our sharpest tools in protecting our interests and informing our policymakers and decisionmakers on key national security concerns.

In this assessment, we are following the structure of priorities laid out in the National Security Strategy, starting with threats to our Homeland, then shifting to global risks.

The defense of our Homeland is of utmost importance to the American people. Putting America first means committing to an unrelenting vigilance in service of our own citizens, borders, and communities. Recent efforts to bolster Homeland defense have yielded significantly positive results, but challenges persist.

For example, President Trump’s strict enforcement of U.S. policies at the U.S. Mexico border and regionally has served as a deterrent and drastically reduced illegal immigration. Based on Customs and Border Patrol data, January 2026’s monthly encounters are down 83.8% compared to January 2025. Encounters declined 79% compared to 2024.

The drivers of migration are likely to continue. Potential worsening instability in countries like Cuba and Haiti risk triggering migration surges. Smugglers who often operate as transnational criminal organizations view chaos as an opportunity for profit and will look to continue to profit from illegal immigration flows.

Transnational criminal organizations continue to pose a daily and direct threat to the health and safety of millions of U.S. citizens primarily by producing and trafficking in illegal drugs.

Under President Trump’s leadership, fentanyl overdose deaths have seen a 30 percent decrease from September 2024 to September 2025.

Fentanyl potency has also decreased, likely due to disruptions to the production supply chain.

U.S. efforts to work with China and India to halt the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals to North America are demonstrating improvement, but there is more work to be done as there are still tens of thousands of fentanyl-related deaths in America every year.

President Trump’s aggressive efforts to more directly and actively target TCOs and reduce the inflow of fentanyl precursors has already had a significant impact which is likely to continue. (continue reading – pdf)

The opening statement is 8-pages in full and can be found by following the ‘continue reading’ link above.

Tulsi Gabbard is doing a solid job as DNI, against formidable opposition from all directions.

“It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.”

― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

Karoline Leavitt Confirms President Trump China Trip Indefinitely Postponed


Posted originally on CTH on March 18, 2026 | Sundance 

This is very interesting because Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer went to Paris last weekend to meet with their Chinese counterparts and organize the deliverables for the upcoming summit between Chairman Xi Jinping and President Trump.

At roughly the same moment that Bessent and Greer were meeting with China, President Trump sent out the Truth Social message requesting Chinese ships to come to the Strait of Hormuz and escort their oil.  I said at the time of Trump’s message that Chairman Xi was going to have to negotiate through this issue carefully because it was very obvious that President Trump was not going to maintain any diplomatic pretenses when he met with Chairman Xi.

Yesterday, during the St Patrick’s Day celebration President Trump said the summit was cancelled. “We’re resetting the meeting and it looks like it’ll take place in about five weeks,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in an event with Micheál Martin, the Irish prime minister.

Today, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed there is no scheduled replacement date for the cancelled summit.

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Keep watching.  Bessent and Greer didn’t go to Paris for nothing.

24 Hours After Trump Said USA Might Leave NATO, Europe Says ‘Ships on the Way’


Posted originally on CTH on March 18, 2026 | Sundance 

Sometimes things are just too funny. Less than 24 hours after President Trump said Europe’s refusal to escort their own oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz might lead him to reconsider staying in NATO, suddenly ships are en route.

Poland is sending two escort ships, Denmark says they are willing, France changes from no to maybe, and NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte says everyone is trying to figure out how to help. Huh, funny that.

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Vice President JD Vance Responds to Question About Joe Kent Resignation


Posted originally on CTH on March 18, 2026 | Sundance

Vice President JD Vance was asked about NCTC Director Joe Kent resigning from his position over a disagreement surrounding the Iran conflict.

This could have been a challenging question for Vance to answer because both Vance and Kent are funded and supported by the same ideological donor, Billionaire Peter Thiel.  [FYI Tucker is also in this stable] Thiel is a libertarian minded billionaire within Big Tech and not necessarily an ideological fan of Donald Trump or MAGA.  Palantir is one of Thiels companies with CEO Alex Karp running it.  Palantir is a major contractor within the national security apparatus.

JD Vance adroitly navigates the answer by saying once the President makes a decision, the role of all subordinates is to get behind that decision, and never openly compromise your leadership.

“It’s one thing to have a disagreement of opinion…That said, whatever your view is, when president of the United States makes a decision, it’s your job to help make that decision as effective and successful as possible…If you are on the team and you can’t help implement the decisions of his administration, he has the right to make those decisions, then it’s a good thing for you to resign. And I think that’s exactly right. It’s fine to disagree, but once the president makes a decision, it’s up to everybody who serves in his administration to make it as successful as possible.” WATCH:  

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It’s obvious Team Thiel didn’t agree with the policy decision to attack Iran, that’s more of a neocon Team Ellison/Adelson policy move.  However, JD Vance is very correct in how the Team Thiel horses within the administration should respond to the decision in trying to make it as successful as possible.

Thiel <-> Musk <-> Ellison

Japan Signs Major $56 Billion Energy Deal with U.S, Strategically Boosting Energy Relationship


Posted originally on CTH on March 17, 2026 | Sundance

CTH has said to watch the U.S.-Japan trade relationship closely because the outlines of multiple geopolitical shifts can be referenced from a new strategic relationship surrounding multiple sectors, including energy.

The U.S, relationship with Japan is both leverage and a hedge against old alliances that may seek to disrupt the global reset currently underway through President Trump policy.  The issues with the European Union, U.K, USMCA and other tenuous allies, look entirely different when President Trump has alternative partnerships for massive energy exports.

ENERGY NEWS – In a major move to secure stable energy supplies amid escalating geopolitical tensions, Japan has inked deals worth up to $56 billion with the United States for oil, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases and investments.

This agreement, finalized at the Asia-Pacific Energy Security Forum in Tokyo on March 14, 2026, underscores Japan’s push to diversify its energy imports and deepen economic ties with the US under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration.

The deals come as part of a broader framework stemming from the 2025 US-Japan trade agreement, where Japan pledged $550 billion in US investments over several years, with energy as a key pillar.

The $56 billion package represents a significant escalation in Japan’s commitment to American energy, building on an initial $36 billion tranche announced earlier in 2026.

This latest round emphasizes immediate purchases and long-term infrastructure projects, responding to global market volatility driven by conflicts in the Middle East and disruptions in key shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz.

[…] The agreements encompass a mix of direct energy purchases, joint ventures, and infrastructure investments. (read more)

As a nation that needs energy partnerships, Japan seeks stability and predictability.  Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has gone all-in on a strategic energy partnership with the United States.

As the tectonic plates are shaken:

♦ If Canada wants to try and leverage the energy trade infrastructure against a USMCA reset, President Trump has Venezuela production as an offset.

Japanese automakers have already told Canadian trade ministers that if Canada loses the USMCA, there’s no value in maintaining auto manufacturing north of the border – because the target customers are all in the USA.  Japan would move all production out of Canada.  I doubt China could replace at scale.

♦ If Europe, who is now dependent on LNG from Norway and the USA, wants to create geopolitical friction, President Trump now has Japan as a replacement customer.  More behavioral leverage.

U.S. firms are making a lot of money selling LNG to Europe, but Trump has just created a customer base that is more reliable and politically consistent.

♦ Then, as the short-term lifting of LNG and oil sanctions on Russia is proving (petrodollars used), think about the potential for India and Southeast Asia to be supported by Russian exports.  Who holds that distribution key, again Trump.

It is not accidental that India is sending support vessels to the Strait of Hormuz as requested by President Trump.  Here’s the kicker… With oil and gas from Russia, India doesn’t need the Iranian oil and gas; yet, they are sending support. Why? Because Prime Minister Modi wants Trump to keep their Russian purchase exemptions in place.

We can see how a strong collaborative relationship with Japan can negate any negative economic impact the mask wearing Europeans and Canadians might want to try and leverage.  In actuality, Canada, the U.K and Europe don’t have any leverage at all in the new world of trade.

One way to look at this is to say the primary “Build Back Better” nations, those most entrenched in the selling of climate change as a tool for manipulation and control, are being positioned to have the least amount of input into a new, tiered set of established nations for global energy development.

Take a look at that Russian Sanctions map again.  The nations in yellow created the sanctions:

Now, overlay the new energy trade relationships that are forming.

The USA fuels the Western Hemisphere.

Russia fuels the Eastern Hemisphere.

Europe is reliant on the Middle East.

China loses geopolitical power, Russia gains power.

Europe loses geopolitical power, India gains power.

Deal with Iran and most conflict is resolved in the Middle East.

The USA controls the Western Hemisphere.  And with India and Japan as allies, the Indo-Pacific outline is realized.

President Trump Asked Directly if He Will Reconsider Staying in NATO


Posted originally on CTH on March 17, 2026 | Sundance 

President Donald Trump is not happy with NATO allies over the issue of the Iran war and their refusal to escort oil out of the gulf region.   President Trump criticized the EU member nations for refusing to support U.S. military efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump is then asked questions about if he would reconsider the U.S. relationship with NATO, warning it’s “not good for a partnership,” and signaling possible reconsideration of U.S. ties with NATO. WATCH:

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The folks at the Lyndon LaRouche PAC are getting a ton of content to use in their anti-imperialism analysis as this conflict between President Trump, the U.K, the E.U and the NATO alliance continues.

President Trump and Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin Hold a Bilateral Meeting on St Patrick’s Day – Livestream


Posted originally on CTH on March 17, 2026 | Sundance 

President Donald Trump and Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin have a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office on St. Patrick’s Day.  Livestream Links Below:

UPDATE: VIDEO ADDED

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NCTC Director Joe Kent Resigns from Trump Administration in Protest to Iran War


Posted originally on CTH on March 17, 2026 | Sundance

Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has announced his resignation.  Director Kent outlines his decision as driven by opposition to the war against Iran.

Kent, a senior deputy to Director of National intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted his resignation letter on the X platform, writing: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.” … “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

[SOURCE]

This is quite a remarkable development.  Director Joe Kent’s full resignation letter is below, and out of an abundance of caution I prefer to await to see how President Trump and/or Tulsi Gabbard responds.

Unfortunately, one of the consequences of this very public resignation is going to be fuel upon the fire of division surrounding the issue of Israeli influence inside the Trump administration.

Ugh!

PRO TIP: Watch closely how JD Vance reacts.

September 1, 2021 – President Donald Trump previously said this:

Joe Kent is a retired Green Beret and Gold Star husband running against RINO and incompetent Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler in the 3rd District of the State of Washington. Joe served his country proudly for many years and understands the tremendous cost of America’s wars in the Middle East, and elsewhere. In Congress, Joe will be a warrior for the America First agenda, unlike Jaime Herrera Beutler who voted, despite the facts, against the Republican Party and for the Democrats’ Impeachment Scam.”

Joe Kent is strong on Crime and the Border, loves our Military and our Vets, and will protect our Second Amendment, which is under siege. I met Joe at Dover Air Force Base on the evening that his wife was being brought back from the Middle East, where she had been killed in combat. It was a very sad moment in Joe’s life, but I was incredibly impressed with him and told him that he should someday run for office—we need his voice and leadership in Washington, D.C. Now he is running, and Joe Kent has my Complete and Total Endorsement!

  ~ President Donald J Trump

President Trump Establishes the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud


Posted originally on CTH on March 16, 2026 | Sundance 

Earlier today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order creating the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which will advise the President and coordinate government-wide efforts to combat widespread fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal benefit programs. [Executive Order Here]

According to the White House – The Vice President will serve as Chair of the Task Force, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission will serve as Vice Chairman, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security will serve as Senior Advisor, and an Executive Director will manage daily operations. Relevant cabinet secretaries and heads of government agencies will serve as Task Force members.

The Order directs the Task Force, on behalf of the President, to coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to stop fraud, waste, and abuse across Federal benefit programs, including housing, food, medical care, and cash assistance administered with State and local partners, in order to protect these benefits for eligible Americans.

The Task Force will coordinate measures to improve eligibility verification, implement pre-payment controls, detect high-risk fraud trends, and disrupt and dismantle fraud networks and the mechanisms through which fraud is committed.

The Task Force will also coordinate development of minimum anti-fraud requirements to prevent exploitation of taxpayer-funded benefits, including proof of identity and documentation requirements, risk controls, and audit and remedial actions, while each member agency’ works to develop a measurable implementation plan.

The Task Force will provide frequent updates to the President regarding its work. (read more)