President Trump and Brazil’s President Bolsonaro Oval Office Meeting (Video and Transcript)…


Earlier today President Donald Trump and Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro held an open media event in the Oval Office prior to their bilateral discussions.  (Video and Transcript Below):

[Transcript] – 12:10 P.M. EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s a great honor to have President Bolsonaro with us from Brazil. He has done a very outstanding job; ran one of the incredible campaigns. Somebody said it, a little bit, reminded people of our campaign, which I’m honored by. But it was a tough, well-fought-out campaign.

And we are going to be discussing, today, Venezuela. We’ll be discussing trade. We’ll be discussing many subjects. And Brazil is a great friend. I think probably because of the relationship that we have, Brazil and the United States have never been closer than they are right now.

PRESIDENT BOLSONARO: (Speaks Portugese.)

Q Mr. President —

INTERPRETER: Excuse me. Translation now.

PRESIDENT BOLSONARO: (As interpreted.) It gives me great pleasure to be here in United States to take part in this visit after decades on end of anti-U.S. Presidents in Brazil. Brazil has indeed made a major shift in 2017. Obviously enough, we do have a great deal to talk about. We do share a lot in common. And we will certainly work to the benefit of our two peoples.

We do have a great deal of shared values. I admire President Donald Trump. And we will certainly work towards the benefit of our two nations. Because, just as President Donald Trump wants to have a great America, I, on my side, also want to have and ensure we have great Brazil.

So yes, increasingly, from now onwards, Brazil will become increasingly engaged with the U.S., and I’m very proud and pleased that that is so.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. That’s very nice. Thank you.

And I think — before we begin, I think we would like to — you know, Brazil is a great, great soccer power and a great country. And we’re going to present that, and I believe they have one also. But you know all about Brazil being the great soccer power. They have great, great players. I can still remember Pelé and so many others. You’ve had a fantastic history.

So we’re going to exchange jerseys. I see that we got one, and this is the U.S. National Team. And so that’s an honor to give that to you. Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BOLSONARO: (As interpreted.) I’m a little younger, but I also do remember Pelé.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, right. Right.

PRESIDENT BOLSONARO: (As interpreted.) Let me use the opportunity, Mr. President, to hand you a gift, a jersey, as a token of — as an emblematic token of the world’s best-ever soccer player, Edson Arantes do Nascimento —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yes.

PRESIDENT BOLSONARO: (As interpreted.) — also known as “Pelé,” who gave us so much joy by playing football and for his talent at football.

Q Mr. President, will you grant Brazil NATO privileges? Will you grant Brazil NATO privileges? Are you —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’re looking at it very strongly. We’re very inclined to do that. The relationship that we have right now with Brazil has never been better. I think there was a lot of hostility with other Presidents. There is zero hostility with me. And we were going — we’re going to look at that very, very strongly, in terms of whether it’s NATO or it’s something having to do with alliance. But we have a great alliance with Brazil — better than we’ve ever had before.

Q Mr. President, Brazil is working to offer the United States access to a rocket launch site in Brazil. Americans will be able to go to Brazil without a visa. What would you like President Bolsonaro to get to Brazil — to take to Brazil as a result of this visit?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we have. We’re working on different military sites and military options. We’re working on visas and going in a much easier fashion. All of that is good. And we have many things that Brazil would like, and I think we’re working on those things.

One of the big elements of the relationship is trade. Brazil makes great product and we make great product. And our trade has been never as good as it should be in the past. And in some cases, it should be far, far more.

So I think our trade with Brazil will go substantially up in both directions, and we look forward to that. And that’s one of the things that Brazil would like to see.

Steve. Steve.

Q Mr. President, you’re going to talk about Venezuela. What do you want to see happen in Venezuela?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we don’t want to say exactly. I know exactly what I want to happen in Venezuela, but we’re going to be talking about different things. All options are on the table. And it’s a shame what’s happening in Venezuela — the death, and the destruction, and the hunger. Hard to believe one of the wealthiest countries is now one of the poorest and most impoverished countries. So we’ll be talking about that in great length.

Q (Inaudible) Mr. President, Brazil involved on a military action in Venezuela? And also, are you offering Brazil — are you supporting Brazil’s efforts to join the OECD?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I am supporting their efforts to join, and we are just going to decide — I think I can speak for both countries: All options are on the table. Every option is on the table with respect to Venezuela.

Q And you would like to see Brazil involved on any sort of military option?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We haven’t even discussed it. We’re going to discuss it today.

Q Mr. President, why are you attacking Senator John McCain seven months after his death?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I’m very unhappy that he didn’t repeal and replace Obamacare, as you know. He campaigned on repealing and replacing Obamacare for years. And then he got to a vote and he said, “Thumbs down.” And our country would have saved a trillion dollars and we would have had great healthcare.

So he campaigned. He told us, hours before, that he was going to repeal and replace. And then for some reason — I think I understand the reason — he ended up going thumbs up. And, frankly, had we even known that, I think we would have gotten a vote because we could have gotten somebody else. So I think that’s disgraceful. Plus, there are other things.

I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be.

Thank you very much everybody. Thank you.

Q What do you say to critics who call you authoritarian? What do you say to people who call you both authoritarian?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much.

Q Mr. President, does Secretary Alex Acosta still have your full support?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: He does.

Q Was that a yes, Mr. President?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: He does. He has my full support.

END 12:21 P.M. EDT

President Trump Wins SCOTUS Decision on Detainment and Deportation of Criminal Aliens…


The Supreme Court reversed a prior 9th Circuit Court ruling restricting when illegal aliens could be detained and deported.

The SCOTUS ruling (full pdf below) was in favor the Trump administration, allowing federal officials to detain and deport illegal aliens after they have served their time in the U.S. for other crimes regardless of whether they were picked up immediately or later, after criminal release.

The 9th Circuit Court previously stated ICE would have to detain illegal aliens immediately after release or they would be exempt from later detainment.  SCOTUS eliminated that restriction and affirmed detainment and deportation at any time after criminal release.  The ruling was 5-4 with Justice Alito announcing the majority judgement of the court below:

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/402412192/content?start_page=1&view_mode=&access_key=key-67bVDz8lYWQlIDg6VaMz

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President Trump Highlights Tucker Carlson “Russia Hoax” Opening – Here’s The Video…


On the same day that polls show Americans increasingly see through the false premise of the Mueller investigation, and now agree that it’s a ‘witch hunt’, President Trump tweeted out a video segment from Tucker Carlson’s opening monologue. The video is below.  The topic is how the Russia Hoax was pushed on the U.S. electorate:

TheLastRefuge@TheLastRefuge2

Poll: Half of Americans say Trump is victim of a ‘witch hunt’ as trust in Mueller erodes

As the Russia report seems near, a USA TODAY/Suffolk poll finds half of Americans agree Trump is the victim of a ‘witch hunt;’ trust in Mueller erodes

usatoday.com

130 people are talking about this

Embedded video

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

26.4K people are talking about this

Preview and Background for President Trump and President Bolsonaro Meeting…


President Jair Bolsonaro and First-Lady Michelle Bolsonaro are staying at the Blair House as guests of President Donald Trump and First-Lady Melania Trump.  They will be meeting together tomorrow.

Tonight at 11:00pm Fox News host Shannon Bream has an exclusive interview with President Bolsonaro from the Blair House.   Additionally, the White House has provided some background details that highlights the importance of the summit.

[White House Briefing] SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hey, good afternoon. So obviously, tomorrow, the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be meeting with President Trump. Clearly, we have seen, since day one, President Bolsonaro’s election as a real opportunity to fundamentally remake our relationship with Brazil.

This is something that we have been doing since day one, in which, within an hour of President Bolsonaro being — at that time, President-elect Bolsonaro being confirmed as the President-elect, President Trump called him, was on the phone with him. A couple of weeks later, National Security Advisor John Bolton went down to Rio to visit with him. Secretary of State Pompeo led the delegation to his inauguration.

And now this is the first bilateral overseas visit of President Bolsonaro’s presidency. And, in coming to the United States, it’s the first time in history that a Brazilian President has first come to the United States as his bilateral overseas visit. And that’s very meaningful to us, as clearly it is to them.

The U.S.-Brazil relationship has always been one of potential, but yet it always seemed that that potential has never been met. This time, it is different. This is a historic remaking of the U.S.-Brazil relationship, where there’s truly going to be a North-South axis of the two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere and a true partnership of the two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere.

This is historic in all proportions because it’s no longer what the potential of the U.S.-Brazil relationship could be; it’s about what the U.S.-Brazil relationship is, and the performance and the execution of, really, a large bilateral agenda that we have set forth since he was President-elect, since that first conversation, since that first visit by Ambassador Bolton, since the follow-up by Secretary Pompeo.

We were already, from day one, ready to move forward with a big bipartisan agenda. And, in this trip, you will see, as a follow-up, the execution of a lot of what has been discussed and agreed to in a historically short time. Here we are, just three months in, and we’re already way ahead of the curve on this one.

So this is a very exciting opportunity, and not just, obviously, for what it would mean for the United States, the United States economy, for Brazil and its economy, but my understanding — and I haven’t followed up in the last couple hours — but my understanding is, today, the Brazilian stock market was going through the roof, was having a big up-turn.

And so — by the way, forgive me if my news is not as current; I haven’t checked since this morning. But that goes to show the positivity of the markets and the way the markets are receiving, really, this axis of North and South America with its two largest economies. That’s extraordinarily important. It’s important domestically and it’s important for our foreign policy.

Who would have thought — you know, we always joke around that even the friendliest of Brazilian governments was really never that “friendly.” But here we have, now, a government in Brazil that (inaudible) consider an ally. And, as such, we’ll be working together — have been working together on regional issues, like Venezuela, and look forward to working together on international issues, on non-regional issues like Iran, China, North Korea, and others.

So this is a real, historic opportunity where the United States and Brazil are aligned on domestic, regional, and foreign policy priorities. You will see — after the visit tomorrow, we will plan to announce a joint statement that will have a lot of deliverables, some which are currently, frankly, right now being signed and being finalized and being negotiated. And that’s all extraordinarily positive.

We think that we have, really, a historic opportunity to reframe hemispheric relations with this North-South axis. And it’s really centered upon the relationship of President Trump and President Bolsonaro — one that they’ve created from that moment he got elected. Obviously, there’s great synergy there and there’s a great mutual respect. And that personal relationship will stand at the core of this remake of our bilateral and regional relations with — (inaudible) a lot of consequences, as I said, that are positive.

So, with that, I will really just answer questions going forward.

Q Hello, it’s Toby Capion calling from EWTN. What are the remaining disagreements between Brazil and the United States?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I wouldn’t characterize them as disagreements. I think one of the things that’s really encouraging and it’s been a different side of our bilateral relations when we sit down and have these discussions is, really, we look towards — you know, so there’s been a long history, whether it’s been on trade issues, whether it’s been on regional or other international issues, where there has been differences between — and frankly, disagreements between the United States and Brazil.

Frankly, ever since we sat down on January 1st, and even before, with the government of President Bolsonaro, it was very clear that we sought to move, you know, on all of these issues — domestic, economics, on trade, on regional, and international issues — that when we sat down and said, “Okay, what can work together on?” And then from there, we worked downwards to remove obstacles.

So we’ve actually approached this relationship as now one that’s looking at disagreements and then moving upwards, but what we want to accomplish as partners and then working downwards to get through them. So we have the goals set, and what we’ve been doing is ensuring how to reach those goals, how we overcome any speedbumps along the way.

So I wouldn’t characterize anything as any disagreements, per se; it’s really more a technicality, and then — because there’s a huge will and disposition to move forward on goals, whether it’s on the economic trade front, the regional front, or the broader international front.

Q Hi, it’s Roberta Rampton from Reuters. I’m wondering if you can tell us whether the United States is going to support Brazil’s bid to become a member of the OECD as part of this remaking of the relationship? And secondly, if you can tell us whether U.S. officials or the President are going to ask President Bolsonaro or his officials to sort of pull back or prevent Huawei from building its 5G network in Brazil.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So the United States, as we’ll be seeing — has seen and has expressed a very positive mindframe and has welcomed the efforts on economic reforms, best practices, regulatory frameworks, and truly a commitment to overcome some of the issues that Brazil has had in the past, in order to gain accession to OECD. We see those efforts and that positive movement in a favorable light, and clearly, we want to help Brazil achieve its goal, and we’ll do everything we can in order to help them achieve their goal.

In regards to Huawei and 5G, in regards to China, look, clearly, the United States — you know, we have discussed our concerns in regards to security issues, in regards to China, in regards to what that will mean for Brazil. They have had a whole host of different meetings here where they heard from our experts on security, intelligence matters, and otherwise, in order to understand the consequences of these networks and how, frankly, dangerous and how it can undermine their security domestically.

So, obviously, as friends and as allies, we have those conversations and we have had them in full confidence, and we expect to be working together on those moving forward.

Q Hi, this is Kyle Mazza from UNF News. Thanks for hosting the call. I wanted to ask if Venezuela would be a subject of discussion in the bilateral meeting with President Bolsonaro. Thanks so much.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Venezuela will absolutely be a subject of discussion between — clearly, President Bolsonaro and President Trump share a strong support for Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaidó. Brazil has allowed the United States to pre-position humanitarian aid for Venezuela on Brazil’s northern border. And obviously, we’re very grateful to that.

We also give them credit for working tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid to the Venezuelan people and, frankly, opening their doors. I think there is more than 120,000 Venezuelans who have fled to Brazil to escape Maduro’s (inaudible). So they’re suffering the firsthand consequences on that. They saw the violence at the border on February 23rd, and they’ve been good partners.

There’s also an opportunity here whereby they can be very good interlocutors. The Brazilian military has very good relationships with the Venezuelan military. The Brazilian military can clearly communicate with them in regards to what should be the role of the Venezuelan military in regards to civility; in regards to protecting civilians, not repressing, and not maintaining the usurpation of democracy that Maduro seeks. That could be very positive messaging.

We view the Brazilian military as a very important interlocutor with the Venezuelan military. One also that can express the intentions of the United States (inaudible) with this peaceful constitutional transition. And we look forward to working closely with them as such.

Q Hey, thanks for doing the call. First, just sort of a logistical one. I know it’s on background; we’ve asked that it be on the record. But barring that, can the SAO just identify himself so that we know who it is?

And then, more substantively, I’m wondering if you could talk a little bit about what the discussions have included and whether you’ve reached any agreements on U.S. access to the rocket-launch pad in Brazil, on uranium mining, or on visa-free travel for U.S. citizens in Brazil.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’ll take the first part. If you reach out to us, we can identify the necessary SAO components and all of that.

So the President has welcomed, and we’re moving forward in regards to the — as you refer to the Technology Safeguards Agreement, which is what you’re referring to, which we hope — which will allow for U.S. commercial space launches from Brazil and for closer defense cooperation. And so we look forward to that conclusion. And that would be, obviously, a great advance and another great example of this close (inaudible).

Q Hi, this is Doug Palmer with Politico. Thanks for taking the call. I know that some senators have written asking for the administration to press Brazil on wheat market access issues. Can we expect anything on that front tomorrow? And is there any other trade deliverables that you could maybe preview ahead of the meeting?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes, there’s been extensive discussions on agricultural issues. I think you’ll see, tomorrow in the joint statement, some of the deliverables. Brazil has indeed agreed to some of these issues, and we look forward to expanding our relationship on these. And you’ll see it in the joint statement. Obviously, I don’t want to get ahead of the President and won’t reveal those. But there has been great progress.

Q Hi, good afternoon. This is Luigi Sofio for TV Globo, Brazilian TV, and I have two questions. The first is regarding the use of (inaudible). (Inaudible) confirm that it was Congress? And my second question is, what are the concrete steps being taken —

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Can you repeat the first question? Can you repeat the first question before you get to the second one? Can you repeat the first question? I didn’t hear it.

Q Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Can you hear me now?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah.

Q My first question is regarding the use of the Alcântara base. Does the U.S. need to confirm it by the U.S. Congress? And the second question is: What are the concrete steps being taken by the U.S. government to increase trade cooperation with Brazil?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, going to the first question, I think that is in line with what we were previously talking about in regards to the Technology Safeguards Agreement. And that was understanding. I’m not sure, in regards to whether — I don’t believe that it needs to go to Congress. We can get you a follow-up after with that, for sure. But, obviously, that is a big development and it goes back to what I was saying in regards to the U.S. commercial space (inaudible) and the closer defense cooperation. And we think that that’s a great development.

In regards to trade, we had a trade surplus of about $27 billion with Brazil last year. We want to move forward. You know, these are two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere. There’s a lot of things that we do and we share and we produce in common, but there’s also a lot of things from where there’s a comparative advantage.

And clearly, you know, we’ve always kind of looked past each other, and I think we have a unique opportunity here to really create this North-South axis, as I said, not only in regards to these regional and international foreign policy issues, but as regards to trade and moving forward, and deepening our trade relationship, per se.

We’ve also — on the business side, we’ve been discussing other ways. And you’ll see some announcements tomorrow in regards to how to bring our business communities closer, how to bring our private enterprises closer, and also new initiatives in regards to energy cooperation, new initiatives in regards to infrastructure.

So you’ll see tomorrow, really, a full gamut in regards to the economic relationship between the United States and Brazil and, really, just in a short time, in three months, taking a huge step forward — I would say a historic step forward — towards realizing that potential that has always been discussed but that has never seemed to be (inaudible).

Q Hi, this is Jill Colvin from the Associated Press. Thank you very much for doing this call. I wanted to ask you about the relationship between the two leaders. You mentioned President Trump calling very early on. Can you talk us through a little bit about how often they’ve spoken, what their relationship is based on, and how the two of them get along personally? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, they’ve definitely spoken on — they’ve spoken on a couple of occasions. And it’s been — clearly, President Trump has followed President Bolsonaro’s campaign. Obviously, his name was invoked on many occasions during the campaign, and all of you in the broader media have referred to him as the “Trump of the Tropics.” That obviously has caught the President’s attention.

And, really, I think one of the things that we also have to look at here in regards to this — to the election of President Bolsonaro — is that, in his election, he broke all of what I would say were the historic taboos of winning an election in Latin America. He was unabashedly — and particularly in Brazil — unabashedly pro-American. He ran on the campaign that he wanted to be the best friend to the United States, that he wanted to have this close relationship with President Trump and what that would mean for Brazil, what that would mean for the region and the world. I think that was very important.

He also ran on a very critical campaign in regards to Venezuela, in regards to Cuba, which broke those taboos that he run toward the left in Latin America. And he also was very critical of his concerns in regards to Chinese debt and investment in Brazil and in the region as a whole. So his — that election really broke a lot of those taboos.

In regards to the first, in wanting to be one of the best allies of the United States, if not the best in the Western Hemisphere, it really, obviously, caught the President’s attention. We recognize, again, these are the two largest economies of the Western Hemisphere, and this could create a historic North-South axis. This is something (inaudible) really want to pursue for many reasons. And part of it, and the key underlying it and making it all possible, is this mutual respect that exists between President Trump and President Bolsonaro.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes. So, we’ve got time for one more question. Before we move onto it though, I just want to reiterate attribution is on background as “senior administration official.” We will be working to put a transcript together later today, most likely. So thanks everyone, again, for joining us.

Q Hi. This is Emel Akan from the Epoch Times. Thank you very much for this call. I have a follow-up question on China. China is one of the biggest trading partners of Brazil and the largest importer of oil. And the U.S. is now in talks with China. Will there be any discussions between the U.S. and Brazil with respect to China’s structural reforms, or (inaudible) structural reform discussion and IP theft and forced technology transfers?

And what is basically the goal of the U.S. administration at the moment with respect to China in the bilateral talks? Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: The United States and Brazil share some things in common here. Yes, you know, Brazil is one of China’s big trading partners. The United States is one of China’s big trading partners as well. And as such, we face a lot of the same difficulties. We face a lot of the unfairness and a lot of the security concerns.

So we both — you know, these are two countries, as the two largest economies in the Western Hemisphere — these are two countries that face many of the same challenges from China on the economic influence space and in regards to the inherent structural unfairness of the trade relationship and the effect that it could have.

So, clearly, that has been a subject of President Bolsonaro’s trip. That will be a subject of discussion tomorrow. Brazil is a member of the BRIC countries — of the B-R-I-C countries — where China is also a member. Brazil has already — it’s been very interesting, because even just last week or week before, Brazil came out clearly in its position, and within the BRIC system sought to tell the other countries that they were wrong-headed as regards to Venezuela and their continued support for Maduro’s usurpation of democracy there.

You know, when you have a BRIC member, a member of the BRIC that discusses these issues that were taboo — obviously, China is also a member of the BRIC countries — you know, it kind of changes the whole dynamic of the conversation.

So, clearly, this is a unique opportunity to voice concerns. They face a lot of the similar issues that we do. And we look forward to cooperating with them on these solutions.

OPERATOR: Okay, that concludes our last question.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yes. Correct. Thanks, everybody for joining. Again, we’ll have a readout as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to check in with us. And look forward to seeing everybody tomorrow.

END 4:32 P.M. EDT

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Shannon Bream

@ShannonBream

A little behind-the-scenes from my interview with Brazilian President @jairbolsonaro. Tune in tonight, 11p ET @FoxNews @FoxNewsNight

460 people are talking about this

President Trump Celebrates Greek Independence Day…


Earlier today President Trump hosted a White House event to celebrate Greek Independence Day. [Methinks Recep Erdogan is not too happy. LOL]

White House: “On the 198th anniversary of Greek Independence Day, we celebrate the rich history and enduring bond between the United States and Greece. Our strong alliance and unwavering friendship are rooted in mutual respect and a shared commitment to freedom, justice, and democracy.”

[Proclamation] The common bond between the United States and Greece is rooted in thousands of years of tradition, stretching back to ancient Greece. The lessons of ancient Greek democracies are among the greatest and most enduring ever taught. From them the world came to know and understand the foundational principles of human liberty, self‑government, and the rule of law ‑‑ the very principles that fueled America’s own drive for independence and shaped our Republic. Decades after securing our independence, American citizens expressed their appreciation by supporting the people of Greece in their fight for their own freedom.

Today, our Greek-American partnership is robust and gaining momentum. The inaugural United States‑Greece Strategic Dialogue, held last December, and the United States‑Greece Commercial Dialogue, held last September, highlighted the strength of the bilateral relationship and bolstered confidence in Greece as a regional leader.

We applaud the historic 2019 decision of the Greek Parliament to ratify the Prespa Agreement, which resolved the long-standing naming dispute with North Macedonia. This ratification confirmed Greece’s role as a partner with an abiding commitment to advancing stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Additionally, the 2018 Thessaloniki International Fair forged opportunities for enhanced collaboration in technology, enterprise, and innovation.

Our common vision for a peaceful and prosperous region is particularly evident in our ongoing defense relationship. The rotation of NATO aircraft and equipment through Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli, the complex bilateral training events, and the availability of Souda Bay for the naval forces of the United States reflect mutually beneficial cooperation to ensure our mutual strength and security. Our bilateral relationship has also afforded many opportunities to support partnerships and initiatives that address the areas of defense and security, law enforcement and counterterrorism, and energy security and diversification.

The strong people-to-people ties that undergird our friendship also serve to fortify our alliance. We continue to identify opportunities to increase student and professional exchanges and English language programs. These programs make tremendous contributions to the economic, cultural, and political power of our two great democracies. This summer, we will launch the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program with Greece to develop the next generation of leaders who will sustain and enhance our strong partnership.

On this day, we honor the shared values that bind our two countries as faithful allies and friends, and we recognize the profound impact Greek‑Americans have had on every aspect of our culture. Together, recalling the spirit of the ancient Greeks, we reaffirm our abiding belief that democratic institutions offer the greatest opportunity to safeguard human rights, dignity, and freedom for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 2019, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

DONALD J. TRUMP

“Hey Kevin, You Ever See Lighthizer Around?”…


LOL, an interesting albeit typically lighthearted discussion with CEA Chairman Kevin Hassett on the budget proposal and status of U.S.T.R trade talks with China.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in DC…


President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Washington DC this past weekend.  Bolsonaro is scheduled  to meet with President Trump tomorrow, Tuesday March 19th.  The bilateral discussion between President Trump and President Bolsonaro could be one of the more consequential geopoliticalmeetings of the year.  The visit is below the radar of almost all media.

President Bolsonaro made a surprise visit to CIA headquarters earlier this morning.  A visit that was not on the official schedule.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited the Central Intelligence Agency’s headquarters on Monday, an unusual move for a foreign head of state that was not on the public agenda for his first official trip to Washington.

The visit underscored Bolsonaro’s embrace of U.S. influence in Latin America to confront what he calls a communist threat against democracy — a theme he remarked on during a dinner on Sunday evening with his ministers and right-wing thinkers.

Presidential advisers, including his official spokesman, had said during the dinner that his agenda on Monday morning would be kept private. But Bolsonaro’s son, Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, revealed the visit in a Twitter post.

“Going now with the (president) and ministers to the CIA, one of the most respected intelligence agencies in the world,” he wrote. “It will be an excellent opportunity to discuss international topics in the region with experts and technicians of the highest level.”

The Brazilian president was scheduled to meet later on Monday with former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson.  (more)

Jair M. Bolsonaro

@jairbolsonaro

Brazil 🤝 United States of America / Brasil 🤝 Estados Unidos da América:

6,041 people are talking about this

Meet Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of President Jair Bolsonaro.  We can learn a lot about geopolitical direction by paying attention to the emissaries.

(link)

Zach Everson

@Z_Everson

Tonight marks Eduardo Bolsonaro’s second appearance at a Trump property in the last three weeks. In Feb., he was at a Mar-a-Lago party celebrating @realDonaldTrump‘s two years in office. Via @1100Penn http://bit.ly/2U62s96 

Travis Waldron

@Travis_Waldron

Eduardo Bolsonaro — Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro’s son and a congressman from São Paulo — sporting a “Make Brazil Great Again”
hat after an event with Steve Bannon at the Trump hotel in DC

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The Green New Episode – Intellectual Froglegs


In his latest Intellectual Froglegs episode cousin Joe Dan Gorman asks:

…”does the left needs to take pills to be so smug?”

The answer is yes, and they’re called suppositories.

WATCH the Latest Episode Here

MSM Noticing MAGAnomics Benefits Mostly Middle-Class, While BLS Job Openings Still Outpace Workforce…


While the MSM financial/wage reporting is two days apart from the BLS “JOLTS” releaseon job openings, the relationship is direct and connected.

CNBC is noticing the upward wage pressure is focused heavily on the middle-class workers and lower end of the labor market; another KPI (Key Performance Indicator) the economy is stronger than most financial pundits are admitting:

CNBC – The recent jump in paychecks has come with an unusual characteristic, as workers at the lower end of the pay scale are getting the greater benefit.

Average hourly earnings rose 3.4 percent in February from the same period a year ago, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report last week. That’s the biggest gain since April 2009 and seventh month in a row that compensation has been 3 percent or better.

What has set this rise apart is that it’s the first time during an economic recovery that began in mid-2009 that the bottom half of earners are benefiting more than the top half — in fact, about twice as much, according to calculations by Goldman Sachs. The trend began in 2018and has continued into this year, and could be signaling a stronger economy than many experts think. (cont.)

[I’ve got to laugh a little bit: “the trend began in 2018“… well, um, Duh]

We already pointed out the specific nature of this wage increase [SEE HERE] along with the dive into the rate of inflation, so we won’t duplicate the explanation again.  However, the basic backstory is how Trump’s MAGAnomic (Main Street) policies focus on, and deliver, greatest benefit to blue-collar workers.  This is the exact opposite of the trend created by politicians selling Wall Street policy over the past 30 years.

The JOLTS report surfaced two days later and highlights the number of job openings continues to exceed the currently estimated unemployed workforce by approximately one million available jobs.

(BLS) Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout the business cycle. Net employment change results from the relationship between hires and separations. When the number of hires exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires level is steady or declining. Conversely, when the number of hires is less than the number of separations, employment declines, even if the hires level is steady or rising.

Over the 12 months ending in January, hires totaled 69.2 million and separations totaled 66.3 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.8 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year. (link)

So we’ve added more than 2.8 million jobs in the last year.  Let that settle in for a moment. That’s a consistent run of over 220,000 jobs/per month each month of the year.

Digging a little deeper into BLS Table-1 you might notice something interesting that also aligns with the basic elements of POTUS Trump’s MAGAnomic intent:

First, available job openings in Durable Good Manufacturing in January 2018 were 261,000 it’s now 305,000. So there’s 44,000 more durable good manufacturing jobs available now than a year ago; again evidence this sector is continuing to expand at a rate higher than the available workforce to fill the jobs.

Second, [also Table-1] looking at all job sectors. While the job growth is regionally strong overall, there’s more job growth available in the South (+500k) and Mid-west (+212k), than in the North-east (+143k) and West (+91k).

Now, doesn’t that exactly match with the MAGAnomic intent of the 2016 election focus?

This stuff doesn’t happen automatically, what we are seeing here is direct and specific evidence of Trump-directed economic policy (his magic wand) landing exactly in the places candidate Trump, president-elect Trump, and now President Trump said they would land.

  • All wages are growing, but wages are rising faster for Blue-Collar workers and the middle-class.
  • More jobs are available in just about every sector, but highest job growth is in higher wage durable good manufacturing.
  • More jobs are available throughout the country, but available job growth is highest in South and Mid-West.

Overall the total U.S. economy looks excellent; healthy and strong. However, what looks especially excellent is the targeted success of Trump’s policies directly into the heart of the Main Street economy where success lasts the longest.

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Sunday Talks: Mick Mulvaney -vs- Chris Wallace…


White House Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney appears on Fox News with Chris Wallace to discuss ongoing political events.  Wallace spends half the interview trying to attach the terrorist attack in New Zealand to the Trump administration before eventually moving on to issues surrounding North Korea and the border security veto.