Washington, D.C. – 10:51 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. And good morning. I want to thank all of you and our distinguished guests for joining us today for a ceremony like few will ever have again — this is a very special one — including Vice President Pence, Secretary Pompeo, Secretary Mnuchin, Secretary Chao, Secretary Perry, Secretary Nielsen, Director Coats, and my nominee for the VA Secretary, who will do a fantastic job, Robert Wilkie. Thank you very much.

I want to give a special thank-you for being here to Chairman and Senator Richard Burr. Thank you very much, Richard. And a very courageous man — he’s courageous — Congressman Devin Nunes. Thank you very much, Devin, for being here. Appreciate it.

Most especially, I want to thank you, the dedicated men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency. It is a true honor to stand here today before the most elite intelligence professionals on the planet Earth. Nobody even close.

You face down our enemies. You protect our families. You stand and watch over our great nation. You don’t do it for fame or fortune or glory. You do it for your country. America is forever grateful. Thank you very much.

We’re here today for the swearing-in of a very special person, your new CIA Director, someone who has served this agency with extraordinary skill and devotion for 30 years — Gina Haspel.

Gina, congratulations. There is no one in this country better qualified for this extraordinary office than you. By the way, if you don’t agree with that, please let me know now before it’s too late, okay? (Laughter.) Immediately. Have to do it quickly.

You live in the CIA, you live the CIA, you breathe the CIA. And now you will lead the CIA. Congratulations. (Applause.)

Okay, that mean we’re keeping her, right? (Laughter.) That was — that’s what we were waiting for. They love you. They respect you. They respect you, too.

A native of Ashland, Kentucky, Gina’s father served in the U.S. Air Force. She spent much of her childhood overseas. From a young age, she was instilled with a deep love of our country, which, combined with a thirst for adventure — that led her to the CIA.

Throughout her storied career at this agency, Gina has truly done it all. She’s completed seven field tours, served as a case officer, recruited assets, run stations, captured terrorists, and disrupted networks that proliferate deadly weapons. They send those weapons all over, and you catch them. You’re going to get even better now — better than ever before. You’re the best. You’re going to be better than ever before, and we’re getting you the resources to do it.

Our enemies will take note: Gina is tough. She is strong. And when it comes to defending America, Gina will never, ever back down. I know her. I spent a lot of time with Gina.

Gina played a crucial role in our fight against al Qaeda. Her first day in the job at the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center was September 11th, 2001. And she tirelessly hunted terrorists for the next three years. She went on to become Deputy Director of the National Clandestine Service, and most recently Deputy Director of the CIA.

During her decades of distinguished service, Gina has earned the George H.W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Medal of Merit. Most importantly, she has earned the universal respect, admiration, and trust of her colleagues here at the CIA, throughout the government, and all over the world. Gina is truly respected.

And today we also mark another proud milestone, as Gina becomes the first woman ever to lead the CIA. (Applause.) That’s big. That’s big. That’s big.

Now Gina will lead this agency into its next great chapter. Gina assumes the role of Director at a crucial moment in our history. We are reasserting American strength and American confidence. And, by the way, America is respected again. You see that.

Instead of apologizing for our nation, we are standing up for our nation, and we are standing up for the men and women who protect our nation. We will be counting on you to confront a wide array of threats we face, and to help usher in a new era of prosperity and of peace.

Since the CIA’s founding more than 70 years ago, its courageous operatives have combined ancient craft with modern marvels to achieve unsung victories in every corner of the globe. I see what you do, I understand what you do. And it’s incredible.

Marked on the hallowed walls of this building are the stars honoring the CIA’s fallen heroes who gave their last breath for our nation. Though many of their names remain secret, their stories of service and sacrifice and daring will live for all time.

Today, we think of them and we honor them by pledging that the patriots of the CIA will have the tools, the resources, and the support they need to accomplish their incredible, complicated, and oftentimes very dangerous mission. The exceptional men and women of this agency deserve exceptional leadership. And in Gina Haspel, that is exactly what you’re getting.

Director Haspel, congratulations again. I know that you will thrive as the Agency’s Director and help keep our nation safe, and strong, and proud, and free.

Good luck. God bless you. And God bless the men and women of the CIA. And God bless America.

And I just want to thank everybody in this room for doing such an incredible job, and for giving Gina that unbelievable support that she needed. It took courage for her to say “yes” in the face of a lot of very negative politics and what was supposed to be a negative vote. But I’ll tell you, when you testified before the committee, it was over. There was not much they could say. There was nobody more qualified than you. And you are going to do a fantastic job, Gina. Thank you very much. Thank you, Gina. (Applause.)

So with that, I’d like to ask our great Vice President to administer the oath of office. Thank you all very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

The Oath of Office is administered.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Congratulations. (Applause.)

DIRECTOR HASPEL: Good morning, everyone. And thank you, Mr. Vice President, for administering the Oath. Let me begin by thanking President Trump for joining us today and for offering those kind words. Mr. President, it means a great deal to me and to the agency that you made time to come out to Langley for this ceremony.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)

DIRECTOR HASPEL: You have placed enormous trust in CIA throughout your presidency. And the men and women of CIA do not take that for granted. So thank you, Mr. President, for your confidence in me and your steadfast support of our mission and our people.

I am truly honored to have this opportunity to lead the best workforce in government. It has been nearly 50 years since an operations officer rose up through the ranks to become the Director. And after the experience of the last two months, I think I know why that is. (Laughter.)

I look out in the crowd today and I see a strong representation of the CIA’s past, present, and possibly even the future. I am looking at two young ladies, special guests, who join us today. CIA has been more than a career. It has been, for me — like many of you — a calling.

In this building and around the world today, there are officers carrying out a vital mission, sometimes at great personal risk. I want each of you to know that I took on the position of director because I want to represent you, as well as lead you.

My years at CIA have rewarded me in ways that I could never have imagined, and I will continue to give it and you my all. There are countless role models and mentors who have paved the way for me to stand here today. As the Director, I want the current CIA leadership team to be role models and mentors for our next generation of officers who will walk the streets of far-flung capitals and work the late nights here at headquarters and abroad.

For me, being Director is about doing right by all of you so that you have the tools and support needed to carry out our sacred mission.

Every CIA officer has taken the same oath that I just did to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies. And today I recommit that I will do everything in my power to justify the faith that President Trump and the American people have placed in us, and to make sure that CIA continues to provide the intelligence needed to keep our country safe.

I would be remiss if I did not also note the tremendous pride I take in being the first woman to serve as Director. I would not be standing before you today if not for the remarkable courage and dedication displayed by generations of OSS and Agency women in roles both large and small, who challenged stereotypes, broke down barriers, and opened doors for the rest of us.

I am deeply indebted to them, and I’m extremely proud to follow in their footsteps and to carry on their extraordinary legacy. I stand on the shoulders of heroines who never sought public acclaim but served as inspirations to the generations that came after them.

I also want express a special thank-you and welcome to Eliza and Zoe, who have joined us today. The notes from these two young ladies, ages six and seven, sent to me sat on my desk these last two months and motivated me daily. In their own words and pictures, they expressed their excitement about the opportunity my nomination represented. And to Eliza and Zoe, I would simply say, we did it. (Applause.)

Lastly, allow me just a moment to talk about the future of this agency. A little over a year ago, Secretary Pompeo first spoke to me about becoming the Deputy Director. At that time, he said, “CIA is the world’s preeminent intelligence service, and I want to make sure we position it to stay that way.” Mike was right; we are the best. And our challenge is to always be the best.

We cannot rest on our laurels. We must learn from the past, but we cannot dwell in the past. We must constantly learn, adjust, improve, and strive to be better. We demanded of ourselves, and America deserves nothing less.

That includes boosting our foreign language proficiency, strengthening our partnerships overseas and here at home, and deploying more of our officers to the foreign field. We are a foreign intelligence service, and our workforce and our priorities need to reflect that.

We also need greater focus and effort on the strategic threats our nation faces, as well as the persistent threat from global terrorism. As always, the key to our success against these challenges will be empowering the incredible talent that resides within CIA.

The men and women who serve here are a national treasure — from the operations officers who collect our intelligence, to the analysts who contextualize and evaluate it for senior policy makers, to the support officers who enable every aspect of our mission, to the scientists, engineers, and cyber specialists who give us a decisive edge over our adversaries.

The only way to confront these threats is to forge ahead with determination and with the same expeditionary spirit that has defined our agency since its founding more than 70 years ago. I am profoundly honored to lead you in that fight and to work alongside each one of you as we advance our vital mission.

So, Mr. President, thank you again for giving me the opportunity to serve, to represent the men and women of CIA, and to carry out the critical work of helping protect our country, our people, and our way of life. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

END

With the stark, albeit predictable, reversals and unavoidable admissions regarding an orchestrated effort from the Obama DOJ and FBI to conduct opposition research on the Trump campaign –via spy networks and surveillance– the larger conspiracy is laid bare.

Unsurprisingly the professional media proletariat shift strategies from denial to justification.  All of the questions previously posed -and dismissed- about funding for the dossier, campaign surveillance, wiretaps and political spy operations are no longer conspiracy theory. That’s the pesky problem with truth; it exists regardless of media’s unidirectional opinion of it, or their efforts to hide its location.

However, with more people paying attention, perhaps now is a good time to revisit another simply set of truthful facts; something entirely forgotten amid the past six months of slowly emerging evidence.  Amid months of DOJ and FBI sunlight avoidance strategies, there was actually a time not long ago when a flood of sunlight appeared for apparently no reason whatsoever.

Those of us who have followed the internal battle amid two very obviously waring factions within the U.S. intelligence apparatus have been watching this play out so long we have forgotten the timing of a critical turning point.  Set against the backdrop of an intelligence apparatus, an administrative state per se’, desperate to retain survivability, it is worth remembering December 2nd, 2017.

On December 1st, 2017, the Praetorian media were gleefully celebrating a guilty plea for General Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former National Security Adviser. It was less than 24 hours later, December 2nd, when one-side of the battle struck back.

On December 2nd, 2017, three names surfaced:  Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and Bruce Ohr.  Along with the names came hundreds of pages of documents containing tens-of-thousands of text messages.

Why?

On December 2nd, 2017, Congress was unaware of the Page/Strzok text messages.  No-one was making inquiries about them.  Devin Nunes, along with every other elected chair-person, was oblivious to the existence of them.  No-one knew to ask for them, or to ask about anything contained within them, because no-one even knew about them.

So how did they surface?

Why did they surface?

Heck, expanding: how and why did we discover Pete, Lisa and Bruce?

Now, a sidebar; not a puzzle… just thoughtful stimulation and refresh.

Did you read the 39-page Inspector General report on Andrew McCabe?  You know, the one that ended with a referral to the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility; the released IG report that was an outcome of one component within the IG origination mandate;  the part about investigating leaks to the media; that’s the component that led to the IG Report on Andrew McCabe.  Do you remember it?

The Oversight and Review Division, IG report on McCabe, was published April 13th, 2018. The IG report was written in February of 2018, two months prior to publication.

However, the detail missed by all media inquiry – is that all of the evidence within the IG report on McCabe; all of the interviews; all of the INSD investigation documents; everything needed to assemble the report; happened before December, 2017.  The final McCabe interview, under oath, was November 29th, 2017.

Why does this matter?

Everything within that IG report on McCabe happened prior to the December 2nd mysterious release of information on Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and Bruce Ohr.

On December 2nd 2017 the Andrew McCabe investigation was complete, except for assembling the evidence and outlining the material in a report.  On December 2nd we get a mysterious release of unrequested information on Pete, Lisa and Bruce.  And no-one is curious about why the text messaging information appeared out of no-where?

Within the current story of admissions by the Obama intelligence apparatus, there is a transparent inability -amid an incurious media- to pause, reflect and ask themselves if something deeper on the investigative side has been happening all along; much longer than discussed.

Again, why, out of no-where, did the DOJ-IG tell the world about Pete, Lisa and Bruce on December 2nd, 2017, and then release batches of text messages no-one even knew enough to ask about?

I have an idea…

Huber approved, and redacted them.

The White House has released a “Joint Statement of the United States and China Regarding Trade Consultations“:

“At the direction of President Donald J. Trump and President Xi Jinping, on May 17 and 18, 2018, the United States and China engaged in constructive consultations regarding trade in Washington, D.C. The United States delegation included Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, and United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer. The Chinese delegation was led by State Council Vice Premier Liu He, Special Envoy of President Xi.”

“There was a consensus on taking effective measures to substantially reduce the United States trade deficit in goods with China. To meet the growing consumption needs of the Chinese people and the need for high-quality economic development, China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services. This will help support growth and employment in the United States.”

“Both sides agreed on meaningful increases in United States agriculture and energy exports. The United States will send a team to China to work out the details.

The delegations also discussed expanding trade in manufactured goods and services. There was consensus on the need to create favorable conditions to increase trade in these areas.

Both sides attach paramount importance to intellectual property protections, and agreed to strengthen cooperation. China will advance relevant amendments to its laws and regulations in this area, including the Patent Law.

Both sides agreed to encourage two-way investment and to strive to create a fair, level playing field for competition.

Both sides agreed to continue to engage at high levels on these issues and to seek to resolve their economic and trade concerns in a proactive manner.”

[Statement Link]

National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow appeared on Fox Business earlier Thursday to talk about the ongoing U.S. China trade negotiations. Those who follow the Dragon -vs- Panda strategies of China saw earlier yesterday how Chairman Xi Jinping was positioning N-Korea as leverage for the current trade negotiations.

The DPRK dragon-play didn’t work because President Trump knows the dragon’s moves, and predicted their approach from the outset. Remember, POTUS Trump began executing a geopolitical economic strategy toward both North Korea and China well over a year ago. [During the first meeting with Chairman Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago (Feb, 2017)]

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After over a year of discussions and structured way-points, China came into the current round of U.S. trade talks with outstretched steel fists. The line-up they sent to the negotiating table are some of the most loyal and die-hard communist leadership within their economic team.

It is obvious China is in dragon-mode knowing they are dealing with an entirely different administration than they faced before.

According to Reuters China presented an initial offer of $200 billion year-one trade deficit reduction. That’s just flat out narrative nonsense. Apparently the Chinese have spent too much time interpreting Trump through Western media who always focus on “deficit reduction” aspects. That type of approach pitches into Larry Kudlow’s wheelhouse but misses the actual substantive sector-based focus of Trump, Ross, Mnuchin and Lighthizer.

POTUS Trump uses the point of “deficits” because it has a familiar catch with the U.S. audience; however, President Trump knows the real issue is the amount of domestic production -vs- the amount of imported foreign goods. If the Chinese team frame their analytic offers from deficit reduction pitches, the actual deals will never materialize.

President Trump, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer, and Trade Adviser Peter Navarro are looking at sector by sector trade issues. It is  not simply an import-export equation; it’s about a longer outlook and more balanced and stable manufacturing base.

President Trump is not focused on enhancing interdependency models (deficits), he is looking at expanding independence models sector by sector. Can this sector thrive independent of a need for imported material (raw good, part, service or intellectual property)?

The U.S. goal is for each individual sector (goods or services) not to be necessarily dependent or co-dependent on international import. This America-first approach reduces risk exposure and enhances investment perspectives favorably toward the U.S. by creating long-term economic stability.

Meanwhile, in front of the White House, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue is riding his bicycle in slow circles and glaring in the windows…

Gina Haspel was confirmed Thursday as CIA director, becoming the first woman to lead the agency.  The Senate voted 54-45 to confirm President Trump’s nominee, with six Democrats supporting and two Republicans defecting.  (story link)

Director Haspel, whose nomination was endorsed by the Senate Intelligence Committee a day earlier, previously was deputy director and has spent her career with the agency.

President Trump met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House today for a bilateral meeting on EU security and trade issues.  During the Oval Office press availability both made remarks but president Trump took the opportunity to have an impromptu presser on other current issues.   WATCH:

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Hopefully everyone paid attention to the North Korea topic. It was not coincidental the stompy-feet assertions of Kim Jong-un and the DPRK were timed at the exact moment Chinese Vice-Premier Liu arrived in the U.S. for important trade talks. Once again Chairman Xi Jinping is using his proxy province of N-Korea to leverage economic benefits:

WASHINGTON – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy and Vice-Premier Liu He arrived in Washington on Tuesday afternoon. Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-US comprehensive economic dialogue, is leading a Chinese delegation for the talks.

The delegation members come from major economic sectors of the Chinese government. They include: Governor of the People’s Bank of China Yi Gang, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission Ning Jizhe, Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs Liao Min, Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Luo Wen, Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun, as well as Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen.

Before the delegation’s arrival, a Chinese working group arrived in the United States last week and engaged in intense consultations with the US side.
(read more)

POTUS Trump knows exactly what Chairman Xi is doing.  Xi is leveraging the N-Korea talks for a better trade outcome.

POTUS Trump executes the Panda Mask counter-play brilliantly:

♦’We are proceeding as scheduled with Kim Jong-un’…. ‘we haven’t heard anything different from their official position’… etc.

♦Then, President Trump expresses warmth and appreciation for Chairman Xi:  “friendship”, “close”, “together”, etc.

Dismissing the risk; accepting the meeting might not work; making Xi’s leverage less valuable, and then resetting the economic discussion by focusing back on the disparity of U.S – China trade imbalance.

The Dragon behind the Panda mask must be fuming.  President Trump just negated their entire leveraged play, and believe me the Chinese thought this strategy out for weeks, through a process of being immune to the DPRK downside.  Meh, ‘if we meet, we meet – if not, no biggie’….  Now, lets talk about the important stuff – T.R.A.D.E.

Too damned funny.

China dispatched their highest level officials in their play.  The use of the DPRK leverage was the super-fuel they planned to use in their negotiations.  Like.A.Boss President Trump just swatted away the foundation for China’s leverage before he even got to his chair.

Bold.

Takes swagger.

That’s our president.

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President Trump hosts a meeting with California leaders and public officials who oppose California’s illegal and unconstitutional sanctuary policies that release criminal illegal aliens into public communities. They are expected to discuss shared efforts to end the nullification of federal law and restore community safety. Anticipated Start Time 3:15pm EST

Administration Attendees: President Donald J. Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Department of Justice; Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Department of Homeland Security; Thomas Homan, Deputy Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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California Delegation Attendees: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy; Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (CA-67); Councilmember Pam Patterson, City of San Juan Capistrano; Mayor Troy Edgar, City of Los Alamitos; Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, City of Barstow; Mayor Natasha Johnson, City of Lake Elsinore; Mayor Elaine Gennawey, City of Laguna Niguel; Mayor Crystal Ruiz, City of San Jacinto; Mayor Sam Abed, City of Escondido; Mayor Pro Tem Warren Kusumoto, City of Los Alamitos; Sheriff Adam Christianson, Stanislaus County; Sheriff Margaret Mims, Fresno County; Sheriff John DAgostini, El Dorado County; Supervisor Michelle Steel, Orange County (R); Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, San Diego County (R); Deputy Sheriff Ray Grangoff, Orange County; District Attorney Stacey Montgomery, Lassen County.

Earlier today President Trump welcomed President Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the White House for a diplomatic meeting. Among the issues discussed were regional security issues important to Uzbekistan, and engagement in economic partnerships with U.S. companies to enhance a growing trade relationship:

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Recap video below: