There is a geopolitical strategy happening this week that is essentially under the radar.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, USTR Robert Lighthizer, Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow, and the U.S. trade team are heading to China.
The outcome of their discussions connects the initiatives behind North Korea, China and NAFTA. The steel and aluminum tariffs are part of the toolbox. Only one media personality, our favorite suspicious cat, appears to understand the larger economic play and how it is being deployed.
From the U.S. perspective, NAFTA has a fatal flaw. Mexico and Canada admitted the flaw for the first time a few weeks ago. The flaw is Mexico and Canada’s exploitation of NAFTA as a backdoor into the U.S. market for Asian, mostly Chinese, manufactured products. Multinational corporations who have invested Canada and Mexico are determined to retain the flaw.
President Trump understands that as long as Canada and Mexico can unilaterally make trade agreements with the EU and ASEAN nations, any NAFTA agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico is moot. The NAFTA talks are paused.
The U.S. Team now heads to China. There’s no doubt part of the objective is to begin a structural discussion that must happen for the U.S. trade team to approach closing the fatal NAFTA flaw from the source of origin. [*note* on the EU side of this issue, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is leading a similar discussion. Mnuchin and Lighthizer are focused on Asia, Ross has responsibility for Europe]
The North Korean nuclear denuclearization agreement, and substantive peace treaty between North and South Korea, is part of the geopolitical trade negotiation with the U.S. (President Trump) and Beijing (Chairman Xi).
All three issues: •NAFTA, •China Trade Deal, and •North Korea all become part of the larger dynamic. These economic initiatives and Korean strategic peace initiatives are connected by President Trump’s unique use of economic leverage.
I have no idea how Team U.S.A. plans to frame a deal with China that simultaneously solves NAFTA (fatal flaw) and North Korea; however, there’s no doubt -due to the sequencing and timing- that this objective is well underway.
There are those times when Senator Lindsey Graham carefully weighs the politics of the moment and seems to align with the policies of President Trump and the MAGA movement. This is one of those times.
The tender senator hits the quadruple-lindy… Agreeing with President Trump on: North Korea, Iran, China and FBI Director James Comey’s insufferable nonsense. As winged pigs seemingly aviate in our blind spot, here’s a full 17 minutes of the tender senator praising President Donald J Trump:
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), who track GDP -and- U.S. Labor Department (DoL) Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), who track wage growth, have released the initial sets of analysis for Quarter 1 of this year (Jan-March). The first quarter growth in GDP comes in at 2.3%. [Most estimates initially expected 2.0% or slightly less.]
CBS – […] It’s common for economic growth to slow in the first quarter and then accelerate later in the year. Still, the January-March increase was better than expected: Economists had foreseen a 2 percent annualized rate. In the current quarter, economists expect growth to surpass 3 percent.
The 2.3% first quarter result puts 2018 on track to achieve President Trump’s targeted growth rate: over three percent combined growth for the full year. Due to seasonal fluctuations the first quarter is historically the weakest for GDP growth. The second quarter will likely rebound well above 3.5% as the historic Q1 -vs- Q2 trend shows above.
One of the positive factors driving the strong Q1 outcome was growth in exports that helps to offset climbing imported purchases, and the continued trade deficits which POTUS Trump is confronting.
Additionally, beyond the strong GDP result, we see a very positive sign in wage growth. Year-over-year wage growth well exceeded expectations at 2.9%
Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.8 percent over the year. Wages and salaries increased 2.9 percent for the current 12-month period. (link)
Continual wage growth is a part of President Trump’s MAGAnomic policy; and remember the lowered tax rates went into effect in December. Meaning Q1 wages were higher and simultaneously income tax withholding on those wages are lower… that means more take home pay. Emphasis:More Take-Home Pay!!
CTH has been predicting that MAGAnomics as applied would mean in “Quarter Two” of this year we would begin the period of strongest wage rate growth in three decades. [ FYI, that’s right now ] We have repeatedly predicted that April through June 2018 is the beginning of “the big lift” in blue-collar wages.
A key part of the America-First MAGAnomic ‘Main Street’ policy is to protect the middle-class by driving wages up at a faster rate than the rate of inflation.
This is how the middle-class is able to afford a higher standard of living, and simultaneously ‘savers’ will gain higher rates of return on their savings.
For 30 years economic policy was doing exactly the opposite; now, with MAGAnomics in full swing, we are reversing that trend. CNBC begins to note the activity:
CNBC – […] According to surveys, the tax cuts did not reflect on many workers’ paychecks until late in the first quarter. Income at the disposal of households increased at a 3.4 percent rate in the first quarter, accelerating from the fourth quarter’s 1.1 percent pace. Households also boosted savings during the quarter. (link)
Absolutely stunning remarks today from North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un. Not only do both Kim Jong-un (North) and Moon Jae-in (South) discuss peace, but the DPRK actually goes the full-way-forward toward a unified Korean peninsular. Jumping ju-ju bones, these remarks are absolutely gobsmacking.
Kim Jong-un remarks begin at 09:00 of video below. MUST WATCH:
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This is incredible. Not only does Kim Jong-un commit to a fully denuclearized Korean peninsular, but also the ending of all hostilities; the end of the Korean war; and stunningly the process to begin entering a phase for a completely unified North and South Korea.
We had a generally optimistic sense about swords turned to plowshares because we could see the outline of the approach last year, but this sequence of events goes way beyond what was even contemplated… I’m speechless.
“Rebranding Kim Jong-un Will Likely Be a Key Part of The Strategy“
Almost everyone understands the term “re branding”. Don’t laugh when you consider the possibility of re-branding Kim Jong-un; and more importantly, as an outcome, the entire geopolitical architecture of North Korea. Rebranding takes time. This type of re branding takes silent and subtle persuasion.
It’s not a short term process, but look for indicators like this to ever-so-slowly morph. China’s Xi Jinping seeding ploughshares over missiles needs careful and controlled fertilization.
Business suits replacing General’s uniforms would be very good for the people of North Korea. Ultimately that’s an honorable goal.
We’re talking about massive amounts of distrust and psychological misinformation to overcome – because China previously benefited from using/supporting North Korea as a hostile proxy province toward the collective enemy. That historic approach and use of N-Korea was the winning hand for China.
The winning economic hand for China, specifically Chairman/President Xi Jinping now rests on being able to change the direction of the DPRK and Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un’s sense of self and disposition has been defined by rockets, military and such. His personal currency is ‘loyalty’ and how ‘loved’ he perceives himself to be in the eyes of his audience.
In order for China to generate enough influence (toward the larger objective of shifting away from militaristic endeavors) Chairman Xi Jinping will now need to shift emphasis on what generates Kim Jong-un’s currency. Loyalty and love must be achieved by alternate methods. Seeds must be planted, fertilized and nurtured.
Turning rockets into ploughshares is a good strategy.
[…] “Here in Seoul, architectural wonders like the Sixty-Three Building and the Lotte World Tower — very beautiful — grace the sky and house the workers of many growing industries.
Your citizens now help to feed the hungry, fight terrorism, and solve problems all over the world. And in a few months, you will host the world and you will do a magnificent job at the 23rd Olympic Winter Games. Good luck. (Applause.)
The Korean miracle extends exactly as far as the armies of free nations advanced in 1953 — 24 miles to the north. There, it stops; it all comes to an end. Dead stop. The flourishing ends, and the prison state of North Korea sadly begins.
Workers in North Korea labor grueling hours in unbearable conditions for almost no pay. Recently, the entire working population was ordered to work for 70 days straight, or else pay for a day of rest.
Families live in homes without plumbing, and fewer than half have electricity. Parents bribe teachers in hopes of saving their sons and daughters from forced labor. More than a million North Koreans died of famine in the 1990s, and more continue to die of hunger today.
Among children under the age of five, nearly 30 percent of afflicted — and are afflicted by stunted growth due to malnutrition. And yet, in 2012 and 2013, the regime spent an estimated $200 million — or almost half the money that it allocated to improve living standards for its people — to instead build even more monuments, towers, and statues to glorify its dictators.
What remains of the meager harvest of the North Korean economy is distributed according to perceived loyalty to a twisted regime. Far from valuing its people as equal citizens, this cruel dictatorship measures them, scores them, and ranks them based on the most arbitrary indications of their allegiance to the state.
Those who score the highest in loyalty may live in the capital city. Those who score the lowest starve. A small infraction by one citizen, such as accidently staining a picture of the tyrant printed in a discarded newspaper, can wreck the social credit rank of his entire family for many decades.
An estimated 100,000 North Koreans suffer in gulags, toiling in forced labor, and enduring torture, starvation, rape, and murder on a constant basis.
In one known instance, a 9-year-old boy was imprisoned for 10 years because his grandfather was accused of treason. In another, a student was beaten in school for forgetting a single detail about the life of Kim Jong-un.
Soldiers have kidnapped foreigners and forced them to work as language tutors for North Korean spies.
In the part of Korea that was a stronghold for Christianity before the war, Christians and other people of faith who are found praying or holding a religious book of any kind are now detained, tortured, and in many cases, even executed.
North Korean women are forced to abort babies that are considered ethnically inferior. And if these babies are born, the newborns are murdered.
One womans baby born to a Chinese father was taken away in a bucket. The guards said it did not deserve to live because it was impure.
So why would China feel an obligation to help North Korea?
The horror of life in North Korea is so complete that citizens pay bribes to government officials to have themselves exported aboard as slaves. They would rather be slaves than live in North Korea.
To attempt to flee is a crime punishable by death. One person who escaped remarked, “When I think about it now, I was not a human being. I was more like an animal. Only after leaving North Korea did I realize what life was supposed to be.”
And so, on this peninsula, we have watched the results of a tragic experiment in a laboratory of history. It is a tale of one people, but two Koreas. One Korea in which the people took control of their lives and their country, and chose a future of freedom and justice, of civilization, and incredible achievement. And another Korea in which leaders imprison their people under the banner of tyranny, fascism, and oppression. The result of this experiment are in, and they are totally conclusive.
When the Korean War began in 1950, the two Koreas were approximately equal in GDP per capita. But by the 1990s, South Koreas wealth had surpassed North Korea’s by more than 10 times. And today, the Souths economy is over 40 times larger. You started the same a short while ago, and now you’re 40 times larger. You’re doing something right.
Considering the misery wrought by the North Korean dictatorship, it is no surprise that it has been forced to take increasingly desperate measures to prevent its people from understanding this brutal contrast.
Because the regime fears the truth above all else, it forbids virtually all contact with the outside world. Not just my speech today, but even the most commonplace facts of South Korean life are forbidden knowledge to the North Korean people. Western and South Korean music is banned. Possession of foreign media is a crime punishable by death. Citizens spy on fellow citizens, their homes are subject to search at any time, and their every action is subject to surveillance. In place of a vibrant society, the people of North Korea are bombarded by state propaganda practically every waking hour of the day.
North Korea is a country ruled as a cult. At the center of this military cult is a deranged belief in the leaders destiny to rule as parent protector over a conquered Korean Peninsula and an enslaved Korean people.
The more successful South Korea becomes, the more decisively you discredit the dark fantasy at the heart of the Kim regime.
In this way, the very existence of a thriving South Korean republic threatens the very survival of the North Korean dictatorship.
This city and this assembly are living proof that a free and independent Korea not only can, but does stand strong, sovereign, and proud among the nations of the world. (Applause.)
Here, the strength of the nation does not come from the false glory of a tyrant. It comes from the true and powerful glory of a strong and great people — the people of the Republic of Korea — a Korean people who are free to live, to flourish, to worship, to love, to build, and to grow their own destiny.
In this Republic, the people have done what no dictator ever could — you took, with the help of the United States, responsibility for yourselves and ownership of your future. You had a dream — a Korean dream — and you built that dream into a great reality.
In so doing, you performed the miracle on the Hahn that we see all around us, from the stunning skyline of Seoul to the plains and peaks of this beautiful landscape. You have done it freely, you have done it happily, and you have done it in your own very beautiful way.
This reality — this wonderful place — your success is the greatest cause of anxiety, alarm, and even panic to the North Korean regime. That is why the Kim regime seeks conflict abroad — to distract from total failure that they suffer at home.
Since the so-called armistice, there have been hundreds of North Korean attacks on Americans and South Koreans. These attacks have included the capture and torture of the brave American soldiers of the USS Pueblo, repeated assaults on American helicopters, and the 1969 drowning [downing] of a U.S. surveillance plane that killed 31 American servicemen. The regime has made numerous lethal incursions in South Korea, attempted to assassinate senior leaders, attacked South Korean ships, and tortured Otto Warmbier, ultimately leading to that fine young man’s death.
All the while, the regime has pursued nuclear weapons with the deluded hope that it could blackmail its way to the ultimate objective. And that objective we are not going to let it have. We are not going to let it have. All of Korea is under that spell, divided in half. South Korea will never allow what’s going on in North Korea to continue to happen.
The North Korean regime has pursued its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in defiance of every assurance, agreement, and commitment it has made to the United States and its allies. It’s broken all of those commitments. After promising to freeze its plutonium program in 1994, it repeated [reaped] the benefits of the deal and then — and then immediately continued its illicit nuclear activities.
In 2005, after years of diplomacy, the dictatorship agreed to ultimately abandon its nuclear programs and return to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation. But it never did. And worse, it tested the very weapons it said it was going to give up. In 2009, the United States gave negotiations yet another chance, and offered North Korea the open hand of engagement. The regime responded by sinking a South Korean Navy ship, killing 46 Korean sailors. To this day, it continues to launch missiles over the sovereign territory of Japan and all other neighbors, test nuclear devices, and develop ICBMs to threaten the United States itself. The regime has interpreted Americas past restraint as weakness. This would be a fatal miscalculation. This is a very different administration than the United States has had in the past.
Today, I hope I speak not only for our countries, but for all civilized nations, when I say to the North: Do not underestimate us, and do not try us. We will defend our common security, our shared prosperity, and our sacred liberty.
We did not choose to draw here, on this peninsula — (applause) — this magnificent peninsula — the thin line of civilization that runs around the world and down through time. But here it was drawn, and here it remains to this day. It is the line between peace and war, between decency and depravity, between law and tyranny, between hope and total despair. It is a line that has been drawn many times, in many places, throughout history. To hold that line is a choice free nations have always had to make. We have learned together the high cost of weakness and the high stakes of its defense.
America’s men and women in uniform have given their lives in the fight against Nazism, imperialism, Communism and terrorism.
America does not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will never run from it. History is filled with discarded regimes that have foolishly tested Americas resolve.
Anyone who doubts the strength or determination of the United States should look to our past, and you will doubt it no longer. We will not permit America or our allies to be blackmailed or attacked. We will not allow American cities to be threatened with destruction. We will not be intimidated. And we will not let the worst atrocities in history be repeated here, on this ground, we fought and died so hard to secure. (Applause.)
That is why I have come here, to the heart of a free and flourishing Korea, with a message for the peace-loving nations of the world: The time for excuses is over. Now is the time for strength. If you want peace, you must stand strong at all times. (Applause.) The world cannot tolerate the menace of a rogue regime that threatens with nuclear devastation.
All responsible nations must join forces to isolate the brutal regime of North Korea — to deny it and any form — any form of it. You cannot support, you cannot supply, you cannot accept. We call on every nation, including China and Russia, to fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions, downgrade diplomatic relations with the regime, and sever all ties of trade and technology.
[…] It is our responsibility and our duty to confront this danger together — because the longer we wait, the greater the danger grows, and the fewer the options become. (Applause.) And to those nations that choose to ignore this threat, or, worse still, to enable it, the weight of this crisis is on your conscience.
I also have come here to this peninsula to deliver a message directly to the leader of the North Korean dictatorship: The weapons you are acquiring are not making you safer. They are putting your regime in grave danger. Every step you take down this dark path increases the peril you face.
North Korea is not the paradise your grandfather envisioned. It is a hell that no person deserves. Yet, despite every crime you have committed against God and man, you are ready to offer, and we will do that — we will offer a path to a much better future. It begins with an end to the aggression of your regime, a stop to your development of ballistic missiles, and complete, verifiable, and total denuclearization. (Applause.)
A sky-top view of this peninsula shows a nation of dazzling light in the South and a mass of impenetrable darkness in the North. We seek a future of light, prosperity, and peace. But we are only prepared to discuss this brighter path for North Korea if its leaders cease their threats and dismantle their nuclear program.
The sinister regime of North Korea is right about only one thing: The Korean people do have a glorious destiny, but they could not be more wrong about what that destiny looks like. The destiny of the Korean people is not to suffer in the bondage of oppression, but to thrive in the glory of freedom. (Applause.)
What South Koreans have achieved on this peninsula is more than a victory for your nation. It is a victory for every nation that believes in the human spirit. And it is our hope that, someday soon, all of your brothers and sisters of the North will be able to enjoy the fullest of life intended by God.
Wow. You have to watch this video to see how history was just encapsulated.
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in meet at the village of Panmunjom, the historic site where the Korean War armistice was signed in 1953 for the start of talks between the two countries.
Their unified meeting is the third inter-Korean summit, but this meeting is the first time a leader from the communist North has entered the democratic South. South Korea then holds a welcoming ceremony for the North Korean leader that includes full military honors and a military guard review.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un writes: “new history starts now; age of peace, from the starting point of history” on guest visitor book at Peace House.
WHITE HOUSE – On the occasion of Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-ins historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, we wish the Korean people well. We are hopeful that talks will achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula.
The United States appreciates the close coordination with our ally, the Republic of Korea, and looks forward to continuing robust discussions in preparation for the planned meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks.
The Senate voted Thursday to confirm CIA chief Mike Pompeo as President Trump’s next secretary of state. Secretary Pompeo was confirmed on a 57-42 vote. All Republicans present voted to confirm Pompeo. Seven Democrats voted yes.
After the vote, Pompeo was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the West Conference Room of the Supreme Court:
I am pleased with the Senate’s confirmation of Mike Pompeo to serve as our country’s top diplomat. Having a patriot of Mike’s immense talent, energy, and intellect leading the Department of State will be an incredible asset for our country at this critical time in history. He will always put the interests of America first. He has my trust. He has my support. Today, he has my congratulations on becoming America’s 70th Secretary of State.
An interesting discussion this morning on CNBC with White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow beings to highlight the principal purpose of his forte’.
President Trump is the first U.S. president who came to the table of economic policy with a plan of action that is uniquely his own. POTUS doesn’t need “advisers” to frame possible policy, he already has the program mapped out; POTUS needs ‘advisers” who are not actually “advisers” per se’ but rather a sales-force to explain and advance his program agenda to the world markets as the policies are implemented….
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…Because this is such a substantial shift from historic reference, President Trump’s unique position of actually creating the economic policy must be emphasized and continually repeated. It’s not Kudlow creating the policy; these are President Trump’s policies. The granular details are carried out by U.S.T.R Lighthizer, Commerce Secretary Ross, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin.
Trade explainer Peter Navarro and Economic explainer Larry Kudlow are people specifically enlisted by President Trump to explain Main Street action (policy) and Main Street consequence (outcomes) to Wall Street markets.
It’s easier to understand the importance of Navarro and Kudlow when you remind yourself MAGAnomic policy is operating in a space between two historic economic engines. As Trump de-emphasizes multinational interests, and re-emphasizes domestic Main Street interests, a generation of financial and economic media have no frame of reference.
MAGAnomics operates in the space between two entirely divergent economic engines.
Go through the archives and you’ll note a strategy unfolding that few, including us, could fully conceptualize when it first appeared. Way back when candidate Trump first began to put his economic plans into platform outlines the subtle signature was there, but few were paying attention.
In order to reverse three decades of middle-class economic erosion, there were indicators that Trump’s strategy was a radical change in approach. In essence the strategy was to split the economic policy into two areas and sequence the policy: highly-consumable goods (first) and durable goods (second).
Both product sectors have historically been viewed and approached by economic policy makers using a single financial strategy. That singular approach gave rise to Wall Street benefiting and Main Street suffering. Investment-class gained; middle-class suffered.
Trump outlined an approach –albeit vaguely– that was multidimensional.
His policy would first target multinational corporations, using the U.S. Treasury (Mnuchin) to weaken their grip and influence; simultaneously, he would use energy policy to drive down domestic prices in highly-consumable products (fuel, food, energy sector). These sectors are not measured in fed inflation indexes; however, if lowered, these facets of consumer spending can also increase the amount of disposable income available for workers.
In essence, expand the economy by lowering the aggregate cost of living for the middle-class who live paycheck-to-paycheck. Use monetary policy, fiscal policy and trade policy to entice domestic investment and create jobs; and ultimately put upward pressure on wages.
When the tax cut and reform package passed in December 2017, phase-one cemented and a new phase immediately began. Phase II, 2018.
The second aspect, or second phase of Trump economic policy, is geared toward ‘durable goods’. That’s where the trade imbalance plays a larger role in the strategy.
As the economy expands, Americans can now afford rises in the prices of durable goods. However, as with all manufacturing systems -geared toward retaining market share inside a consumer economy (ie. the U.S. market)- the foreign creators will first seek to retain competitive pricing structure by making efficiencies within their own business models.
When foreign manufacturers entering a phase of cost-cutting analysis (note what happened when Trump left Asia after visit) you immediately hit them with stronger forecasted trade rules on their products.
The financial analysis and five-year-plans, being conducted by the manufacturers, then has to contain the possibility of new rules. That’s where Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer come in:
On Oct. 5, 2017 the ITC [International Trade Commission] voted unanimously in favor of Whirlpool, which brought a complaint forward accusing Samsung and LG Electronics, its South Korean competitors, of flooding U.S. markets with cheap washing machines and pricing out domestic manufacturers. While the ITC didn’t say material harm was coming from South Korea in particular, Whirlpool alleged the country’s manufacturers shifted production into other countries (Thailand and Vietnam) in order to avoid U.S. anti-dumping tariffs imposed in previous years.
The ITC’s recommendations will be sent to President Donald Trump, who will have two months to make a final decision.
This second phase is where the two economic engines: Wall Street and Main Street; begin to come into parity again. The FED (monetary policy) does measure the cost of durable goods in their inflation index. Rises in durable goods are recorded in inflation indexes and monetary policy (interest rates) is influenced accordingly.
Trump’s phase-one befuddled the FED who were perplexed over inflation being virtually non existent. Most of the reason for this disconnect has been the downward price pressure on (non-measured) highly-consumable goods; and static prices on (measured) durable goods. The FED could see the economy expanding, but they cannot, or at least couldn’t until now, reconcile the lack of inflation.
Wages are growing, albeit modestly at first – but now gaining speed, as a result of economic expansion and increased employment. This wage growth, in combination with keeping downward pressure on high-consumable prices, allows Trump to begin a series of aggressive trade policies that will slowly raise durable good prices.
The trade policy, tightly executed by Trump, Mnuchin, Ross and Lighthizer, will put increased pressure on manufacturers to make products in the U.S. In turn this puts further demand on U.S. workers; which, in turn, drives up the wages – to afford the prices of durable goods as they increase. This action/consequence is not accidental, it is planned.
Simultaneously, it must be remembered that every dollar removed from imports actually increases the GDP. The value of all imported goods is deducted from the combined value of all goods and services we produce. If we drop $1 billion in imports on Washing Machines, and simultaneously manufacture $1 billion on Washing Machines in the U.S., the U.S. GDP gains $2 billion in value. The U.S. economy actually expands by more than $2 billion because the attached manufacturing wages are also inside the U.S.
This multi-prong approach is one of the reasons why it still doesn’t seem to be part of the strategy to keep the U.S. inside NAFTA as it currently is constructed. Perhaps, just perhaps, the NAFTA exercise is more optical than actual. Perhaps, it’s more about the outside world seeing the U.S. trade position as executed, than actually negotiating. Regardless of motive we shall soon find out.
President Donald Trump called-in to ‘Fox & Friends’ morning show for a wide-ranging interview on numerous subjects. Topics included: the Iranian nuclear agreement; Ronny Jackson’s withdrawal decision; Michael Cohen and possible North Korea summit.
Additionally, President Trump shared his disappointment with the Justice Department; noted James Comey’s book was likely a big mistake; and also thanked Kanye West for his support.
Earlier today President Trump hosted the Wounded Warrior Project at the White House:
[Transcript] East Room – 11:00 A.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Please. Thank you very much. I’m thrilled to kick off the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, and to be in the presence of — really, to be with you folks is such an honor. I know some of you. We’ve been dealing together for more than a year. I’ve watched you get better and stronger, and you’re stronger than all of us. So I want to thank you all for being here. Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
So on stage with me are Wounded Warriors from the Air Force, the Army, the Navy, and the Marine Corps. We salute you, we thank you, and we will forever be grateful for the sacrifices you made for all of us. Really incredible sacrifices. A nation is sustained through the service and sacrifice of patriots. Each of you is part of the long, unbroken chain of courageous Americans who have answered the call in every generation, defending our families, our freedoms, and our great American flag, which we love. Right? (Applause.)
You are the backbone of our liberty. You are the protectors of our community. And you are the proud and beating heart of our magnificent nation.
I want to welcome the many members of Congress who are with us and joined us today to cheer on these incredible, brave warriors, and give special recognition to members of my Cabinet who are with us. Secretary Zinke. Where’s Ryan? Ryan, stand up. (Applause.) Sit down. (Laughs.) Thank you, Ryan. (Applause.) Secretary DeVos. Betsy, thank you. (Applause.) And Acting Secretary Robert Wilkie, who is doing a great job over at the VA. I can tell you that. Thank you. (Applause.)
And a great friend of mine, and a woman who — I’m getting reports from everybody, who’s doing well. Who’s doing — I always ask “Who’s doing the best?” And always right near the top or at the top is Linda McMahon. Thank you, Linda. Great job you’re doing. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
And, Bill, Senator, please stand up, and Congress — Bill, stand up. Please. A lot of good congressmen. My friends. There’s a brave one. (Applause.) These guys — and they fight for you. They fight for you. You fought for them; they fight for you. That I can tell you. Especially this group. Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody.
We also want to thank our really amazing — these are amazing people — the military spouses and families. Could the families and spouses please stand up? Incredible people. Incredible people. (Applause.) Their love and dedication and support is really the foundation of our military might. We give them a lot of credit. Right?
So I especially want to thank Mike Linnington and everyone at the Wounded Warrior Project. Thank you, Mike. And Mike has done an incredible job. Mike spent 35 years leading soldiers as an infantry soldier, reaching the rank of lieutenant general. And I know Mike agrees that there is no more important job than supporting the warriors who have fought and bled to keep us free. So I want to thank you very much. We all want to thank you. (Applause.)
That’s why we are fighting to reform the VA. And that is why we signed VA accountability legislation into law. I want to thank you folks, because that’s been — they’ve been trying to get that through for over 30 years. Accountability. We want accountability. They don’t treat our vets good, we want them out. And that’s what we can do now. We couldn’t do it before.
That was a tough one to get through, but we got it through. And now we’re going for choice. And we’re going to get choice. And that’s another one that I’ve wanted right from the beginning. And we’ll get that done too.
So I’m so happy with accountability. It’s been worked on so long. We have people that were terrible working there and they’re gone. And before we couldn’t do anything about them. But we’re very happy and we’re going to have the finest choice program that you’ve ever seen. In fact, we turned down one program because we truly didn’t think it was good enough. Is that right? We could have gotten it passed, and I said, “Nope, not good enough. We’re going to go for the real deal.”
So we’re going to have choice. There’s no more waiting on lines for 12 weeks, and you can’t get the doctors, you can’t get what you need. So we’re going to have choice. It’s going to be a really good one and these folks are going to be responsible for it. So I want to thank you all.
This month marks the fourth anniversary of the Phoenix VA scandal. Horrible scandal. And we must make sure that this kind of tragedy never ever happens again. We must always protect those who protect us. The heroes in this room today come from every background and every single walk of life. But they are united by the sacred bonds of duty and loyalty that hold us together as one nation, under God. Your devotion, your endurance, and your unbreakable will are all a great inspiration to every single American.
Each of you has endured life-changing injuries. Each of you has conquered adversity with resolve — never giving in, never giving up, and never ever backing down. Have you ever given in, anybody here? I don’t think so. (Laughter.) This is not a stage of those that gave in. Is that right? Would you say — do we have any giver-iners? I don’t think so. (Applause.)
They don’t know what that word — those words — mean. They don’t know. They are winners.
As the nation and all nations watch you ride today, they will see the fighting warrior spirit that thrives in your souls. And by the way, our military — recent budget — General Mattis asking — $700 billion — never happened before. And next year — we don’t’ even talk about it — already approved $716 billion. So that’s really something. That’s what we had to get. That was number one on our list even though we had to approve a couple of things that we weren’t so happy with because of some folks that are not friendly to our military. $700 billion, and $716 million, and $6 million for opioid.
We’re going to fight that opioid situation harder than anyone has fought it before. We’ve already begun. But $6 billion for opioid and stopping that scourge, and also for working with those that have unfortunately met with the opioids in a very bad fashion. So we’re going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort, and now we have the money. So thank you all, fellas. That’s great. (Applause.)
With that, we will be able to see you through — that brave example, that out nation can defeat any hardship, meet any challenge, beat any setback, and rise from our trials stronger and more determined by far, by far, than ever before. Our military will be stronger, more powerful than at any time ever before. Better equipment — we make the greatest equipment in the world.
It also means jobs. By the way, far secondarily, jobs. Jobs are a benefit, but that’s far secondarily.
One warrior with us today is someone I first met years ago. His name is Dan Nevins and his incredible story embodies the long journey of recovery and triumph that each of you represent so beautifully. Each of you just represent it beyond what anybody can do. It’s incredible.
Dan served as an Infantry squad leader of Task Force Tacoma in Iraq, in 2004. While on a combat mission, his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. Dan was severely injured, ultimately losing both legs. Through countless surgeries, Dan refused to give in. He is a fighter and he is a champion. (Applause.)
And the Wounded Warrior Project was there to help Dan along his difficult journey, where he’s had such tremendous success. Dan is now a nationally-recognized motivational speaker, and works to serve other veterans and their families.
I also know from personal experience that Dan is a great golfer. (Laughter.) How do you think that makes me feel? (Laughter.) He’s a great — he really is, he’s a really good golfer. Right? (Applause.)
So, Dan, I want to thank you for everything. You’re really an inspiration — everything you’ve done and will continue to do for our beloved nation. We love this nation. We’re in your debt, and we are in the eternal debt of every single person on this stage — the Wounded Warriors. These are our most incredible people, our most incredible people.
As you set out on your Soldier Ride, all of America will be cheering you on and watching. And all of America will be celebrating your strength, and your tenacity, and your unwavering love of your country. My pledge to you, our noble warriors, is that my administration will support you, and your loved ones, and your amazing families every single day, now and always. We’re never going to forget. That is our sacred commitment.
As Dan comes to the podium, I want to again thank you all for honoring us with your presence today. Thank you all, and thank you all for the help, everybody. It’s a tremendous help. This group, in particular, has been of great help.
May God bless you. May God bless our Wounded Warriors. May God bless our military. And may God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
STAFF SERGEANT NEVINS: Thank you, Mr. President. You know, I actually remember the first time meeting you, Mr. President. It happened to be at one of your golf properties, and you were hosting a charitable fundraising tournament for Wounded Warrior Project.
And I remember coming up to the par 3, and you were stationed there greeting all your guests and saying thank you, and being a gracious host. And I stepped up and just felt all this pressure. I have to hit a good golf shot.
And I stepped up to the tee, I hit a beautiful shot. And I was, like, just remembering the reality of the situation. (Laughter.) It nestled maybe two feet from the pin. And I was so excited I just — under all the pressure of you watching, I just nailed it. (Laughter.) And then everybody else went, and then it was your turn. And you hit your golf shot, and it landed on the green well away from mine. (Laughter and applause.) Wait, it gets better. But then the ball released and starting rolling right past mine and almost in the hole. (Laughter.) So great. It was a great shot. Like, really a great shot is a great shot. And it was an honor to be on the tee box with you then.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
STAFF SERGEANT NEVINS: And it’s even a greater honor to share the stage with you now as you graciously host Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride and these amazing warriors who’ve served the cause of freedom with distinction.
And it really — it’s truly a privilege for me to be here to celebrate 15 years of Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that has done so much for me and countless other warriors and families through the lifesaving programs and services that they provide every single day.
You know, Soldier Ride, what we’re here for, this event is very near and dear to my heart, as it is for thousands of warriors who’ve graced the roads and bike paths across this great nation from right here in our nation’s capital, and from sea to shining sea. This event has been changing and saving lives since its creation.
You see, as you heard, I’m a Wounded Warrior. And my life was changed forever 13 years ago when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath my vehicle and shattered life as I knew it. As a result of the blast, I lost my good friend, Sergeant First Class Mike Ottolini. I ultimately lost both legs below the knee, and I live with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. And if it weren’t for the quick action of my brothers on the battlefield and my brothers and sisters in the military medical community, I would not be standing here today. I’m so very grateful for all the love, support, and help I received in my transition from the battlefield back to civilian life.
And I’m certainly grateful for how Wounded Warrior Project intervened and showed up for me. From my first day at Walter Reed to how they show up for me right now, these are the ones that helped me learn that disability didn’t define me, but that I get to define what the rest of my life was going to be like. And they helped me learn that anything is possible when I put in the work.
And I vividly remember my first Soldier Ride in 2006. And I was a recent amputee and I was wrestling with the visible and invisible wounds of war. And I thought that I couldn’t. And then, through their motivation, I put in the work. And I finished the almost-400 miles with a new understanding with what was possible for my life, and what was possible for everything that laid out as a journey defining my new normal.
Wounded Warrior Project has been helping our nation’s finest in the journey to healing since 2003, when they delivered backpacks filled with comfort items to our Wounded Warriors in military hospitals in Germany and across the nation. Today, they deliver over a dozen life-changing and lifesaving programs that deal with mental health, physical health and wellness, economic empowerment, and engagement with each other as warriors, with our families, and our communities when we return home.
They’ve invested more than $1.1 billion into these life-saving programs and services. They ensure and they are ensuring that we have the most successful, well-adjusted generation of Wounded Warriors in our nation’s history. And I couldn’t be more proud to stand on this stage and represent this organization here today. And this is a message to the amazing Wounded Warrior Project team, to the volunteers and the technicians that make the impossible happen on each and every single Soldier Ride: You are all my heroes, and I love you. (Applause.)
And to the warriors here today, thank you for everything you’ve done, and for who you are and everything you continue to do, and how you continue to serve and be an example of the very best our nation has to offer.
Mr. President, it’s been an absolute honor to be here with you today. And on behalf of myself, the warriors and our families, and Wounded Warrior Project, thank you for hosting us so graciously and for continuing to champion the men and women that have proudly defended this great nation.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Dan.
STAFF SERGEANT NEVINS: Thank you. (Applause.)
And now I have the distinct honor to introduce the lead of Wounded Warrior Project — the team that is Wounded Warrior Project. An outstanding man and a great friend, Lieutenant General Mike Linnington. (Applause.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL LINNINGTON: Thank you. Thank you, Dan. Dan is what really is the epitome of success in our warrior population. His service, his sacrifices, his inspiration, and most importantly, his commitment to his fellow warriors — brothers and sisters in arms that earned our great thanks and deserve our very best efforts to assist in their continued recovery and rehabilitation.
Mr. President, thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL LINNINGTON: On behalf of our Wounded Warriors, and their families, and their caregivers, our Wounded Warrior Project team, and all our amazing partners, thank you for graciously hosting us as we celebrate and honor these brave Americans and the families and caregivers that love and support them.
These men and women are truly exceptional, strong, capable, and successful. As the President said, “their strength and resilience in the face of insurmountable odds is an inspiration to all Americans and a reminder — a stark reminder of our responsibilities to assist in their journeys of recovery.” And that’s exactly why we’re here at the White House today.
What a great honor it is to do what we do to provide support, healing, and hope to our Wounded Warriors who have made our very freedoms we enjoy as Americans a reality. Mr. President, thank you for your leadership, and taking the time to honor and empower our nation’s finest, and the work you have done and will continue to do on behalf of our military and our veteran’s community. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mike.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL LINNINGTON: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: I thought while we were here — first of all, hello, Elizabeth Dole. Hi. How you are sweetheart? Thank you very much for being here. Such a great, great husband and a great family. We appreciate it and all you do. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
And I thought I could just bring up to the stage for a second our great representatives who have — Bill, everybody, Brian — if you could just come up for a second. I think you certainly deserve to be on this stage. You’ve really worked so hard to get all of this done and we appreciate it. Come here.
REPRESENTATIVE PETERSON: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. Go on up. Thank you much. Thank you. You ran for office, nobody’s going to beat him. I’ll tell you. Right? (Laughter.) Nobody.
REPRESENTATIVE MAST: That’s right. Yes sir.
THE PRESIDENT: How about saying a word on behalf of —
SENATOR CASSIDY: I have the privilege to speak on behalf of Congress. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: It’s not easy.
REPRESENTATIVE ISSA: Don’t screw it up.
THE PRESIDENT: Not easy. (Laughter.)
SENATOR CASSIDY: We have at least two men of combat here and maybe more. I don’t know your story. Oh, hey, Ted. (Laughter.) I didn’t recognize Ted since he became a skinhead. (Laughter.)
And it’s hard to speak for Congress — not because we’re different, not because we’re Congress, but because when you’re in the presence of folks such as these, no word is adequate to express our appreciation, our humility between our fellow Americans who sacrificed so much, and for their families who sacrifice so much to truly bless us all.
From the founding of our nation until now it has been those such as these who have made this country the greatest — the greatest in the world.
And I will close by saying this: First, Mr. President, it was an incredible state visit that you just hosted for President Macron. And President Macron, as he spoke to Congress, emphasized that of all the challenges facing our world, without U.S. leadership, none of our — it is not possible to have the success that we need.
I would add to that — as I think both President Trump and President Macron would — at some point, U.S. leadership becomes the U.S. military enforcing values on those who would seek to destroy us. As long as we have those such as these protecting our values, we will win. And more importantly, so will the cause of freedom, the cause of equality, the cause of — the cause of the average man and woman being able to achieve his or her dreams. On behalf of that average man and woman, I once more thank you all. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, fellas. We’re with you always. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a joint news conference at the White House celebrating the historic U.S.-France relationship and discussing ongoing issues that are priorities for both countries.
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[*take note* The closing remark by President Trump at the end of this press conference is straight out of central casting for principle centered leadership; the art of the authentic close; Wharton School CEO leadership 401; ie. ‘How to expand your influence‘.]
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
There is a geopolitical strategy happening this week that is essentially under the radar.
Centinel2012 