It’s important to remember President Obama’s ideological ally, former DOJ Civil Rights Division head Tom Perez, is the current Chairman of the DNC. There are still two generally adverse camps within the DNC Club, though the boundary is much softer.
The professionals (former Clinton wing) and the activists (former Obama wing). Tom Perez hails from the ideological activist wing. The Democrat debate will take place in Miami and the group has been broken up into two groups over two nights.
Despite the nonsense that might be spun by NBC, the selection was not random draw (they never are) by the club. The DNC selected the candidates for each night and coordinated with NBC. Interestingly, Elizabeth Warren is the biggest winner and Bernie Sanders is the biggest loser. That’s a *tell*. The DNC is shaping the perspectives of the college crowd.
By positioning Elizabeth Warren on the first night (highest rating night); and positioning her with little intellectual or policy challenge; it appears the Perez DNC activist wing wants Warren over Sanders. It’s also obvious Warren can critique Sanders without an rebuttal (smart move). Additionally Beto will look like the goofball he is. This helps assemble the college crowd to Warren (again, subtle but smart move).
Conversely, the DNC put Sanders against Biden, Buttigieg, Harris and Bennet. Sanders has no-one to debate his communist bona-fides with. Night two will be a swarm of social justice and me-too-isms…. and of course, high dose Orange-Man-Bad.
Data-Delivery Deadline…. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio made the cut while Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Rep. Seth Moulton (Mass.) and Miramar, FL, Mayor Wayne Messam did not. This is almost certain to be a measure of value for the first required batch of data-delivery.
Likely de Blasio gave up his New York donor and candidate support file to make the stage. The DNC has all but admitted the data-value is the primary metric in determining support. But the Club is going to have to be really careful with Bernie Sanders.
Bernie has the biggest and most valuable data-file within the entire DNC field. The club is going to have to find a way to export that file to Elizabeth Warren without pissing off Bernie too much… though we know from 2016 Bernie and Jane can be purchased, so it might just be an aspect of determining best price (likely is).
The first pair of debates are being hosted by NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo. NBC News said the positioning of candidate podiums onstage would be based on polling and will be announced at a later date. Again, more shaping. Warren will be center stage on Night One, and Biden will be center stage on Night Two.
Et tu Tom?
[ps. Don’t forget, just like the republican voters in 2011/2012, most of the Democrat voters still have no idea how controlled this is. Only a small number of voters know how the big club operate and can fathom how Club strategies are executed (splitters etc). The College Crowd is absolutely clueless – stunningly so.]
President Donald Trump calls in to Fox and Friends on his birthday for a wide-ranging interview on multiple subjects. The interview is 49 minutes long.
President Trump discusses Iran being implicated in assaulting oil takers in the Gulf of Oman, Nancy Pelosi accusing him of a criminal cover-up, calls to fire Kellyanne Conway, Joe Biden’s campaign and much more:
Earlier today President Donald Trump delivered remarks introducing a ‘Second Chance’ hiring and workforce development initiative. The ‘Second Chance’ program is the follow-up initiative to complement the ‘First Step Act’ which the President signed last year.
‘Second Chance’ is a way to give everyone an opportunity to reestablish themselves economically and support their family financially. This was really an uplifting and enjoyable event at the White House. [Video and Transcript]
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[Transcript] THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please, please. Great occasion.
I want to welcome everyone to the White House. We’re here today to announce a vital new action that we’re taking to help former inmates find a job, live a crime-free life, and succeed beyond their wildest dreams. (Applause.)
And this afternoon, we’re very grateful to have many distinguished guests, including Secretary Alex Acosta. Alex, thank you very much. (Applause.) Governor Phil Bryant. Thank you, Phil, very much, very much. (Applause.) Governor Bill Lee. We just spent some time together. Tennessee. (Applause.)
And, I have to say, my administration is focused on lifting up all Americans. And that’s exactly what we’re doing with this.
As part of our working families agenda, we’ve expanded apprenticeships and job training, we’ve delivered historic tax cuts — the biggest ever in the history of our country — and regulatory reform, and we’ve increased access to affordable healthcare and childcare. So it’s been really important. (Applause.) Thank you.
And as a result of the booming economy, we’re bringing Americans who have been on the sidelines back into the workforce, including former inmates and those recovering from opioid addiction. Very important. And it’s been incredible, the success we’ve had.
Since the election, we’ve created 6 million new jobs. We’ve added more than a million new jobs in manufacturing, construction, and steel alone. And everyone said that was going to be an impossibility to do — manufacturing jobs.
African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have reached the lowest levels and the lowest rates in history of our country. It’s been an incredible situation.
Our policies are rebuilding lives, rebuilding families, and rebuilding communities.
To realize America’s full potential, we must unlock the talents of every single citizen. We want to lift every American family out of poverty and into a future of hope and opportunity.
In December of last year, I signed into law groundbreaking and historic reform to our criminal justice system: the FIRST STEP Act. (Applause.) That’s terrific. Great. Great. That’s terrific. Thank you. Thank you very much. I think you like it. (Laughter.)
It is true though, since we’ve got it passed, nobody realized how tough it was. They’ve been trying to do it for many years. And — many, many years. And nobody thought they could do it. And we got it done. But we had tremendous conservative support and tremendous liberal support. It was very bipartisan. Some of the most conservative people — I know Mike Lee was in favor of it and Chuck Grassley was in favor of it. And then, on the other side, you had people that, frankly, I didn’t think would be signing too many of the things that I wanted to do. Phil Bryant, you know? (Laughter.)
But they all wanted it. And it’s something that I’m very proud of. And Jared and Ivanka were incredible. And they really pushed it. (Applause.) It’s true. And I think they were being pushed a little bit also by Kim Kardashian. She’s right here. (Applause.) So, thank you, Kim. And Kanye. Thank you.
Since its passage, more than a dozen states have advanced similar reforms at the state level. Now we must make sure that Americans returning from prison get a true second chance. Right?
America wins when citizens with a criminal record can contribute to their communities as law-abiding members of our society. When former inmates come home, the single-most important action we can take is to help them find a really, really good job, where they love the job, they want to go there, and they’re making a lot money. Right? And that’s what’s happening. And that’s because of a lot of reasons, including the people in this room. But it’s also because we have a great economy.
And some people that wouldn’t have normally made that choice, they’ve made that choice and they are so happy. I’m talking about employers. They are so happy they can’t even believe it. They’ve got — one man told me some of the best people that work for him now came out of prison. And these are people that a few years ago, they — he would not have given a chance. And now he considers them among his best people.
Too often, former inmates are not considered for jobs even if they’re qualified, rehabilitated, and ready to work. And that’s why we’re taking crucial steps to encourage business to expand second chance hiring practices. (Applause.)
So when we say “hire American,” we mean all Americans. And that’s what’s happening. (Applause.) First time, probably, ever. (Applause.)
And I think I can say, truly — and a lot of the folks in the room are experts and you’ve been doing this for a long time — but I think it’s probably the first time we can truly say that in the history of our country that that’s happening. So it’s really been fantastic.
The unemployment rate for former inmates is up to five times higher than the national average. My administration has set an ambitious goal: We want to cut the unemployment rate for these individuals to single digits within five years. And we think there’s a really good chance of doing it. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you.
Second chance hiring is about safer communities, a stronger workforce, and a thriving economy. We believe in the dignity of work and the pride of a paycheck.
Here with us today is Johnny Koufos. And I worked on that name because it’s spelled a little bit differently. (Laughter.) It’s spelled a little bit differently than was supposed to, but I got it right, I think, Johnny. I don’t know. Close enough. (Laughter.) A lawyer who served time in prison for an alcohol-related accident and now runs a re-entry program. He’s done incredibly well. He’s highly respected in the community. He’s a tremendous guy.
And, John, maybe you could come up and say a few words, please. Okay? (Applause.)
MR. KOUFOS: Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you all for being here. And don’t worry about the name; it’s Greek. That’s the best pronunciation anyone has done in many years. (Laughter.)
Again, my name is John Koufos. And, Mr. President, you know, your courage in criminal justice reform has made America safer and it’s made America better, and it’s made America more prosperous. So, first and foremost, I want to thank you for that. (Applause.)
You know, we’re in June 12th, I think, 2019 — today — and in June 12th, 2013, I was in prison. I had hurt someone — my alcoholism; I caused a car accident in my alcoholism, driving drunk. And thank the Lord I didn’t kill that person, Mr. President.
And when I was in prison — and here I was, this trial lawyer from New Jersey — nobody asked me for money, which was really a surprise in prison. But nearly everybody asked me for a job. Everyone wanted a job to avoid crime, to reunify with their families, to pay child support. And I never forgot that.
And as my journey towards sobriety took shape, I was blessed with people like the folks in this room who gave me that second chance to contribute. And I would go on to build a very large reentry program in New Jersey. From there, I would go on to be recruited to work down here in Washington, D.C. to help do this nationally. I’ve worked with Governor Bryant. So many good people in the room.
And without a second chance, I don’t know where I would’ve been. I’m not sure if I could’ve stayed sober. I certainly know I wouldn’t have contributed the level I did.
Next month, I have my first child — a baby daughter — on the way. I have — (applause.) Thank you. I’m married, and I have the ability to be standing here with you, Mr. President. Thank you for taking on criminal justice reform.
Folks, this is the public safety issue of our time. This is a justice issue of our time. This is a civil rights issue of our time. And this is a prosperity issue of our time. And, Mr. President, thanks to you, it’s all of our time. God bless you. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, John. That’s incredible. That’s an incredible story. I can’t tell you the job he’s done. So respected.
Across the federal government, we’re giving former inmates the resources they need to make the most of their new lease on life.
Today, the Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that it will work with employers to help those leaving prison to have a job lined up when they are released. Something that pretty much has never happened before.
Also, earlier today, the Department of Labor — Alex, that’s good; he’s done a great job. (Laughter.) He’s done a good job. Awarded $2 million to states to support “fidelity bonds,” which underwrite companies that hire former prisoners.
We are expanding our Second Chance Pell Grant Pilot Program to allow individuals to use their time in prison to take college-level classes. (Applause.) That’s great. That’s great. That’s great.
The Department of Energy has begun a new initiative to inform American workers, including former inmates, about great jobs in the booming energy industry. And that is a great industry. (Applause.)
And just in case you didn’t hear me say this before: We’ve now become the number-one energy producer, by far, in the world. (Applause.) We’re topping Saudi Arabia and we’re topping Russia.
Our administration is also working to allow rehabilitated citizens with a criminal record to apply for both federal government jobs and affordable housing — something that we were unable to do before. (Applause.)
Here with us today is Marcus Bullock, who went to prison as a minor in 1996 and now runs a technology company. And he’s doing a very good job. Marcus, please come up and say hello. You’re here. Thank you. (Applause.)
MR. BULLOCK: Thank you so much, Mr. President. When I was in cell C-12, I’d never thought that I would be standing here on this podium, so I’m going to suck all of this moment up while I’m standing here. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
When I was 15 years old, I made one of the worst mistakes of my life, and it landed me in front of a judge, listening to him sentence me to eight years in adult maximum security prisons. I grew up in a prison cell, and I’ll tell you, that was one of — some of the darkest times of my life.
The depression that I fought, the battles on the prison rec yards that I saw every day, they became a big part of me, and they were — they built this dark spirit that my mom began to see. And my mom made a commitment because she wanted to understand — she wanted me to understand that there was life after prison. There would be potential days that looked like this.
And so my mom wrote me letters and she sent me pictures every day for the remaining six years of my prison sentence, until I came home, so that she could show me the window to the world.
And this is why I’m so grateful for what happens around the country, and we’re having conversations around the FIRST STEP Act and what we’re doing now with these second chances. Because even once I came home, it was still very challenging for me to get a job.
After finally finding a job at a paint store, minimum wage job — and I was very, very grateful just to be able to get a job — and it was really only because of the way that they worded one of the questions on the application, it allowed me to be able to even eventually start my first business after prison, which was a painting businesses. We ended up hiring over 18 employees. And after the 19th one, we realized that the first 16 were all returning citizens, just like me. (Applause.) Thank you.
And while we were building opportunities for other men and women to come home and have a great place to be able to work with the sustainable employment, we wanted to venture out a little bit further. And, in 2012, we started our first tech company. That tech company, Flikshop, is now a venture-backed company that connects families back to their incarcerated loved ones the same way that my mom wrote me letters and pictures when I was in prison.
We’ve connected over 140,000 families around the country. And I’m so grateful because the resources that are flowing back into these prison cells, using our tech, is building the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders, business executives like me, and great employees at some of you all’s incredible companies.
I’m so grateful to be a small part of the solution because we do understand that this crisis is huge. But with you guys’ leadership, I feel very, very optimistic about the future of employment. Thank you. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: And, tomorrow, Marcus will be announcing a run for a major public office. (Applause.) You did a good job. Huh? You guys, great job. Thank you both very much. Really fantastic.
Today, we’re also joined by many employers who are hiring former inmates and helping us build the strongest economy on Earth. We have some very successful people in this room, and we appreciate it all very much. Thank you very much. Great job. (Applause.)
Among the leaders who join us today is Steve Preston, the CEO of Goodwill. Goodwill employs and provides training and other services for more than 100,000 former inmates each and every year.
Steve, I want to thank you for the devotion and all that you do for a second chance. (Applause.) Steve. Steve. Please, Steve.
MR. PRESTON: All right. Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, for your leadership and the FIRST STEP Act, and for working with Congress to pass this in a bipartisan fashion. That just sounds great, doesn’t it?
THE PRESIDENT: It sounds great.
MR. PRESTON: Yeah, it really does. Because we know that it’s not an issue of one side of the aisle or the other. It’s an issue for the entire country. And now we all get to work together to ensure that we truly give people, who are coming back home, a real second chance.
You know, we all know about high recidivism rates, but it does not have to be that way. I know, because as the President said, last year alone, Goodwill worked with over 100,000 second chance individuals. And with the right kind of support, those recidivism rates plummet, and, in their place, come high-success rates.
So we need to provide support for people to get back on their feet, to stabilize their lives, and, so importantly, define meaningful employment — because it’s the promise of that job that often cements the path forward to a sustainable life.
And the small investment we make to do that has a return many times over, not only financially, which I think any of us could prove out, but certainly in the form of lives that are transformed both for the individuals and for their families. And it’s so important that we remember those families in this process.
So thank you again, Mr. President, for all that you are doing to be part of — to advance this important effort. Thank you guys for your stories. These are — like, there is no better testimony than to see what’s happening here. And there are other people around the country that have the same experience if they’re given the right chance. Thank you. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
And I thought maybe I’d just a take moment. So, at the White House — and been with me now three and a half years, before I won, before the election — is a person, a friend, a woman — a great, great magnificent person, actually — named Sarah Huckabee Sanders. And she’s very popular. She’s very popular. (Applause.)
And — and she’s done an incredible job. We’ve been through a lot together, and she’s tough but she’s good. You know, you also have tough and bad, right? (Laughter.) She’s tough and she’s good. She’s great.
And she’s going to be leaving the service of her country, and she is going to be going — I guess you could say private sector, but I hope she’s going to — she comes from a great state, Arkansas. That was a state I won by a lot, so I like it, right? (Laughter.) But we love Arkansas, and she’s going to be going back to Arkansas with her great family — her husband, who’s a fantastic guy, and her family.
And I don’t know, Phil, and folks, if we can get her to run for the governor of Arkansas, I think she’ll do very well. And I’m trying to get her to do that. (Applause.)
But I just saw her in the room and I really wanted to call her up. She’s a special person, a very, very fine woman. She has been so great. She has such heart. She’s strong but with great, great heart. And I want to thank you for an outstanding job.
MS. SANDERS: Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And — thank you. Come. Thank you, honey. Say a couple words. (Applause.)
MS. SANDERS: Thank you. Thank you so much. I’ll try not to get emotional because I know that crying can make us look weak sometimes, right? (Laughter.)
This has been the honor of a lifetime, the opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn’t be prouder to have had the opportunity to serve my country and particularly to work for this President. He has accomplished so much in these two and a half years, and it’s truly been something I will treasure forever. It’s one of the greatest jobs I could ever have. I’ve loved every minute. Even the hard minutes, I have loved it.
I love the President. I love the team that I’ve had the opportunity to work for. The President is surrounded by some of the most incredible and most talented people you could ever imagine. And it’s truly the most special experience.
The only one I can think of that might top it just a little bit is the fact that I’m a mom. I have three amazing kids, and I’m going to spend a little more time with them. (Applause.)
And, in the meantime, I’m going to continue to be one of the most outspoken and loyal supporters of the President and his agenda. And I know he’s going to have an incredible six more years and get a whole lot more done, like what we’re here to celebrate today.
And I don’t want to take away from that. So I certainly want to get back to the tremendous thing that the people behind me have done.
And thank you so much, Mr. President. It’s truly an honor. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Sarah. Thank you very much. Great. Great person. Great person. Thank you, Sarah. Great.
She’s a warrior. You guys know what warriors are, right? Yeah? You’re warriors. Huh? We’re all warriors. We have no choice. (Laughter.) We have to be warriors in this world. But she is a warrior. Thank you, Sarah, very much.
We’re also glad to have with us the President of the Society for Human Resource Management, Johnny Taylor. And where’s Johnny? Where’s Johnny? Come here, Johnny. (Laughter.) Johnny. This guy is some guy and some athlete, that I can tell you.
So maybe you could just talk a little bit about what we’re doing and how well you’re doing with it, right? Thank you, Johnny.
MR. TAYLOR: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.)
MR. TAYLOR: So I vividly remember December 2018, waking up one morning and reading in the newspaper that Congress had signed — had passed, and the President had signed, the FIRST STEP Act. I literally did not believe that would ever happen. (Laughter.) And, I mean, so much so that I got up and said, “I can’t believe it. Like, he said he’d do it. But I didn’t think it would happen.” And here we were.
And I realized there were so many people who had worked behind the scenes, people like Mark Holden, who’s here in the room from Koch Industries. So many of you had worked to make this a reality.
And the first thing I thought was: What can I do as an American to do my part in this? I represent an organization called the Society for Human Resource Management, and we represent 300,000 HR people across the globe. Our companies employ 115 million people every day. And so we said, “There’s some role that we must be able to play.”
And, instantly, it hit me: What’s the next step? What we know is that once people get out, too often — get out of incarceration — too often they return because they can’t find a job. These aren’t bad people; they’re people who are trying to survive. And we can play a role in that if we can help remove some of the barriers — those barriers that lead to high levels of recidivism. Again, no one wants to go back.
And so what we needed to do is figure out how we could play a role — the country’s human resource professionals — to remove the barrier of employment. And so we’re bringing back people back into the workplace.
So, I went back to my team; it was, of course, a week before Christmas, and they said, “Wait a minute. What? You want me to work over the weekend?” I said, “Yes.” Mark Holden and his team, Jenny. Jenny is in the room. Thank you, Jenny. We all said we’d work together on the weekend with my Chief of Staff and our team, and we came up with an idea.
Over literally a one-week period, we launched a website called “Getting Talent Back to Work.” And we got 1,500 employers across this country to immediately sign to join the movement because we needed employers to commit. It wasn’t enough to get people out of incarceration; we needed to get them employed. In a very short period of time, after announcing it with Charles Koch, Richard Branson, myself, we had people just signing up.
And so now, all of a sudden, Mr. President, your goal — your goal of getting that five times the number down to single digits — we’re going to do it. And the Society for Human Resource Management. (Applause.) SHRM and our 300,000 members are committed. We’re going to play our role. We’re going to be warriors to get these warriors back to work. Thank you. God bless you. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Johnny. He’ll do it too.
This afternoon, we also have an exciting announcement to ensure former inmates can overcome some of the greatest barriers to employment, including limited access to transportation, which is needed for interviews and for jobs.
To make this announcement, I’d like to invite up a very special guest and a powerful advocate for not only justice reform, but just a good person. And I hear she’s starting to study law. She’s also one of the most successful people in the entertainment business. Soon she’ll be one of the most successful lawyers — I hate to tell all my lawyers back there. (Laughter.) But I knew her father, and I’ll tell you, she’s got good genes — that I can tell you. Good genes for everything. And she’s been a real friend, and her husband has been a real friend of mine. Kim Kardashian West. (Applause.)
MS. KARDASHIAN WEST: Hi. It really is such an honor to be here today, so thank you. My whole journey with criminal justice reform started about a year ago when I came to see the President, after speaking to Ivanka and Jared — who really fought for me to get here — and I pled the case of Alice Johnson, who the President granted clemency to.
And after that, I really spent so much time going to different prisons because I really had no connection to anybody on the inside and really just felt like, for me, I am at the place in my life that I wanted to make a difference and just wanted to do the right thing, but I didn’t know how or what to do, or even really what was going on.
And so after going to visit so many different prisons and really sitting down with lifers, with every situation you can possibly imagine, my heart just completely opened up and I wanted to do more. So I started to study the law, which is law school, basically, in California.
And my attorneys are here today, Erin and Jessica, from Cut50. (Applause.)
Thank you.
So the best part of it is I learned so much that I don’t even know if — I don’t want to speak for anybody in law school, but I learned so much just, basically, working on memos and being the assistant to them while the FIRST STEP Act was happening, and like learning how you get bills passed, and working on it from the ground up. So to get the President’s support and to see it come to fruition was magic.
And the one thing that I just realized that needed so much support, that I’m happy to help and be supportive where I can, was the reentry of people coming home and seeing the lack of support that really existed. Whether it’s housing or the amount of letters that I get with people just needing transportation to job interviews, to jobs — these people want to work. They want the best outcome. And I’m so happy to be here today amongst people that want the same thing and that really believe in supporting their reentry.
So I’m so happy to announce today that we have a rideshare partnership where formerly incarcerated people will be gifted gift cards so that they can get rides to and from job interviews, to and from jobs, family members, and that is so important — so needed.
And I just want to thank the President for really standing behind this issue. And seeing the compassion that he’s had for criminal justice has been really remarkable.
So I just want to thank all of the organizations that are partnering with everything that’s going on and really being supportive, because it really does mean a lot to so many people that I’ve had the pleasure to speak to.
And I think the ultimate goal is everyone wants the community to be safe. And the more opportunity that we have and that they have, and the support that we help give them, the safer everyone will be. And the recidivism rate will be — continue to just get lower.
And so, I’m just thankful to everyone here that’s in support, and so proud of this partnership with the rideshare organization. So, thank you. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Kim. Thank you. Great. I think she’s pretty popular, huh? What do you think? (Laughter.) I can tell you this: If she is your assistant — she’s your assistant. Two lawyers? (Laughter). She’s your assistant? She’s the highest paid assistant in history. (Laughter.) There’s never been anything like it.
Anyway, thank you, Kim. That was beautiful.
I want to also just, while I’m here — a couple of friends and they’ve been rally incredible to me: Pastor Darrell Scott. Just stand up. He is something. (Applause.) He’s a religious man, but I watched him on CNN so often and, you know, I wouldn’t say that’s the friendliest. And I watched you take apart people like they were nothing. So thank you, Pastor. He’s a pastor.
PASTOR SCOTT: In 2020, we’ll do it again.
THE PRESIDENT: 2020, we’ll do it again. We’re going to do it again.
And Pastor Paula White. Thank you, Paula. That support has been incredible. Thank you, Paula. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Great job. Right from the beginning, both of them.
In every action we take, we are revitalizing our cities, restoring hope to our communities, and uniting citizens all across our country. We’re helping families grow their incomes and attend the schools of their choice, earn a great living, and have a truly rewarding career. We want to ensure that every American is prepared for the jobs of today and for the industries of tomorrow.
And together, we are expanding the blessings of America for every citizen, from every background, from every community, and every walk of life.
We are breaking down old barriers, tearing down yesterday’s obstacles, and replacing the failures of the past with the bright and limitless future. That’s what we have going. It’s a limitless future.
So many people in this room and so many people outside of this room — they’re given a second and, in some cases, a third chance, in all fairness. And I will say, they are really, really producing. It’s a great thing to watch. If you — you know. You know all about it. And you know about it very well. And thank you.
MR. KOUFOS: Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: We really appreciate your being here. And we’ll not stop until everyone in our national family can achieve their own beautiful American Dream.
I want to thank everybody for being here. God bless you. God bless America. I very much appreciate it. Thank you all very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
During a White House event to announce the “Second Hiring” initiative, President Donald Trump took a moment to thank departing White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders [Video and Transcript]
And I thought maybe I’d just a take moment. So, at the White House — and been with me now three and a half years, before I won, before the election — is a person, a friend, a woman — a great, great magnificent person, actually — named Sarah Huckabee Sanders. And she’s very popular. She’s very popular. (Applause.)
And — and she’s done an incredible job. We’ve been through a lot together, and she’s tough but she’s good. You know, you also have tough and bad, right? (Laughter.) She’s tough and she’s good. She’s great.
And she’s going to be leaving the service of her country, and she is going to be going — I guess you could say private sector, but I hope she’s going to — she comes from a great state, Arkansas. That was a state I won by a lot, so I like it, right? (Laughter.) But we love Arkansas, and she’s going to be going back to Arkansas with her great family — her husband, who’s a fantastic guy, and her family.
And I don’t know, Phil, and folks, if we can get her to run for the governor of Arkansas, I think she’ll do very well. And I’m trying to get her to do that. (Applause.)
But I just saw her in the room and I really wanted to call her up. She’s a special person, a very, very fine woman. She has been so great. She has such heart. She’s strong but with great, great heart. And I want to thank you for an outstanding job.
MS. SANDERS: Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And — thank you. Come. Thank you, honey. Say a couple words. (Applause.)
MS. SANDERS: Thank you. Thank you so much. I’ll try not to get emotional because I know that crying can make us look weak sometimes, right? (Laughter.)
This has been the honor of a lifetime, the opportunity of a lifetime. I couldn’t be prouder to have had the opportunity to serve my country and particularly to work for this President. He has accomplished so much in these two and a half years, and it’s truly been something I will treasure forever. It’s one of the greatest jobs I could ever have. I’ve loved every minute. Even the hard minutes, I have loved it.
I love the President. I love the team that I’ve had the opportunity to work for. The President is surrounded by some of the most incredible and most talented people you could ever imagine. And it’s truly the most special experience.
The only one I can think of that might top it just a little bit is the fact that I’m a mom. I have three amazing kids, and I’m going to spend a little more time with them. (Applause.)
And, in the meantime, I’m going to continue to be one of the most outspoken and loyal supporters of the President and his agenda. And I know he’s going to have an incredible six more years and get a whole lot more done, like what we’re here to celebrate today.
And I don’t want to take away from that. So I certainly want to get back to the tremendous thing that the people behind me have done.
And thank you so much, Mr. President. It’s truly an honor. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Sarah. Thank you very much. Great. Great person. Great person. Thank you, Sarah. Great.
She’s a warrior. You guys know what warriors are, right? Yeah? You’re warriors. Huh? We’re all warriors. We have no choice. (Laughter.) We have to be warriors in this world. But she is a warrior. Thank you, Sarah, very much.
If you’ve got the time this is well worth watching. Larry Kudlow is Chairman of the National Economic Council and delivers a strong voice amid the economic team of assembled by President Trump.
Kudlow provides value because he comes from the Wall Street economic punditry networking group that just doesn’t understand MAGAnomics, or ‘America First’ Main Street policy. President Trump has taught Kudlow a great deal. So Kudlow’s value is heightened by his ability to explain Trump’s Main Street policy to his old Wall St. tribe; who genuinely have no concept of Main Street policy (hence, they’re always puzzled).
This evening President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump host a reception for Poland’s first couple, President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda. The reception included dignitaries, politicians, business leaders and friends from the Polish-American community. [Video and Transcript]
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[Transcript] PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. Melania and I would like to just welcome you all to the White House, a very special place. One of the great homes and houses anywhere in the world. Call it a home or a house; it’s one of the greats. Very important to all of us.
And we’re here, today, to honor the incredible friendship between the United States and Poland, and to celebrate our vibrant, thriving, and proud Polish-American community, of which many of you are (inaudible). (Applause.)
And we are tremendously honored to host President Duda and Mrs. Kornhauser-Duda of Poland. And he’s a highly respected leader. He’s done a fantastic job. You’d be very, very proud of your homeland, your original place. I know so many of you came there and came directly. They are doing really well. So we’re very proud of President Duda.
And I’ve just also spent a lot of time having some very productive meetings. Good for Poland and good for the United States. The alliance between the United States and Poland is stronger than ever before.
And thanks to our U.S. Ambassador to Poland — friend of mine for a long time, Georgette Mosbacher — (applause) — where is Georgette? Hi, Georgette. Not a very good location, Georgette. I’m surprised at you. (Laughter.) That’s not like you. (Laughter.) But she’s done a fantastic job.
Another person doing an incredible job is Wilbur Ross, Secretary. Where is Wilbur? Where is Wilbur? Secretary of Commerce. (Applause.) Thank you, Wilbur.
Betsy DeVos, for joining us. Where is Betsy? Betsy? Hi, Betsy. (Applause.) Hi, Betsy. Education.
Along with some terrific people — representatives, powerful but good. Dan Lipinski. Dan? Dan Lipinski, thank you. Thank you, Dan.
Also here today is Lockheed Martin’s CEO, Marillyn Hewson. And we’re very glad to tell you that President Duda plans to purchase 32 American-made F-35s, one of the great planes. Am I right? (Applause.) Where is Marillyn? Hi, Marillyn. Good job, Marillyn. Doing an incredible job. Thank you, Marillyn.
Last week, the world commemorated the 75th anniversary of D-Day. That was some day. In that momentous endeavor, Polish and American warriors fought side-by-side to defend their nations to defeat the Nazi regime. That Nazi regime was defeated and strongly defeated.
The heroes of D-Day remind us that no power can match the spirit of a free, proud, and sovereign people. They found that out. (Applause.)
In August, we will also mark the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, when more than 150,000 Polish patriots gave their lives to reclaim their homeland from tyranny.
On my trip to Poland two summers ago — and I will never forget it — I was deeply moved to speak at the Monument to the Warsaw Uprising. Many of you remember that scene. The people went 10 blocks long. It was like spokes on wheel and it went deep, deep. And there were — I guess, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Many young Poles ran into the streets and came face-to-face with the enemy. One such man was Richard Cosby. (Applause.) Richard Cosby. I had no idea, Rita. I’ve known Rita so long; I had no idea. Who fought for weeks on end, was gravely wounded, and was taken to a Nazi prison camp in Germany. Months later, Richard and other Polish prisoners escaped to the American front. That’s a great day for Richard.
This evening, we are honored to be joined by Richard Cosby’s daughter — and a friend of mine for a long time. I had no idea. (Applause.) Huh? That’s great. Rita. Come up here for a second, Rita. Come up here. And, Rita, I have to say, your dad’s story fills our hearts with gratitude for the Polish and American patriots who stared down evil. And I want to thank you. I’ve known her so long, and so I just had no idea. I’ve very impress- — I’m even more impressed now. Thank you. (Laughter.)
Thank you very much. Be careful. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you very much, Rita.
Today, we pay tribute to the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising and all of those who fought so courageously in Warsaw and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising the year before.
After the Second World War, the people of Poland endured a decades-long struggle to regain their independence — and it was tough — from very oppressive communist rule. And it was oppressive.
This month, we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Saint John Paul the Second’s first pilgrimage to his beloved homeland as Pope. (Applause.) He loved Poland, right? That’s great.
With us today is Jerzy Bogdziewicz. Where — Jerzy, where are you? Get over here, Jerzy. Come on. (Laughter.) Jerzy grew up in communist Poland. He and a group of fellow students met with the Pope. Was that exciting, Jerzy, meeting with the Pope? More exciting than meeting with Trump, right? (Laughter.)
MR. BOGDZIEWICZ: Yes, (inaudible).
PRESIDENT TRUMP: He said, “Yes.” I can’t believe it. (Laughter.) Thank you. Thank you, Jerzy, very much.
MR. BOGDZIEWICZ: Thank you, Mr. President, like always.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Fantastic. Thank you very much.
After the Pope’s pilgrimage, Jerzy was one of the thousands of students who joined the Solidarity Movement. And, Jerzy, we’re honored to have you and every Pole who bravely stood for the rights given to us by God. Jerzy, thank you very much. That was great. Rita, thank you very much. (Applause.)
For centuries, our nations have been united by shared aspirations and values. We celebrate the role of family in society, and the dignity of every human life. We draw inspiration from our heroes and honor from our traditions. We enrich the world through art and exploration and science. We protect our sovereignty, and we understand that law is the cornerstone of liberty.
On this very day, June 12th, in 1987, President Ronald Reagan delivered his famous speech in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. Right? We remember that day. That was a special day. Soon after, through the strength of American resolve, the faith of freedom-striving nations, and the mighty spirit of the Poles, the brutal reign of communism in Central and Eastern Europe came to a peaceful end. That was a tremendous day. That was a tremendous time.
President Duda, we will never forget all that Poland has endured to win back its freedom. The story of your nation will always inspire patriots all around the world.
Here in America, Polish-Americans have built flourishing communities, industries, schools, and churches in every generation. Polish-Americans helped settle the Midwest and they helped lead the industrial revolution. They worked so hard and so smart. (Applause.)
The families here today remind us of the countless ways Polish-Americans strengthen our nation. You uplift our communities, sustain our heritage, safeguard our freedoms, and defend our great American flag. Thank you.
To every Polish-American here today, and to those around our country, we say thank you, God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
And now I’d like to — thank you very much. And now — I know so many of you. (Laughter.) I didn’t know you were all Polish, to be honest with you. (Laughter.) Do you hear that, Rita?
I’d like to introduce you to, now, a man who really has done such an incredible job as a leader. Respected all over the world. And your country is more respected, I think, than ever before. When you look at what’s happened in Poland, it’s truly a miracle. And what they’ve had to go through over the years — it’s never been easy for Poland. But this is a great President, and it’s an honor to have him and Mrs. Duda at the White House. Thank you very much.
Mr. President, thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) Distinguished, Mr. President; wonderful distinguished First Lady of the United States of America; all distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen: My wife and I are greatly honored and thrilled to be here at the White House for the second time in 10 months. And we would like to thank our wonderful hosts, President Donald Trump and wonderful First Lady Melania Trump.
Ladies and gentlemen, last year, Poland celebrated the 100th anniversary of regaining independence. Last year, Poland celebrated the 100th anniversary for regaining independence. And millions of Poles, both at home and abroad, perhaps especially here in the United States, honored that hugely important historic fact.
President and First Lady, thank you for celebrating this anniversary with myself and my wife last September, here at the White House. We are hugely grateful and honored. (Applause.)
But that’s not the end. This year, Poland and the United States remember another common anniversary: the 100th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations in 1919. And from among all the countries that back then, in 1919, were valuable in the international arena — in the international stage, it was precisely the United States, which was the first great power to recognize the newly restored Polish state.
And I’m happy that we are here today not only to recollect and commemorate those anniversaries, but also to invest in our future relations.
Mr. President, one of your predecessors, the 33rd President of the United States, Harry Truman, once said, “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still.” And then, he continued, “Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” (Applause.)
Oto jesteśmy. (In English.) “Here we are,” Mr. President. (Laughter and applause.)
(As interpreted.) A lot has been accomplished since we met here in September 2018. We have filled the declaration on strategic partnership with political, economic, energy, and security content. In all these areas, our cooperation has been dependent — benefitting both Poland and the United States.
These are not words; these are concrete effects. Our mutual relations have been deepened and strengthened through our reverence to assured values, which are the pillars of the transatlantic community.
I believe that they have evolved toward — they will evolve towards a true friendship between committed and trusted allies.
Distinguished Mr. President, in Poland we know that you are our great friend. (Applause.) And it is right here, at the White House, that — the very heart of the United States — that I would like to take this opportunity and appreciate these relations that you have with the hardworking and loyal Polish-Americans. (Applause.)
I have met thousands of them in different American cities, and I can assure you, Mr. President, that this feeling is mutual. (Applause.)
(In English.) Dear friends, in two days, America will celebrate the great anniversary. It will be the day of the birth — a new anniversary of the day of the birth of the 45th President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump. (Applause.)
Happy birthday, Mr. President! Happy birthday to you. May all your dreams come true, Mr. President.
AUDIENCE: (Sings “Sto Lat.”) (Applause.)
PRESIDENT DUDA: Mr. President — Mr. President, may this first term of your presidency will be the introduction to the second one. Thank you. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thanks, everybody. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much.
The New York Times has a report this evening surrounding U.S. Attorney John Durham questioning CIA officials about the origination of the Trump-Russia investigation.
However, a closer look at the substance underneath the NYT reporting and it doesn’t actually look like Durham is questioning the CIA about the investigation itself; rather it appears he is questioning the CIA about how they came to the conclusions within the January 7th, 2017, Intelligence Community Assessment, or ICA.
(New York Times) […] Mr. Barr wants to know more about the C.I.A. sources who helped inform its understanding of the details of the Russian interference campaign, an official has said. He also wants to better understand the intelligence that flowed from the C.I.A. to the F.B.I. in the summer of 2016.
During the final weeks of the Obama administration, the intelligence community released a declassified assessment that concluded that Mr. Putin ordered an influence campaign that “aspired to help” Mr. Trump’s electoral chances by damaging Mrs. Clinton’s. The C.I.A. and the F.B.I. reported they had high confidence in the conclusion. The National Security Agency, which conducts electronic surveillance, had a moderate degree of confidence. (read more)
Questioning the construct of the ICA is a smart direction to take for a review or investigation. By looking at the intelligence community work-product, it’s likely Durham will cut through a lot of the chatter and get to the heart of the intelligence motives.
CTH has previously outlined how the December 29th, 2016, Joint Analysis Report on Russia Cyber Activity was a quickly compiled bunch of nonsense about Russian hacking. The JAR was followed a week later by the January 7th, 2017, Intelligence Community Assessment. The ICA took the ridiculous construct of the JAR and then overlaid a political narrative that Russia was trying to help Donald Trump.
The claims within the ICA were/are completely silly, and manufactured specifically to present a political narrative intended to undermine President-elect Donald Trump. The ICA was the brain-trust of John Brennan, James Clapper and James Comey. NSA Director Mike Rogers would not sign up to the “high confidence” claims, likely because he saw through the political motives of the report.
Apparently John Durham is looking into just this aspect: Was the ICA document a politically engineered report stemming from within a corrupt intelligence network?
The importance of that question is rather large. All of the downstream claims about Russian activity, including the Russian indictments promoted by Rosenstein and the Mueller team, are centered around origination claims of illicit Russian activity outlined in the ICA.
If the ICA is a false political document…. then guess what?
Yep, the entire narrative from the JAR and ICA is part of a big fraud. [Which it is]
After a series of bilateral meetings President Donald Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda hold a joint press conference in the Rose Garden. [Video and Transcript Below]
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[Transcript] – 2:23 P.M. EDT – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Please. Today, Melania and I are honored to welcome President Duda and Mrs. Kornhauser-Duda of Poland back to the White House. They’ve become friends. We last hosted them in Washington, in September, and it’s wonderful to see you both again. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Great honor.
Since our last meeting, the unbreakable bonds between the United States and Poland have grown even closer. This year, as our nations mark 100 years of diplomatic relations, the U.S.-Polish alliance is stronger, by far, than ever before.
Earlier today, President Duda and I signed a joint declaration affirming the significant defense cooperation between our nations. And, as the declaration makes clear, the United States and Poland are not only bound by a strategic partnership, but by deep, common values, shared goals, and a very strong and abiding friendship.
Our people are united by the enduring ties of civilization, culture, and history. We respect the rule of law, revere individual rights, and prize our timeless traditions. We embrace country, faith, family, and freedom.
Over the past century, brave American and Polish patriots have repeatedly stood together to defend our sovereignty, our liberty, and our noble way of life.
When I was last in Poland, I was very proud to stand among veterans of the Warsaw Uprising and recall their incredible courage in the face of Nazi tyranny.
Today, we honor the sacrifices of all those who came before by doing our part to safeguard our independence and strengthen the incredible U.S.-Polish alliance.
As stated in the joint declaration, the United States and Poland continue to enhance our security cooperation. Poland will still provide basing and infrastructure to support military presence of about 1,000 American troops. The Polish government will build these projects at no cost to the United States. The Polish government will pay for this.
We thank President Duda and the people of Poland for their partnership in advancing our common security.
Poland’s burden sharing also extends to the NATO Alliance, where it is among eight NATO Allies, including the United States, currently meeting the minimum 2 percent of GDP that’s for defense spending. And Poland is there. And you’ve been there from a very early date, and we appreciate that very much. And we’ve been there also.
There’s been a total of 8 — 8 out of 28, and the rest are coming along. Because nations, at my urging, have paid more than $100 billion more toward the NATO defense.
Last month, I was very pleased that Poland announced the intent to purchase 32 American-made F-35 fighter aircraft, like you just saw.
Moments ago, we witnessed that impressive flyover of this cutting-edge F-35 as it flew over the White House and actually came to a — pretty close to a halt over the White House. I was saying, “What’s wrong with that plane? It’s not going very fast.” (Laughter.) But it’s an incredible — it’s an incredible thing when you can do that. That plane can land dead straight, and it’s one of the few in the world that can do that. Considered to be the greatest fighter jet in the world.
I applaud President Duda for its efforts to strengthen and modernize Poland’s defenses.
I also want to congratulate Poland for its progress on meeting U.S. criteria for entry into the Visa Waiver Program. Today, our country signed a Preventing and Combatting Serious Crimes Agreement — a significant and necessary step for Poland’s entry into the program. Though we still have some work to do, we hope to welcome Poland into the Visa Waiver Program very soon, and that’s a very big deal.
Both of our nations understand that immigration security is national security. In our meeting, President Duda and I discussed the vital issue of energy. Reliance on a single foreign supplier of energy leaves nations totally vulnerable to coercion and extortion.
For this reason, we support Poland’s construction of the Baltic pipeline, which will help European countries diversify their energy sources. It’s desperately needed, and that’s the way to go.
During the past year, Poland has also signed approximately 25 billion dollars’ worth of new contracts with U.S. firms to buy more than 6 billion cubic meters of U.S. liquefied natural gas. Today, our nations just signed another contract for an additional 2 billion cubic meters worth approximately $8 billion.
So between the planes and the liquefied natural gas, and many other things that Poland is doing — which is doing very well because Poland is doing very, very well — we appreciate it. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Our countries also signed an agreement to expand U.S.-Polish civil nuclear cooperation, which will likewise advance Poland’s energy and security, and deepen our bilateral commercial ties.
Economic relations between the U.S. and Poland are thriving. We’re committed to further expanding commerce based on fairness and reciprocity — perhaps my favorite word.
Across many critical areas — from defense and diplomacy, to energy and economics — the alliance between the United States and Poland is reaching extraordinary new heights in 2019. Our longstanding partnership demonstrates the enormous possibilities for the world when two strong and independent nations unite in common purpose and in common cause.
President Duda, it’s a honor to have you with us. And, Mrs. Duda, thank you very much for being here. We usher in a very exciting new era in U.S.-Polish alliance. It’s a very special alliance with very special people. We build a future of promise and prosperity for the American and the Polish people. And, again, our relationship is an extraordinary one, and it’s going to remain that for a long, long time.
Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) Distinguished Mr. President, wonderful First Lady of the United States of America, distinguished ministers, all distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
First and foremost, together with my wife, we would like to thank you very much, Mr. President Donald Trump. Thank you also to the First Lady Melania Trump for this invitation to Washington. Thank you for this possibility of holding another, within the last 10 months, official visit to the United States here at the White House.
This clearly demonstrates how close and how good contacts are today between Poland and the United States. Mr. President, all of us hope that you will visit us in Poland, in September, and that we will be able, together, to commemorate the memory of all those who fell and who perished during the Second World War, which started on the 1st of September, 1939, in Poland through the attack of Nazi Germans on our country. And soon, unfortunately, our country vanished from the map of Europe after the attack of the Soviet Union, against Poland, together with Nazi Germany.
That is our history. It’s a very difficult one. And today, we firmly believe that the true ally of Poland, but also a true ally of a free Europe, is precisely the United States of America, who helped that very Europe in such a huge way to win the Second World War and later to establish an independent, sovereign, and free world, which later turned into the European Union.
It exists until this day, and thanks to God. Also thanks to the support of the United States, through the support of subsequent Presidents since 1989; thanks to the great Movement of Solidarity; thanks to the great determination of the Polish nation.
Also, we are part of the free world. Also, Poland, which liberated itself from behind the Iron Curtain — which later led to the collapse of the Iron Curtain through the votes of the people casting elections in 1989. In those elections, people said no to Communists. Also, Poland can develop today as an independent and truly sovereign country — a country which wants to build the European community and a country which also wants to build the Euro-Atlantic community.
In our understanding, this is an absolutely key element of peace and good cooperation across the globe. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you that for sure you are among those Presidents of the United States who understand how it works perfectly. You understand that when the U.S. looks at Europe, when it looks at the security of the European states, it plays a key role for the peace around the globe. It is of key importance for a peaceful development of democratic states and democratic communities.
Thank you, Mr. President, for this extreme kindness towards Poland and perfect understanding of Polish matters, which you showed to us in 2017 during your visit to Poland, during your memorable speech that you gave at the Monument of the Warsaw Uprising where so immensely important words for Polish people fell, which are of historic importance to our nation and to Europe. They showed what Poland means and who Poles are.
Mr. President, thank you for uttering those words back then. And thank you also for this policy which is being implemented right now, which demonstrates that you are this kind of man and this kind of a politician who not only speaks, but to whom first and most important are the deeds. The most important are the deeds.
And whenever you say, Mr. President, “Make America Great Again,” it means “make” not “say.” And this precisely is of crucial importance, hence the agreements that we are signing; hence two agreements between our two states concluded today: two memorandums of understanding, which we signed just a moment ago. One of them I signed personally concerning the security and military cooperation.
As you mentioned, sir, there will be more American troops in Poland. This is going to be an enhanced cooperation. It’s going to be an enduring presence, which hopefully will increase gradually in terms of the number of troops, but also in terms of infrastructure which is very important.
Thank you also for the decision to establish the division headquarters in Poland. This is of huge importance not only to Poland, but also to our part of Europe, to Central Europe, to the Baltic States, and to all those to whom the enhanced forward presence was established, of the United States and other NATO states, along NATO’s eastern flank. I’m deeply grateful for that.
But thank you, Mr. President, also for the remaining agreements. Thank you for this agreement which talks about preventing and combatting serious crimes. It moves us closer to visa waiver program between Poland and the United States — which to you, Mr. President, and to me, and, first and foremost to Poles, is so important — is of such a crucial importance.
Thank you, Mr. President, also for excellent energy cooperation that we have in terms of LNG supplies. We talked about this in 2017, in Warsaw, during our meeting, that gas from the United States should be delivered to Poland. And it is delivered. And we are signing more contracts. And gas tankers from the United States are coming to the Port of Świnoujście today. And the gas from the United States has become a fact in Poland and in our part of Europe.
Thank you, Mr. President, that there are going to be more supplies. I’m very happy about that, because to us, it means diversification of sources of supplies. It also means the development of gas security. To us, it also means good business, just as I do really believe is a good business for the United States of America. But thank you also for the agreement cooperation in terms of nuclear energy used for civil purposes.
I hope that, together, we will be able to implement this program with the benefit for environment protection with the benefit for (inaudible) protection across the globe, and also for the development of the security of my homeland.
Mr. President, I am deeply grateful for this visit. I’m pleased that, thanks to this presence, we’re able to show the very good cooperation that we have between Poland as part of the European Union and the United States.
And I firmly believe that thanks to your incredible view of the European matters, and thanks to your understanding to our Polish matters and to the meanders of our history, this cooperation is going to develop better and better, first and foremost also with the benefit for the United States whose interests you are representing, Mr. President, and also understanding the rest of the world.
Thank you very much for that. (Applause.)
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you. Thank you very much. We’ll take a few questions. Emerald? OAN.
Q Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you.
Q Earlier in the Oval Office, before you did your meeting with President Duda, you were quite critical of Germany, as you talked about possibly moving troops from Germany to Poland. Do you think that doing a move like that will put pressure on Germany to meet their defense spending requirements?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I don’t think so. I just will tell you very strongly that I think Germany is making a tremendous mistake by relying so heavily on the pipeline. And I think it’s a tremendous mistake for Germany. But again, Germany is running their affairs. And they’ll do just fine.
But I was critical. I had been critical of it. It’s a tremendous amount of their energy will be supplied by that pipeline.
At the same time, having nothing to do with Germany, Poland said that we would like to build a facility, a great facility, and we’d like to have you come to that facility. So we’re going to be there with a limited force, but we’ll be there. And we appreciate Poland doing what they’re doing. It’s a great location. It’s a tremendous — it’s a tremendous plant, tremendous facility. And it’s our honor to be there.
Poland has been a tremendous friend of ours for a long time. And when Melania and I were there not so long ago, it was a very special day. I think it was a special day for Poland, also. But it was a very special day for our country. So I appreciate that. And our relationship is just a very strong one.
Q And, if I may, would you indulge me with one more question before I get —
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, go ahead.
Q — to ask President Duda a question? In more recent news, yesterday you revealed you got another letter from Kim Jong Un. And today we hear of the potential thawing of relations between South Korea and North Korea as Kim Jong Un is sending his sister to South Korea. Now, could you give us an update on more of what was in that letter? And is there a third summit in the works?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: He just wrote me a very nice letter, unexpected. And someday you’ll see what was in that letter. Someday you’ll be reading about it. Maybe in 100 years from now, maybe in two weeks. Who knows? But it was a very nice letter. It was a very warm, very nice letter. I appreciated it. Okay?
Q Thank you.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good. Thank you very much.
Q And then, if I may, for President Duda?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Please.
Q You said you were thankful for the commitment that the President made for more troops today, but you hinted that you would like to see more. Ultimately, what is the number of troops that you’d like to see in Poland? U.S. troops.
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) Madam, this, of course, is always going to be the decision of the United States of America.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: He’d like to see 250,000 troops. (Laughter.) We’ll keep it (inaudible).
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) It’s always going to be up to the United States to decide how many troops there will be sent to Pol — to which Allied nation.
Of course, I know that this depends on the needs and on the real situation on the ground. Of course, I know that this depends on the needs and on the real situation on the ground. Of course, we are very pleased that the U.S. troops are present by giving an evidence to the sustainability and strength of the Alliance. And the U.S. soldiers are kindly treated in Poland. They are received as friends.
And we are happy that they are serving in our country. We would like those bonds between Poland and the United States to become even tighter. And we are trying, also, to create the best possible conditions for American soldiers.
Q Thank you very much, President Trump. Thank you very much, President Duda. I have questions to both of you actually.
President Trump, you plan to enhance U.S. military presence in Poland. Last year, you promised you would enhance our military cooperation, training, intelligence, missile defense, and it’s happening right now. People of Poland still remember your incredible speech in Warsaw. Why Poland is such an important ally for you?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I just have a very warm feeling for Poland. I always have. And it’s now even beyond that because of the relationship, which we’ve developed with your President and First Lady. And it’s just — they’re very — they’re incredible people. Hard working, smart, very industrious people. And what they’ve done with the country over the last five years has been something that the world has watched and the world has marveled at.
I’ve just liked Poland. So when the President came and he asked me whether or not we’d consider this, I said, “I will consider it.” And now, because of his leadership, we’re able to do that. And that’s fine with me. That’s great. Great people. And say “hello.”
Q So I understand we can — we’ll see you in September, in Warsaw, correct?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We are looking very seriously at going back to Poland. And I don’t know what the President has in store for us, but we’re thinking about going back sometime in September. Yes. Thank you.
Q Amazing. Thank you. Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you.
Q (As interpreted.) A question to President Duda. Mr. President, so far, we have been talking about a rotational presence of U.S. troops in our country. Right now, we are talking about permanent or enduring presence. What does that mean in concrete terms? And when can we expect those additional U.S. troops to arrive?
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) I understand it in the follow way: President Donald Trump and myself are implementing a very calm but consistent policy in terms of security. The presence of the United States in Poland — the military presence — the presence of U.S. troops, which today is about 4,500 troops present on a permanent basis. In other words, it is a rotational presence but it is back-to-back presence. So there is no moment where there are no American troops in the territory of Poland.
And today, we signed a document and further cooperation: a Joint Declaration on Defense Cooperation Regarding the United States Force Posture in the Republic of Poland.
This is of a breakthrough character because it moves us to another era. So far, we can say that the Americans were testing the situation in Poland: how it looks, how it feels; what about logistics; whether it is possible to stay in Poland and to successfully attain the goals and implement the tasks of defensive nature.
I think that the commanders of U.S. Army are convinced that this is simply possible. And today, the documents speaks about this enduring presence — the presence which is a fact and which will stay there.
It is a rotational presence, (inaudible) because this is most beneficial from today’s perspective to train soldiers through rotational presence. By having rotational presence, more soldiers can come to a country, be present there, look at a culture and the condition in place in a given country. So this is beneficial for this, (inaudible) understood a development of the armed forces. Therefore, this is an enduring presence. However, it is implementing this particular way.
And we hope it’s going to develop 1,000 troops, mentioned by President Trump today, which is also — the numbers stipulated in the agreement signed today is very differentiated. It is not one single unit. We are talking about special operation forces. We are talking about logistics component. We are also talking about the already-mentioned division headquarters.
So there is a multitude of forums in which the United States is going to be gradually evermore present in our territory, from the military standpoint. And this will encompass different fields of cooperation. So we’re not talking about just one single beat, but we’re talking about a more comprehensive cooperation. We’re talking about logistics, (inaudible) protection for soldiers, and a number of other elements happening.
Please remember that, right now, there is this missile defense facility being built in Redzikowo. So, talking about the elements of Polish-American cooperation, there are more and more of these elements, and the number is growing. I’m very happy with that. Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Let’s see, who do I like? (Laughter.) Nobody. That’s the end. (Laughter.)
Go ahead. Yeah.
Q Me? Mr. President, thank you very much. President Duda, thank you.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I was pointing at you, but you can go ahead. Here we go.
Q You were pointing to —
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I was actually pointing to my friend with that beautiful hat on, but that’s okay.
Q Jeff Mason. All right, well —
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You’ll give up your question?
Q Well, I’ll give him my follow-up question.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You’ll give up your —
Q We can share it.
Q We’ll share the question.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Huh? Okay. We’ll share it. Good.
Q Mr. President, you seemed to suggest, yesterday, that you’re essentially committing to not spying on North Korea. Is that what you meant? Were those comments interpreted accurately? If so, why?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, it’s not what I meant. It’s what I said. And that’s — I think it’s different than maybe your interpretation. I think we’re going to do very well with North Korea over a period of time. I’m in no rush. The sanctions are on. We got our hostages back. Our remains are coming back; you saw the beautiful ceremony in Hawaii with Mike Pence. We’re getting the remains back. There’s been no nuclear testing whatsoever. They’d like to do something. I did get, you know, a very — as I said yesterday, a very nice letter from Chairman Kim. And I think we’re doing very well.
When I took over as President, I will tell you, it looked like it was going to be war with North Korea. You know that. Everybody knows that. And it was going to be quite brutal. A strong force. We’re the strongest force in the world, but that’s a strong force.
And we started off a very rough relationship, and I think we have a very good relationship right now. So we’ll see what happens. I’m in no rush. I’m in no rush.
But there’s been no nuclear testing whatsoever. And when I took over, it was nuclear testing all the time. And if you look back to the last four, five, six years — but really go back further than that. In all fairness to President Obama, go back 20 years, 15 years. It was, really, a very dangerous situation. I consider it to be different now.
Now, I may change. And if I change, you will know it very quickly. I will be very quick to tell you exactly what’s going on. I may change. But right now, we have a good relationship, and I think, probably, better than we’ve had for maybe 25 years, maybe forever.
You know, they’ve been there a long time — the grandfather, the father, the son. And they’ve been there for a long time, and nobody has done anything except me. And so we’ll see how it all turns out. I hope it turns out well for you and for everybody.
Q And I’ll give my follow-up to Jeff. Very quickly, President Duda, thank you. Do you see Russia as an ally or an adversary?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Are you talking to me?
Q To President Duda.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Boy, was that a set-up question. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) I would very much like Russia to be a friend of Poland because it is our great neighbor. It is a country much bigger than Poland, with a bigger potential than Poland in every single respect — except for one, perhaps. I believe that we have got more courage in us — that we are more brave, more courageous, and are able to fight until the end, irrespective of everything.
This is actually what we demonstrated in World War Two, at the Battle of Monte Cassino. We demonstrated that in the Warsaw Uprising. We demonstrated that in many other places around the globe where Polish soldiers died to make sure that Poland is free after the Second World War.
This, unfortunately, did not happen. We found ourselves under the Russian occupation. But even then, for almost 20 years, after World War Two, there was this anti-Communist, anti-Soviet underground, which fought against the Soviets, and those people were murdered. Today, we call them “Unbreakable Soldiers.” We commemorate their memory, although they were dug underground to make it impossible for anyone to find their remains and so that they couldn’t have graves built.
So we were always fighting. We always knew how to defend ourselves. Nevertheless, history was brutal towards us. We never had a great friendship with Russia. Russia was always looking out to take our territory. It was a partitioner in Poland for 123 years. Poland did not exist because part of the territory was taken by Russia.
Poles were deported to the east. Then came an aggression on the right — on the recently reborn Poland, which rose in 1918 from the ashes of the First World War. And in 1919, the Soviet Russia attacked Poland. It wanted to grab Poland’s territory and bring communism to the west of Europe. It was us who stopped Soviets at Warsaw in 1920.
By the bravery of Polish soldiers, we defeated them during a great battle. And then we chased them back to the east. And then they took their revenge on us in 1939 by attacking us, together with Nazi Germany, and murdering our officers in Katyn.
So, madam, as you can see, this friendship is a very difficult one. Today, we are in the following situation: Russia attacked Georgia. Then, in 2014, it attacked Ukraine. And these are facts. These are facts which belong to the recent history.
We would like Russia to be our friend, but unfortunately, Russia again is showing its very unkind, unpleasant, imperial face, and we do not want to be part of Russia’s sphere of influence.
And I am happy that today we can speak boldly, also in connection with the military presence of the U.S. and NATO in Poland, that we truly are, first and foremost, in terms of politics, part of the West. Because we have always been part of the West, in terms of culture. We have always been part of the West, because it is from the West from which we adopted Christianity in 966, more than 1,000 years ago. And since that time, we have been part of the West of Europe. We have been part of the great Christian culture of Western Europe.
But we have to stick to this West also, in terms of politics. And this is what we want — and I firmly believe that this is the biggest desire of Polish people: to be part of the West also in terms of politics.
Thank you that the United States is supporting us in this respect.
Q For the — excuse me.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: And just to finish, I hope that Poland is going to have a great relationship with Russia. I think it’s possible. I really do. I think because of what you’ve done and the strength — and maybe we help also, because of what we’re doing and doing for Poland.
But I hope that Poland is going to have a great relationship with Russia. I hope we’re going to have a great relationship with Russia and, by the way, China and many other countries. And we look forward to doing things on North Korea — just to go back to the original part of your question. And we’ll see how that works out.
I do want to say, though: We’re in no hurry. The sanctions are on. China has actually been helping us quite a bit. And despite our trade differences right now — we thought we had a deal, and unfortunately, they decided that they were going to change the deal, and they can’t do that with me. But something is going to happen, and I think it’s going to be something very positive.
But we think we’re going to get along with a lot of countries that, frankly, did not respect us very much because they were ripping us off for many, many years. And they’re not ripping us off anymore.
Jeff.
Q Thank you, sir. Regarding China, what is your deadline, if you have one, for China to make progress on trade before you impose the tariffs on the other $325 billion in goods?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, we’re going to be meeting — President Xi and myself — and you know we have a very good relationship. But, again, he’s for China and I’m for the U.S. It’s a big difference. And we thought we had a deal. We didn’t have a deal. And I would never make something that would be less than what we already had.
We had China opened up to trade. That’s a big thing. They’ve never done that before. We had intellectual property theft taken care of and taken care of beautifully. And all of the sudden, those things started to disappear at the end, after they were fully negotiated.
But that’s — you know, that’s their decision. I think if they had to do again — and in light of the fact that we have 25 percent on $250 billion of goods coming into the United States. And unlike a lot of countries, they subsidize those goods. We haven’t had inflation. And, you know, they keep saying that the American taxpayer is paying for it. No. No. Very little.
And what it really does mean is that a lot of those companies that are in China are going to be moving back to the U.S. You have car companies — General Motors, as an example — that built plants in China. Well, that doesn’t work out too well when you have the tariff wall up because now they’re going to have to get through that and they can’t really get through that. So maybe they’ll start building plants in the United States instead.
I think that we’ll end up making a deal with China. We have a very good relationship, although it’s a little bit testy right now, as you would expect. I think they really have to make a deal. A lot of companies are leaving China, as you know. It’s in all the reports. And they’re going to Vietnam and various other places, and they’re also coming to the United States to make their product because they don’t want to pay the tariff.
And there is no tariff if you do it in the United States. People don’t realize that. You know, they say “the tariff,” but there is no tariff if you don’t do it — you know, if you just do exactly as I say: You bring your company back to the United States.
And as far as Mexico is concerned, which was a very big topic yesterday — and now people are finding out that the reports that were written were totally false — we would never have had a deal with Mexico without imposing tariffs. Once the tariffs were imposed — and they’ve been trying to make this deal with Mexico for 20 years, 25 years. The older reporters, those great reporters with the very gray hair in the back — you know who I’m talking about; they know exactly what I’m talking about — you would have never made the deal with Mexico.
We have a great deal with Mexico. I actually think we have a much better relationship right now with Mexico because they respect us again. But you would never have had that deal if I didn’t impose the tariffs. And those tariffs were ready to going to on Monday morning, and we made the deal on, essentially, Sunday night.
And that extra little page of the deal that you saw that brilliantly — I had gained such respect for you people when I held it up to the sunlight and it was closed, and you were able to read it through the sunlight. That was not anticipated. But regardless, I mean, you knew enough of what it said. And I didn’t do it on purpose, but we have a lot of strength in 45 days if we decide to use that strength. Maybe we will, and maybe we won’t. But there’s a lot of power right now in the border.
And I will say this: Mexico is, right now, doing more for the United States on illegal immigration and all of the problems of crime and other problems on the border than the Democrats. We can solve our problem on the border in 15 minutes if the Democrats would sit down, straighten out asylum — which is a total mess, but very uncomplicated — straighten out asylum, and get rid of the loopholes. It would take, Jeff, 15 minutes.
Okay? Thank you. Please.
Q But just — my original question, sir, was: Do you have a deadline for imposing the 325?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No, I have no deadline. My deadline is what’s up here. We’ll figure out the deadline.
Q Okay.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Nobody can quite figure it out.
Q And, President Duda, if I could just throw one your way as well: You said in the Oval Office earlier that democracy in Poland was strong. Not all of your European Union counterparts agree with that. How is forcing Supreme Court justices to retire early consistent with democratic principles? And, President Trump, is that something that you support?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: No.
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very complex issue. And it’s hard to answer this question because a lot of people in Western Europe — I think also in the U.S. — do not fully understand this problem because they have not grown up in a country such as mine.
I was born in 1972, in a Poland which was in the Russian sphere of influence, in which a career could be made only, actually, when somebody enrolled as member of the Communist Party and who followed these people’s power who was the supreme authority. And this is what was happening for many years.
Although, as you know, ladies and gentlemen, as Solidarity Movement grew, people were imprisoned, people were tortured, people were killed during the martial law, and after as well — be it openly or in a secret way. And this was the reality of Poland until 1989.
And now imagine, ladies and gentlemen, that no so long ago — a few years ago — I was surprised to discover that, in the Polish Supreme Court, there was a whole group of justices who were issuing sentencing as judges — members of the Communist Party — before 1990, who were even passing sentences during the martial law, sentencing people to prisons based on the law of the Communist martial law.
And when I was asked whether the Supreme Court needs to be reformed, I said “yes.” If Poland is supposed to be a truly democratic, free, and sovereign country, if it is supposed to be a country we want it to be for our children, for the generation who was born after, in 1989, then for God’s sake, those people have to leave. They have to retire. And this is what we did.
As a matter of fact, everything that we were doing was aimed at retiring those people. But, as you can see, unfortunately, although 30 years have passed, they have got influence — the influence which they were building after 1989 where they assumed a new identity of an elite of a new state. So this influence is still strong. This is what I can say.
And let me assure you of one thing: that freedom of speech is absolutely respected in Poland. Poland absolutely respects all constitutional standards, just as in the United States: the right to assemble; the right to the freedom of speech. There is free media in Poland. There is everything that is functioning in a normal democracy.
One can announce what they think, one can demonstrate, one can say what they think. In Poland, people are not attacked during demonstrations as it happens in other Western European countries. Police do not use truncheons or tear gas against people. People can speak their mind. They can express that they’re not pleased with something. This is their right in democracy.
Please ask Polish journalists, “When was the last time — when was the last demonstration in Poland when some kind of tension happened?” No, it didn’t, because in Poland we respect the right to demonstrate and to express your concern, because we believe that this is one of the foundations of democracy. In Poland, there is absolutely free and just elections. All the standards are respected.
So, please, ladies and gentleman, come to Poland and see Poland with your own eyes. Please do not repeat certain stereotypes that are repeated in the West. Poland, today, has got quite a conservative government, that is true. And this government has got certain standards of action. Not everybody subscribes to those standards, especially people of more leftist views. But this is the nature of democracy.
So once you have got one side of the political scene in power, and then people make a different choice and another side of the political stage comes to power. There is nothing extraordinary about that. And this is the change that is happening in Poland.
But when somebody wins the elections, they then have the right to implement the program which they announced before the elections. Excuse me, however, realizing that implementing the program, which you presented in your election campaign, is not only the right, but I think an obligation resting on a politician. And this is exactly what is happening in Poland.
Q A question for both Presidents. Mr. President, you said just a moment ago that Poland will join the visa waiver program soon. How soon?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: We think fairly soon. We’re doing very well with it. It’s a complex situation, as you know. But we’re getting very close. We allow very few countries to join, but Poland is one that we’re thinking about allowing in. So we’ll be making that decision over the next, probably, 90 days.
Q Sir, will you hope, or do you think that maybe when you are in Poland in September you will make the announcement?
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I think it’s a very good idea. Thank you very much for giving me that idea. (Laughter.)
Q Thank you, Mr. President.
(As interpreted.) Mr. President, the visa waiver program appeared on many occasions but then it did not come into practice. How optimistic are we about the words uttered right now by President Donald Trump?
PRESIDENT DUDA: (As interpreted.) I’m looking at these words optimistic. I’m optimistic about that because I think this is the first U.S. administration which has treated this problem in such a serious way and in such a comprehensive way. So, both.
When we talk with Mr. President, we — the President expresses his deep care about that. Also, when I talk with President, Mosbacher — the U.S. Ambassador to Warsaw — she looks at the problem all the time. And I firmly believe that, in accordance with the law binding the United States — because this is something that I want to stress very strongly — according to the law, binding in the United States, by all the actions which are necessary in this respect such as today’s signing of the agreement on preventing and committing serious crimes, I believe that, through all these sanctions, this visa waiver program — covering Poles with visa waiver program — is going to be possible soon. Anyway, that it is going to be possible before the end of the first term of President Donald Trump.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Against the intense leverage being applied by President Trump, last week Beijing doubled-down and threatened punishment against any company that would leave China and begin manufacturing elsewhere.
The totalitarian response was predictable and expected. However, also predictable was the corporate response to the threats.
As we shared: “China is counting on prior western investment being so significant that a corporation will be reluctant to withdraw. However, in this outlook Beijing seriously underestimates the free market because communist controlled China doesn’t understand the action of a inherently free market.
The first loss is the best loss. If walking away from an investment provides more financial security and stability than attempting to retain a grip on a tenuous position – corporations will walk away.” (more)
Now today – “Nintendo Moves Some Switch Production Out of China”:
TOKYO— Nintendo Co. is shifting some production of its Switch videogame console to Southeast Asia from China to limit the impact of possible U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made electronics, said people who work on Nintendo’s supply chain.
It is another example of manufacturers adapting to the tariff threat. Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group said Tuesday that it was ready to move assembly of Apple Inc.’s iPhones out of China if necessary, and Japan’s Sharp Corp. , which is controlled by Foxconn, said last week that it planned to move production of personal computers to Taiwan or Vietnam.
Kyoto-based Nintendo has traditionally relied on the Chinese factories of contract assembly companies to make its videogame hardware. That includes the Switch console, introduced in 2017. (more via WSJ)
As President Trump highlighted on May 13th, over time (and it won’t take long) there would be an exodus of multinational manufacturing away from China. Corporations will shift their purchase agreements, manufacturing and assembly plans to ASEAN countries outside the investment ‘risk zone’ that is now China.
Notice some of the nuance (specific references) within President Trump’s tweets. Japan (Shinzo Abe), Vietnam (President Trang Dai Quang), South Korea (KORUS), Philippines and India are positioned to pick-up business
While the Red Dragon does the only thing the Red Dragon knows to do, we enter the phase when corporate interests, particularly multinationals, recognize China is a communist state-run, controlled-market, system.
The reaction from China is immensely predictable; and creates a downward spiral. If any corporation is perceived as working against the interests of the state; the state will take control of the corporate interest. What western business interest would want to do business within China when that reality is the landscape of every economic decision?
The willingness of China to self-immolate is the golden arrow in President Trump’s economic quiver. The inability of China to modify itself based on downstream economic outcomes is the inherent weakness… Overlay that weakness with the zero-sum outlook and you get this quote from Chinese State-Run broadcast:
…“If the US wants to negotiate, our door is open. If you want to fight, we will fight to the end.”…
Think about the logical reality of this statement as expressed. Put another way: ‘if you agree to our terms we will work with you; however, if you don’t agree to our terms, we will self destruct.’ That’s the economic reality of the zero-sum dragon mindset. This inevitable position is what CTH has been outlining for several years.
President Trump has walked Chairman Xi into a trap. There is only downside for China in the current dynamic. In an effort to avoid the downside, China will bleed cash to retain their economic position…. However, this can only last so long.
China’s factory inflation slows as production eases but food prices surge
China’s factory gate inflation slowed amid sluggish commodity demand and faltering manufacturing activity, slowing from a four-month high in the previous month and fuelling worries growth in the…
mobile.reuters.com
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Meanwhile President Trump, Secretary Wilbur Ross and USTR Bob Lighthizer are not backing down from the pressure. Trump, Lighthizer and Ross are sending a very deliberate message to U.S. companies. If you crawled into bed with the Dragon, don’t look for us to help make your bed more comfy… deal with it.
It always appeared that President Trump was fully prepared for this outcome. In hindsight it looks even more obvious how President Trump engaged with China while fully expecting to end-up with a direct and adversarial outcome.
Long before media pundits starting noticing/considering how serious President Trump was about structurally resetting the entire landscape of a U.S-China trade relationship, President Trump quietly and methodically laid the groundwork with personal visits to: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Japan); President Moon Jae-in (S-Korea); President Tran Dai Quang (Vietnam); and President Rodrigo Duerte (Philippines).
The November 2017 tour of Asia was President Trump traveling to meet directly, face-to-face, one-on-one with the manufacturing heavyweights of Southeast Asia.
President Trump has positioned this geopolitical trade reset perfectly. Trump began with the end in mind and is now applying Chairman Xi’s own “us -vs- them approach” toward confronting China. The supply chain investment Beijing needs to sustain itself is now being controlled by elements outside China. Beijing responds by attacking those in the international community who control the investment.
As things go forward, China cannot sustain a long-term economic conflict with the U.S. As each day passes the ASEAN alliance will see their investment grow as companies pull-out of China and invest in S-Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, India etc. The GDP of our allies (including Mexico) grows, and the controlled GDP of China, as an adversary, shrinks.
The confrontation between China’s communist controlled economy and the U.S. free market system is the most significant geopolitical event since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The consequences from this reset are far reaching, and extend beyond the tens of trillions of dollars within the combined economies.
The entire system of global trade and supply-chain economics has entered a state of flux.
This will not end well for China.
Watch as time goes along and more companies, and nations, slowly walk toward the exits with China. There is just too much inherent financial risk. China will have to make a deal fast yet their outlook, their inherent disposition, does not permit them to enter into a deal where they will lose status; and President Trump is in no hurry.
President Trump knows the strength of our U.S. position is that our economy is deep and wide. The U.S. is a self-sustaining economy. Almost 80% of our internal production and manufacturing is purchased within our own market.
In the big picture – economic strength is an outcome of the ability of a nation, any nation, to support itself first and foremost. If a nations’ economy is dependent on other nations to survive it is less strong than a nation whose economy is more independent.
The reality of China as a dependent economic model (heck, they cannot even feed themselves) puts them at greater risk from supply-chain consequences Trump is controlling and delivering. President Trump’s strategic use of geopolitical economic leverage is working by weakening the Chinese economy from multiple simultaneous angles…
Chairman Xi has met his match. While President Trump keeps pouring vociferous praise upon the Chinese leader; again, the exact same approach customarily used within China’s own cunning economic strategy; Trump is simultaneously delivering an economic death by a thousand cuts.
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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
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