President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the media as he departs the White House traveling to the Army Navy football game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

President Trump informed the media today that his chief of staff John Kelly will leave the White House by the end of the year, and there will likely be an interim replacement. UPDATE: Video Added

President Trump delivers remarks to a national audience of law enforcement during the 2018 Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Interesting nuance within the off-script moments.

.

[Transcript] The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center – Kansas City, Missouri – 12:17 P.M. CST – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. I appreciate it very much.

I want to also thank Matt for the introduction. He’s doing an excellent job — really, a leader. Strong leader.

I was also thrilled to announce earlier today that I am nominating, as Matt said, William Barr to take the helm as our new Attorney General. He’s an outstanding man.

Bill previously led the Justice Department with distinction as Attorney General under George H.W. Bush, following his unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate. During his tenure, he demonstrated an unwavering adherence to the rule of law, which the people in this room like to hear. There is no one more capable or more qualified for this role. He deserves overwhelming bipartisan support. I suspect he’ll probably get it.

I’m honored to be in Kansas City with the incredible men and women of law enforcement — I’ve been here a lot over the last couple of months — the U.S. attorneys, state and local prosecutors, police officers, sheriffs, deputies, and federal agents who keep our country safe. You keep America safe.

And you maybe don’t hear it enough, or sometimes don’t feel it enough: You do an incredible job. The people in this country know it and they love you. Just remember that. (Applause.) So true.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I just want to say that we thank you, we salute you, and we stand with you 100 percent. All of us. Me and all of us.

We’re here today to restore one of the most effective crime prevention strategies in America: Project Safe Neighborhoods. This initiative brings law enforcement, community groups, and local leaders together to get the most violent criminals in the most dangerous areas off the streets and behind bars. After many years of neglect, we are bringing back this lifesaving program stronger than ever before.

Today is the first nationwide meeting of Project Safe Neighborhoods in eight years. And here with us is the man who started this visionary project all the way back in 2001, former Attorney General John Ashcroft. (Applause.) Where is John? Where is John?

I’ve been here a lot lately, John. Huh?

MR. ASHCROFT: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: I’ve been here a lot. That’s good. Thank you. Thank you for a great job.

I also want to thank two members of my administration who are doing tremendous work: the head of ATF Thomas Brandon and the Acting DEA Administrator Uttam Dhillon. (Applause.) Please. Thank you, fellas.

We are also joined by a great representative of the state, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler — helps me a lot. Thank you, Vicky. Thank you, Vicky. (Applause.)

And we are especially excited to have with us the man who is your state’s current attorney general and newly-elected United States senator — that’s why I’ve been here so much lately — Josh Hawley. Josh. Thank you, Josh. (Applause.)

And I will tell you, Josh really stepped up to the plate. You know, in life, you never know. You pick somebody — looks good, sounds good, think he’s smart — and then they choke. (Laughter.) They choke like dogs. (Laughter.) And you say, “What did I do? I picked the wrong person.”

Well, we saw a lot about Josh and we thought he’d be great. And I’ll tell you, he had a tough race against a very tough competitor. You know that. And he was absolutely fantastic. So I just want to congratulate you.

And, you know, I keep listening to the fake news that, “They won the House — House, House, House.” Nobody ever talks about the Senate. We won the Senate easily. In fact, we picked up two. And that hasn’t been done in a long time. For a person is President, you just — for whatever reason that doesn’t happen very often.

And we have the Senate, now, 53 to 47. And we’re very proud of that. But you never hear that. You only hear, “The House, House, House…” And the nice part about having the Senate is, when you have the Senate, your judges — you know, we’ve appointed many, many judges. We’re just about at a record clip — ever.

And by the time I finish, we should have the all-time record, except, of course — from the percentage basis, you know who the best of all was, right? George Washington. 100 percent. (Laughter.) He picked 100 percent of the judges. That’s the only one that I won’t be beating. (Laughter.) I can never beat George. He’s tough. (Laughter.) 100 percent. I asked that question. I say, “Who had the greatest percentage of judge picks?” And so far, I haven’t had too many people guess it. But as soon as soon as I say it, they say, “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

Finally we are grateful to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Timothy Garrison. Where is Timothy? (Applause.) Timothy. Thank you, Timothy. Great job, Tim. Along with a very well-known person, Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith, for hosting today’s event. Thank you very much, fellas. Thank you, Rick. Thank you. (Applause.)

Everyone here today is committed to the same vital goal: liberating our communities from crime and securing the right of all citizens to live in safety and to live in peace.

In the two years before I took office, the violent crime rate increased by 7 percent and murders were up by over 20 percent. But we’re turning it around very quickly, much quicker than anyone thought possible.

At the core of our strategy is restoring respect for law enforcement. And there is nobody that deserves respect more than you people, that I can tell you. For too long, many politicians and radical activists have been smearing and slandering our police, making life easier for criminals and harder for law-abiding Americans. We will not tolerate attacks on the heroes who protect our streets and defend our communities. We will not allow it to happen. (Applause.)

My administration has also made officer safety a top priority. We will protect those who protect us. And we will believe the right punishment — and we all do — for cop-killers is called the death penalty. (Applause.)

And you know, in some circles, that’s very controversial to say that. You have all of the television cameras rolling back there. For me, it’s not even a little bit controversial. You kill a cop and it’s called the death penalty, okay?

At the same time, we are ensuring you have the resources you need to do your jobs properly. We have added nearly 200 new violent crime prosecutors across the country.

We have made more than 600 million dollars’ worth of surplus military equipment available to law enforcement that, as you know, the previous administration would not allow you to have. It was sitting in storage houses and warehouses all over the country getting old and gaining dust — beautiful stuff. And they didn’t like it because it made you look too strong. And I liked it because it made you safe. And now it’s been distributed all over the country to the police and you’re using it very well and very judiciously and we appreciate it.

We increased funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods to $50 million dollars this year and we’re asking Congress to add an additional increase for next year. That will happen.

We secured $6 billion in new funding to combat opioids — the most in history. And speaking of that, Kellyanne Conway is here. A very special person. Where is Kellyanne? Is she around here someplace? Stand up, Kellyanne. (Applause.) She’s worked so hard with Melania, the First Lady, and they’re working very hard. And thank you, Kellyanne. Great job.

We’ve increased the average sentence for drug trafficking to its highest level since 2013.

I signed landmark anti-drug legislation that included the STOP Act to help prevent fentanyl from entering our country through the mail service.

And at my recent meeting that you all read about three days ago with President Xi of China — this took place in Argentina at the G20 — President Xi agreed to criminalize and make all fentanyl in China controlled, meaning it’s a controlled substance. Such a big event. (Applause.)

And it was really considered an industrial agent; it was not criminal at all. He’s agreed to make it a controlled substance and the highest criminality. And that would bring into play, again, the words “death penalty.” Death penalty. From no penalty to death penalty. And that’s the way our meeting went.

And I appreciate President Xi doing that very much because we lose about 80,000 people a year to fentanyl. So now they can send it but, if they get caught, they’re going to get the death penalty. I have a feeling you’re going to see it go down very rapidly. Very, very rapidly. It’s a terrible thing

This year, thanks to the efforts of everyone in this room, I am proud to report a new all-time record for the prosecution of violent crime. You also prosecuted 15,300 defendants for federal gun crimes, almost 20 percent more than the previous record.

In partnership with the federal government, local law enforcement is also making tremendous, historic strides. Here today is Wilmington Police Chief Bob Tracy. Where’s Bob? Hi, Bob. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, Bob.

When a vicious gang member shot and killed two people in Wilmington last February, investigators used the ATF’s ballistic database to match the shell casings to another shooting and bring the killer to justice. Amazing job. Thank you. Thank you, Bob.

Over the past year, shootings in Wilmington are down nearly 60 percent and firearm murders are down over 35 percent. Thank you, Chief Tracy, for your unbelievable work. We’re reading about it, we’re seeing it, and it really is exceptional. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

An important milestone in our campaign to make America safe again is the reduction in the murder rate. Murders in America’s largest cities are projected to drop by more than 8 percent compared to 2016 — a remarkable turnaround in just two short years. And you are the ones who have really made it possible. We’ve given you certain advantages that you didn’t have before this administration, but you have made it possible.

With us today is U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. Maria? Where is Maria? Thank you, Maria. (Applause.) Great. Maria assembled a team from the IRS, the FBI, and Tampa Police to take down a violent street gang in Tampa, Florida. Thanks to this collaborative effort, 11 gang members are now facing hard time in prison. Maria, great job. We’ve all been reading about it. Very, very exceptional. Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

James Clark with the Better Family Life initiative is here as well. James? Thank you very much, James. (Applause.) James works with schools, churches, family members, and friends to deescalate conflicts and stop violence before it happens. A very dangerous thing he does, but he’s not afraid. You’re not afraid, are you, James? It’s just a day in the office, right? Stand up again, James. That’s pretty — that’s not easy. (Applause.) That’s not easy.

And James and his team have successfully ended more than 50 ongoing, escalating gun battles between rival gangs right here in the St. Louis. James, great job. It’s really incredible, what you do, and everybody in this room appreciates it. Thank you very much. And all over the country, they appreciate it, James.

As part of our comprehensive crime reduction strategy, we are reforming the prison system to help more former inmates get on the right track. We all benefit when those who have served their time can find a job, support their families, and stay the hell out of jail. Right? That’s what we want. Stay out of jail. That’s why I have called on Congress to pass the First Step Act, so that more inmates gain the skills they need to become productive, law-abiding citizens.

And we’ve helped them a lot by creating one of the greatest economies — maybe the best economy this country has ever had. Our jobless rate is now down to 3.7 percent. And, by the way, in Missouri, I was just told by Josh, it’s at 3.2 percent, which is the lowest in the history of the state.

So now, when people get out of prison, rather than not being able to find a job, some employers, frankly, are forced to hire people that maybe they wouldn’t normally do. And the reports coming back are incredible. I have one particular person that says it’s hired seven people, and he just is thrilled. He can’t even believe it. We’re giving them a chance. And the economy is maybe — it’s a beneficiary, but it’s also one of the reasons that it’s working so well.

So we’re very proud. It’s — a lot of good reasons to have an economy that’s so good, but that’s maybe toward the top of the list, as far as I’m concerned.

We know it’s possible for former prisoners to turn their lives around because their Safe Neighborhood partners really make it happen every single day. Deborah Daniels is the co-founder of Offender Alumni Association in the great state of Georgia. Hi, Deborah. (Applause.) Through peer-to-peer networking, coaching, and support, Deborah and her team have helped more than 650 former offenders start new lives as law-abiding members of society. It’s an incredible story. I’ve read the story. I’ve seen it. Many of you have seen it. Thank you, Deborah, for giving these Americans a true second chance — and, in some cases, you could say a third chance — at a good life. Thank you, Deborah, very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

The amazing results of Project Safe Neighborhoods prove just how critical it is to foster cooperation among law enforcement at every single level of government.

Nowhere is this cooperation more important than when it comes to enforcing our nation’s immigration laws. You’ve been reading a lot about immigration, haven’t you, folks? But we’re getting it. We’re really getting it. We’re being strong on the border. We could use a little help, but we’re being strong on the border. A lot of brave people are working with us on the border.

Every day, our brave ICE officers are working with the state and local partners to get some of the world’s most violent criminals off our streets, and we get them the hell out of our country. We get them out.

Since I took office, ICE agents have arrested over 235,000 aliens with criminal records. Think of that: Two hundred and thirty-five thousand. And then you have a lot on the Democrat side — they’re saying, “We don’t want to respect ICE. We want to get rid of ICE.” We’re not getting rid of ICE. They’re going to be with us. They’re heroes. They’re heroes. (Applause.)

Think of that, though: Two hundred and thirty-five thousand. And that includes those charged and convicted of more than 100,000 assaults and over 4,000 murders.

Last year alone, ICE and Border Patrol seized more than 2.8 million pounds of illicit narcotics, and we have quadrupled the seizures of fentanyl. And now, with our new deal with President Xi of China, maybe we won’t even have to worry about that so much. I think you’re going to see that coming down at numbers that are pretty unbelievable.

Removing these deadly poisons and vicious predators from our neighborhoods depends upon partnerships with local communities and their elected leaders and officials.

Unfortunately, there are extreme politicians in cities and states around America — I’m sure you haven’t heard about this — who have issued policies to forbid their police departments from working with federal immigration authorities. Hard to believe, isn’t it? These outrageous sanctuary cities are grave threats to public safety and national security. Each year, sanctuary cities release thousands of known criminal aliens from their custody and right back into the community. So they put them in, and they have them, and they let them go, and it drives you people a little bit crazy, doesn’t it, huh? But it’s changing. It’s all changing.

You look at what’s going on in California; many people are demanding that they not be part of a sanctuary city. They don’t want sanctuary cities. It’s happening by its own.

American politicians should protect American citizens, not criminal aliens. Not one more American life should be stolen because of radical politicians pursuing their open borders agenda.

Nearly 100 percent of the heroin in our country comes across the southern border, killing 300 Americans, at least, a week. A week. According to the Council of Economic Advisers, this illegal heroin cost our country $238 billion dollars in 2016 alone. Think of that.

And we’re talking about a wall for $20 billion, $15 billion. I could even do it cheaper if I have to, and it’ll be better than anybody has ever seen a wall. (Laughter.) Think of that. You’re talking about hundreds of billions of dollars and you’re talking about a fraction. You would make it up in a month — a month — by having a proper wall.

You see what’s happening. You see where they’re surging and our great people are able to easily handle it. Without the wall, it gets tougher. But you know what? They still handle it.

Illegal immigration is a threat to the well-being of every American community, threatening innocent families, overwhelming public resources, and draining the federal treasury.

Congress must fully fund border security in the year-ending funding bill. We have to — we have to get this done. They’re playing games. They’re playing political games. I actually think the politics of what they’re doing is very bad for them, but we’re going to very soon find out. Maybe I’m not right, but usually I’m right. Like I said, “I’m going to win for President.” (Laughter.) And some people said, “That won’t happen.” And guess what? Look who’s up here now, folks. (Laughter and applause.)

But this includes fully funding our great ICE officers, ICE attorneys, border agents, detention beds, equipment, technology, and lifesaving border wall, which we need more than ever. We need it more than ever.

When you see these caravans of thousands and thousands of people — they like to minimize it on the fake news, but, you know, you have tremendous amounts of people coming up and it’s incredible.

And oftentimes, they’ll keep the cameras low. I know every trick. They’ve taught me. I know every trick. (Laughter.) They’ll put women and children in the front row and they’ll have those cameras nice and low. So number one, it doesn’t look like a big crowd. Number two, all you see is women and children. And they say, “You’re such bad people.” I’m “such a bad person.” But behind that front couple of rows, you got some tough, tough people.

You saw the mayor or Tijuana. He said, “These are tough people. You talk to them and we end up in fights. These are tough people.” We don’t want them coming into our country. We want great people coming in. Some of them would be great people. We need people because we have too many companies coming into our country. Car companies are pouring in. They’re all coming in.

A big announcement by Fiat Chrysler the other day: They’re going to move into Michigan with a massive new plant. A lot of things are happening. We need people at 3.7 percent unemployment, but they have to be brought in the legal way. And they have to be — we talk merit. We want to bring them in through merit. We want people that can love our country and people that can help our country. It’s all very simple. To me, it’s very simple.

Every American citizen is entitled to a safe community and a secure border. Here in the audience today are three trailblazing leaders — they truly are — who are working to dismantle MS-13 over the past two years. They’ve helped so much. They’ve done such an incredible job. Twenty-nine MS-13 members have been charged and convicted just recently, despite being targeted for retaliation.

These three patriots are U.S. Attorney Zach Terwilliger — where is Zach? Hello, Zach. (Applause.) Heard great things about you. Herndon Police Sergeant Claudio Saa. (Applause.) Thank you, Claudio. Thank you very much. And Fairfax County Police Detective Ray Betts. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. All three, thank you very much.

As President, nothing is more important than protecting the security of our nation and its citizens. So to every federal law enforcement officer who is on the frontlines of that mission; to the U.S. Marshals; ATF agents; immigration officers; FBI; DEA; and all state and local authorities who proudly wear this incredible uniform — it’s really the uniform of our country — I say, “Keep up the great work.” You know that my administration will always have your back. We will never ever let you down.

In the most hazardous moments, in the high-speed chases and the high-stakes courtrooms, in darkened alleys and late-night stakeouts, you are always there and always keeping watch over us. Our people love you. They love you. You don’t hear it, but they love you. (Applause.)

You never let us down and we will never let you down. You bring criminals to justice and peace to our streets. You are the reason Americans sleep soundly in their beds at night. And you are the ones making America stronger and prouder and safer and greater than ever before. We are making America greater than ever before. We are respected again as a nation. We love our law enforcement.

I just want to thank you all for being here. It’s my great honor to be before you. And God bless the United States of America. God bless you all. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

END – 12:43 P.M. CST

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the latest jobs report for November.  The U.S. economy created an additional 155,000 jobs.  The unemployment rate remains 3.7%.  The annualized rate of wage growth is 3.1%.   All good MAGAnomic news.

It’s a little funny to see the pontificating naysayers worry over results that are structurally solid and fundamentally strong.  If you had told those same knuckleheads a year ago that wages would be growing 3.1% they would have been stunned at your audacious optimism.

Things are going swimmingly. Exactly as predicted.  Wall Street (paper economy) is reacting based on an entirely new economic landscape.  Main Street USA (read economy), the Blue/White collar middle-class, is dancing and singing carols en-route to buy the fancier set of Christmas decor this year… Who’s better than our economy?  Nobody, baby, no-body…  Throw them ju-ju bones out the windows.  Here’s the data:

BLS Report: Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 155,000 in November, compared with an average monthly gain of 209,000 over the prior 12 months. In November, job gains occurred in health care, in manufacturing, and in transportation and warehousing. (See table B-1.)

• Health care employment rose by 32,000 in November. Over the year, health care has added 328,000 jobs.

• Manufacturing added 27,000 jobs. Magic Wand manufacturing employment has increased by 288,000 over the year, largely in durable goods industries.

• Employment in transportation and warehousing rose by 25,000 in November. Over the year, transportation and warehousing has added 192,000 jobs.

• In November, employment in professional and business services continued on an upward trend (+32,000). The industry has added 561,000 jobs over the year.

[…] In November, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 6 cents to $27.35. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 81 cents, or 3.1 percent. ¹Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and non-supervisory employees increased by 7 cents to $22.95 in November. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)

¹ Wait, that means blue-collar line-level workers have wage growth exceeding the rate of their bosses.  Isn’t that the redistribution goal of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and the worker-wing of the Democrats?  Yet it’s happening organically, a result of MAGAnomics. Yup, affirmative and…. yes.  Funny that. {{WhaShuFu}}

Yep, the upward value of labor flows naturally along the path of greatest labor need.

Making Main Street economic common-sense great again.

You see, quite simply, MAGAnomics reverses the thirty year dynamic previously described:

REMEMBER […] there had to be a point where the value of the second economy (Wall Street) surpassed the value of the first economy (Main Street).

Investments, and the bets therein, needed to expand outside of the USA. hence, globalist investing.

However, a second more consequential aspect happened simultaneously. The politicians became more valuable to the Wall Street team than the Main Street team; and Wall Street had deeper pockets because their economy was now larger.

As a consequence Wall Street started funding political candidates and asking for legislation that benefited their multinational interests.

When Main Street was purchasing the legislative influence the outcomes were -generally speaking- beneficial to Main Street, and by direct attachment those outcomes also benefited the average American inside the real economy.

When Wall Street began purchasing the legislative influence, the outcomes therein became beneficial to Wall Street. Those benefits are detached from improving the livelihoods of main street Americans because the benefits are “global”. Global financial interests, multinational investment interests -and corporations therein- became the primary filter through which the DC legislative outcomes were considered.

There is a natural disconnect. (more)

If you understand those basic concepts and tenets; and you apply what POTUS Trump is doing to reverse that hollowing out of Main Street; then you can clearly understand what is going on in the Wall Street stock market, right now.

CTH has been discussing this since candidate Trump came down the escalator in 2015 and explained his priorities.   In essence, Trump threw a wrench into the multinational machine that was exporting U.S. wealth.  It is simple common sense to know the direct result of that action would be a massive gut-punch to the financial benefits of the multinationals.  That’s what’s happening.

Main Street is booming; and Wall Street is suffering.

Wall Street is suffering because their investment model was built upon exploiting an international trade and economic system that was based on exporting U.S. wealth.

President Trump is stopping this global export of U.S. wealth.

It really is that simple.

Today, we honor those who perished 77 years ago at Pearl Harbor, and we salute every veteran who served in World War II over the 4 years that followed that horrific attack.

On December 7, 1941, America was attacked without warning at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the air and naval forces of Imperial Japan.  Just before 8:00 a.m., Japanese aircraft ripped through the sky, dropping bombs on ships of the United States Pacific Fleet and on nearby airfields and bases.  The attack took the lives of more than 2,400 American service members and wounded another 1,100 American citizens.  The brutal surprise attack halted only after nearly two hours of chaos, death, and destruction.

Despite the shock and confusion of the moment, American service members and first responders on the island of Oahu mounted an incredibly brave defense against insurmountable odds.  American pilots took to the air to engage enemy aircraft, sailors took their battle stations, and medical personnel cared for the wounded.  Many witnesses to the events of that day perished in the attacks, leaving countless acts of valor unrecorded.  Nevertheless, 15 Medals of Honor were awarded — 10 of them posthumously — to United States Navy personnel for acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty.

Although the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor was badly impaired, America did not falter.  One day after the attacks, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared to the Congress:  “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.”  And, in the weeks, months, and years that followed the brutal attack at Pearl Harbor, Americans united with a steadfast resolve to defend the freedoms upon which our great Nation was founded.  Millions of brave men and women answered their country’s call to service with unquestionable courage.  These incredible patriots fought, bled, sacrificed, and ultimately triumphed for the cause of freedom.

We are blessed as a Nation to have as examples the incredible heroes of World War II, who fought so valiantly to preserve all that we hold dear.  Earlier this year, I had the tremendous honor of meeting Mr. Ray Chavez, who was the oldest living Pearl Harbor veteran.  Ray passed away only a few weeks ago at the incredible age of 106.  But his legacy is forever etched into our country’s rich history, along with the legacies of all our brave veterans.  They tell of the mettle of the American spirit under fire and of the will of our people to stand up to any threat.  The selfless bravery and dedication of these extraordinary Americans will never be forgotten.

Today, we remember all those killed on the island of Oahu on that fateful Sunday morning in 1941, and we honor the American patriots of the Greatest Generation who laid down their lives in the battles of World War II.  America is forever blessed to have strong men and women with exceptional courage who are willing and able to step forward to defend our homeland and our liberty.

The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has designated December 7 of each year as “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2018, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.  I encourage all Americans to observe this solemn day of remembrance and to honor our military, past and present, with appropriate ceremonies and activities.  I urge all Federal agencies and interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff in honor of those American patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.

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

DONALD J. TRUMP

Bloomberg news is asserting that President Donald Trump will soon announce his selection for U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. is Heather Nauert.

(Via Bloomberg) President Donald Trump has decided to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to replace departing United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, according to three people familiar with the decision.

Nauert, 48, is an unorthodox choice for the UN role given that she had little experience in government or foreign policy before joining the administration in April 2017 after several years as an anchor and correspondent for Fox News, including on the “Fox and Friends” show watched by Trump. Haley also didn’t have foreign policy experience when she took the UN posting, but she had twice been elected governor of South Carolina.

Nevertheless, Nauert has gained Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s trust after being excluded from the inner circle of his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. She is also closely aligned with Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner.

One senior administration official, who discussed the move on condition of anonymity, said that Nauert would make a great UN ambassador because she is a great communicator. (read more)

Background first:  There’s a massive shifting of manufacturing in the auto-industry and President Donald Trump is at the center of it.  The USMCA trade agreement is the newly constructed Trump fulcrum underneath the structure of all auto manufacturing.  POTUS Trump has shifted the location of this fulcrum through auto-tariffs; and the final determinations therein are still ongoing.

On Tuesday, POTUS invited the EU auto executives to the White House.  No doubt Trump, the executive businessman, was seeking to understand their position on how the EU crew will comply with a 75% USMCA rule of origin…. and feel-them-out over what leverage he could apply (tariff threshold) to enhance their manufacturing relocation decision.

Example: With tariff at 2.5% they won’t move anything just pay the duty; however at 10% or higher they might move engine building or transmission building to North America etc to get inside the rules of origin threshold.  Trump was likely exploring the Mercedes, VW and BMW perspectives while Angela Merkel was gnashing her teeth… “curse you villian”.

President/Businessman Trump is setting up a future for high-wage U.S. manufacturing workers.  POTUS is in apex predator mode… the combination of USMCA and tariff possibilities are like blood in the water surrounding: Dr. Dieter Zetsche (Mercedes), Dr. Herbert Diess (VW), and Dr. Nicholas Peter (BMW); while Trump asks questions.

Mike Manley the new CEO of Fiat Chrysler wants nothing to do with that scenario.  He ain’t about to get in the water.  Swimming with Trump? Oh, hell to the no:

(CnBC) Fiat Chrysler, riding a wave of strong truck and SUV sales, is planning to build a new final assembly plant in Detroit even as other American automakers scale back operations in the U.S., according to people familiar with the plan.

The assembly plant, an old Mack II Engine Plant that closed in 2012, will build a new three-row, Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV starting in 2020 as the automaker moves to keep up with strong demand for utility vehicles, the people said. A spokesperson for Fiat Chrysler would not comment on the report, nor confirm the automaker’s plans.

The move comes as the industry faces pressure from President Donald Trump to keep manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and stands in stark contrast to the recent decision by General Motors to stop production and idle five plants in North America including four in the United States. (read more)

Fiat Chrysler’s Mike Manley watched legendary CEO Sergio Marchionne dealing with President Trump in 2017 during two sets of meetings with key auto leaders [Marchionne seated at Trump’s immediate left above].  POTUS and titan Marchionne got along great; both old school deal-makers.  Lots of respect between the two leaders.

No doubt Mike Manley took heed of Sergio Marchionne’s approach when he took over as CEO of Fiat Chrysler earlier this year due to Marchionne’s untimely death.

Meanwhile the German crew have Angela Merkel to deal with.  Not so good.  Trump is really close to leveraging massive tariffs on Fraulein Merkel’s primary industry. Oh yeah, this stuff is buckets of fun.

Geopolitical-strategy-Trump doesn’t care about delicate sensibilities, and Merkel is trying to have her cake and eat it too with NATO defense (U.S. pays) and self-serving energy contracts with Russia (Germany saves).  Chancellor Merkel’s economic slip is showing and she is totally exposed to the massive leverage President Trump holds.

I can only imagine Merkel sitting in her office wondering: “how exactly did we get ourselves into this position, and never notice while we were traveling here”?

Methinks we might just see more Audi, VW, BMW and Mercedes auto plants. And I guarantee you we will see more Audi, Volvo, VW, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota (Lexus), Honda (Acura) and Nissan (Infinity) SUV component plants…. [Just like the Fiat Chrysler announcement today.]

Audi (Q7, Q5), Volvo (XC-90) and additional Mercedes (SUV) component production and manufacturing assembly plants will likely be crunching the numbers based on their Tuesday meeting.

Oh, this stuff is buckets of fun.

OMB Director Mick Mulvaney has been wearing two hats as both head of the Office of Management and Budgets and head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Democrats went bananas in 2017 when Mulvaney took over the source of their financial black-mail and fundraising scheme constructed by Elizabeth Warren.

Today the senate voted to confirm Mulvaney’s protege’ Kathy Kraninger to replace him.

Democrats are still going bananas.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 on Thursday to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. consumer watchdog despite opposition from Democrats and consumer groups who say she is unqualified.

Kathy Kraninger will serve as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), replacing acting chief Mick Mulvaney, after Trump signs a declaration approving her five-year term.

The banking industry and consumer groups will be watching to see whether Kraninger, who is currently a senior official at the White House budget office, will take on Mulvaney’s mantle and continue to aggressively curtail the CFPB’s enforcement and rule-writing agenda.  (read more)

If the latest reports are accurate, this is *not* good.  Remember, there are trillions at stake and Wall Street has spent hundreds-of-million on behalf of multinational interests lobbying to keep the current status with China unchanged.

There’s a deep financial motive within this dynamic to stop President Trump from resetting the trade relationship with China. Additionally, Canada is aligned in self-interest with Wall Street and Trump’s adversaries toward the same goal.

Apparently National Security Adviser John Bolton was aware the CFO of Huawei was going to be arrested in Canada.  However, President Trump was kept out of the loop.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said in an interview with National Public Radio that he knew in advance about the arrest of a top executive of the Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL], according to an NPR reporter on Thursday.

Bolton said he did not know if the president was aware in advance of the arrest of Meng Wanzhou in Canada on Saturday, the day Trump struck a 90-day truce on trade in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina, NPR reporter Steve Inskeep said in a tweet.

“I knew in advance. That is something we get from the Justice Department,” the tweet quoted Bolton as saying. (read more)

Here’s the alarming (if true) aspect:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump did not know about a U.S. request for the extradition of Huawei’s chief financial officer from Canada before he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping over dinner last weekend, a White House official said on Thursday.

Huawei Technologies Ltd’s CFO Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the company’s founder, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States. The United States has been looking since at least 2016 into whether Huawei violated U.S. sanctions against Iran. (read more)

So while President Trump was sitting down with Chairman Xi to negotiate the framework of their ongoing trade discussions; Bolton knew a very geopolitical arrest, that would directly impact the relationship, was about to take place…. And he did not inform President Trump?

If true this is concerning because the Deep State would like nothing more than to scuttle any possible trade reset between the U.S. and China; and Canada would be more than willing to assist therein.

Canada benefits from the status quo.  Canada exploits their access to the U.S. market as part of their overall economic model.  Canada brokers Asian manufactured goods through their country, and assembles some parts into finished products therein.  This skirts any countervailing duties imposed on the originating Asian nation by the U.S.  This exploitation has been very lucrative for Canada.

Additionally, the Wall Street multinationals and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have paid U.S. politicians to allow maximum benefit to Chinese manufacturing.   The Big Club is opposed to President Trump; there are trillions at stake.

If Bolton knew of the location of a landmine that could have serious damage to the efforts of Trump’s economic team, and he kept it hidden, he could have intentionally positioned President Trump’s policy toward China for maximum collateral damage.

Not good.

Must watch this closely.

Suspicious cat needs more information.

According to a report in the Washington Post William P Barr is the leading candidate to replace Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General.   Barr previously served as AG under George HW Bush.  The other possible candidate is Rep. John Ratcliffe from Texas.

(Washington Post) Former attorney general William P. Barr is President Trump’s leading candidate to be nominated to lead the Justice Department — a choice that could be made in coming days as the agency presses forward with a probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to multiple people familiar with the deliberations.

Barr, 68, a well-respected Republican lawyer who served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush, has emerged as a favorite candidate of a number of Trump administration officials, including senior lawyers in the White House Counsel’s Office, these people said. Two people familiar with the discussions said the president has told advisers in recent days that he plans to nominate Barr.

One person familiar with the discussions cautioned that while Barr is the leading candidate, the decision is not final and the president could decide to pick someone else.  (read more)