The New York Times is quick to the typeset to explain how Brussels is desperately offended because President Trump and Secretary Pompeo have lowered the importance of the EU.   Officials from the European Union are apoplectic that U.S. officials have downgraded their status amid the official registry of diplomatic protocols.

BRUSSELS — The Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change, a European official said on Tuesday.

After protest from Brussels and discussion between the European Union and the Trump administration, the reclassification of the delegation and the consequent demotion of the ambassador, David O’Sullivan, is understood to have been reversed, at least temporarily, the official said.

Mr. Trump has been critical of multilateral institutions, and his secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, delivered a provocative speech in Brussels on Dec. 4 in which he questioned the value of multinational organizations and institutions like the United Nations and the European Union. Mr. Pompeo then asked whether the European Union was “ensuring that the interests of countries and their citizens are placed before those of bureaucrats here in Brussels.”

The next day, the European Union’s demotion from a member state to an international organization became clear at the funeral of President George Bush, when Mr. O’Sullivan’s name was not called in the expected order, dictated by diplomatic protocols. The names of diplomats who had gathered in Washington to pay their respects were spoken, as is, custom, from the longest-serving to the newest ambassador, a European Union official told the German news agency Deutsche Welle. “But he was called up as the last person.”  (read more)

Oh, the horror…

…”as Brussels tries to strengthen its international role, again in reaction to Mr. Trump, she said, “a lack of recognition by key partners that the E.U. is more than just an international organization, or even a withdrawal of that recognition, undermines these efforts.””….

This is a representative example of the nonsense focus of the European elitist mindset, and yet somehow these same pontificating knuckleheads openly ponder why those pesky ‘yellow vests‘ keep appearing.

White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp discusses the partial government shutdown over the border wall funding and the most recent call by Democrats’ to raise taxes.

Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett appears with Lou Dobbs to discuss the strength of the U.S. economy, the partial government shutdown and the Trump administration’s trade talks with China.

Mr. Hassett, a happy warrior, walks through the recent economic data and jobs report.

The timing here is subtle as a brick through a window.  As the U.S. and China sit down for the first preliminary trade discussions…. simultaneously, Chairman Kim Jong-un arrives in China for a pre-scheduled meeting with Chairman Xi Jinping.

Those who follow the strategy of Beijing will note China’s historic approach has been to leverage antagonism by their proxy province of North Korea to gain economic leverage over their U.S. adversary. It would appear Xi Jinping is sending exactly that message, yet again.  China controls the DPRK and they will deploy that leverage as needed.

(BNO News) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in China for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, making it his fourth visit in less than a year, the Chinese government announced on Tuesday.

Kim arrived in China on Monday and will be staying until Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the ruling Communist Party, who added that the visit is taking place at the invitation of Xi.  Other details about the visit were not immediately known.

Kim is believed to have arrived in China at 10:15 p.m. local time on Monday when his train passed through the Chinese border city of Dandong, according to the Yonhap news agency. It said the train is expected to arrive in Beijing just after 10 a.m. on Tuesday.  (read more)

Previously President Donald Trump made it clear he is well aware of this manipulation:

…. And so “the dance“ continues.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross discusses the ongoing U.S. -vs- China trade confrontation and the current status of China’s economic contraction.

Secretary Ross outlines that China has now internally admitted their reliance on access to the U.S. market; and Team Trump’s continued willingness to deliver death by 1,000 cuts to Beijing if needed.

Secretary Wilburine is one of the top targets for Wall Street, GOPe, Democrats and the collective group of beneficiaries from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He is effective; he is unrelenting; they want/need him to be removed.   The inability to influence the White House economic policy team is the biggest threat to the corporate lobbying community.

President Donald Trump has announced a public address from the Oval Office tomorrow at 9:00pm EST about the current “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The address comes amid a partial government shutdown caused by Democrat insistence that border barriers are immoral and the Southern border must remain unsecure. CNN is reporting that network executives are debating whether to show the speech; or defer to the requests of their political allies in the Democrat party and refuse to air the broadcast.

President Trump has requested $5 billion to build additional fence/wall on the border and congressional Democrats are refusing to fund any aspect of homeland security that includes a fence or wall.

Additionally, the White House has announced that President Trump is planning a trip to the southern border on Thursday, to highlight the security and humanitarian crisis.