Feb 12 2025

President Trump Announces Board Members of Presidents’ Intelligence Advisory Board, Chaired by Devin Nunes

Posted originally on the CTH on February 12, 2025 | Sundance

On the eve of DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard’s full senate confirmation vote, President Trump announces his Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB), which will be chaired by the former head of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, former Gang of Eight member and current CEO of Truth Social, Devin Nunes.

WHITE HOUSE – Today, President Donald J. Trump is pleased to announce a distinguished and trusted group of Patriots to serve on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). These individuals will advise the President on our nation’s most important security challenges and ensure that the Intelligence Community is working to advance the President’s America First agenda. The President’s PIAB appointees represent a broad range of experience and intellect that will help restore integrity to our Intelligence Community. The following individuals have been appointed to the PIAB:

Devin Gerald Nunes, Chair
Scott Glabe
Amaryllis Fox Kennedy
Brad Robert Wenstrup
Wayne Berman
Reince Priebus
Robert O’Brien
Joshua Lobel
Sander R. Gerber
Katie Miller
Jeremy Katz
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Jr

♦ Scott Glabe was previously a DHS senior official performing the duties of Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans (PLCY). He was also Staff Director of the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, under Chairman Devin Nunes.

♦ Amaryllis Fox Kennedy was a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, and campaign manager for her father-in-law Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s 2024 presidential campaign. Married to RFK Jr II, and friend of Tucker Carlson.

♦ Brad Wenstrup is a former congressman from Ohio who served as chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. He left congress last year.

♦ Wayne Berman is an American businessman and former lobbyist. He now works for Stephen Schwarzman as the senior managing director for government relations at the Blackstone Group. He manages political and legislative risk for the firm and supports its portfolio companies, overseeing a global team of political risk specialists. Blackstone has $1.1 trillion in assets under management. Schwarzman is a big republican donor who supported Ron DeSantis before acquiescing to Trump.

♦ Reince Priebus was the former RNC Chairman, former Chief of Staff to President Trump in the first term (’17), and president and chief strategist for the government affairs group at Michael Best & Friedrich, his former law firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as a political analyst for CBS News.

♦ Robert O’Brien was former National Security Advisor to President Trump from 2019 to 2021. Earlier in the administration he was presidential envoy for hostage affairs. He is the co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies LLC, a consulting firm that advises on foreign policy and national security issues.

♦ Joshua Lobel is Founder of Archer Capital Management LP. Rabbi Joshua Adam Lobel currently occupies the position of Chairman of Red Cell DRM Acquisition Corp. and Chairman of Focus Roq Holdings LLC. He is also Founding Partner of Red Cell Partners LLC and on the board of 7 other companies.

♦ Sander R Gerber served as a member of the Senior Advisory Group to the Director of National Intelligence (Dan Coats) from 2017-2019. Formerly, he was the Vice Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and Chairman of its Investment Committee. Gerber is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Hudson Bay Capital Management LP. A long-time advocate for Israel and the Jewish people. In 2017, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) awarded Mr. Gerber its Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award for championing the Taylor Force Act, a bipartisan bill that cuts US funding to the Palestinian Authority.

♦ Katie Miller is Stephen Miller’s wife. Katie Rose Miller is also an American political advisor who served as the communications director Mike Pence from 2020 to 2021. She was previously Pence’s press secretary from 2019 to 2020. From 2017 to 2019, she served as a deputy press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

♦ Jeremy Katz was deputy director of President Trump’s National Economic Council (NEC) in the first term. Katz also served in the Administration of President George W. Bush, including as Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Commerce and Special Assistant to the President for Policy in the Chief of Staff’s office. Jeremy Katz is the President and Chief Operating Officer of D1 Capital Partners and currently serves on the board of the George W Bush Center.

♦ Thomas Hicks Jr. is an American private equity investor living in Dallas, Texas. He is a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

• Forward Face – The PIAB is an independent body within the Executive Office of the President tasked with providing the President with objective, expert advice on the effectiveness of the Intelligence Community. The board evaluates the quality, scope, and coordination of intelligence activities and ensures that intelligence efforts are aligned with national security priorities.

• Quiet Part – Everyone supports the American surveillance state, FISA-702 and the use of AI technology for targeted enhancements and national security.

Feb 12 2025

Marc Fogel Thanks President Trump for Securing His Early Release from Prison in Russia

Posted originally on the CTH on February 11, 2025 | Sundance

Pennsylvania schoolteacher Marc Fogel traveled to Russia with marijuana. The magic lettuce is considered a narcotic in Russia. Marc Fogel found out you cannot take medicinal marijuana to Russia. Marc Fogel was arrested in 2021.

Today Russia released criminally convicted Marc Fogel as a good faith gesture to the administration of President Donald Trump. Marc Fogel thanks President Trump for securing his release from prison. President Trump hints there is another prisoner who will be released tomorrow. WATCH:

It sounds like Russia replaced Fogel’s medical dependency on Marijuana (no idea what the prescription was for) with some other medical ‘anxiety relief’ substance. Fogel notes he “met many” wounded Russian soldiers, likely when he was receiving medical treatment – because most consequential health services for high priority patients take place in Russian military affiliated institutions. I suspect this, because I accidentally ended up inside one last year, saw the same, and it makes sense.

Feb 12 2025

Congratulations America, We Have Reached Peak Graham

Posted originally on the CTH on February 11, 2025 | Sundance

Senator Lindsey Graham (U-DC) was asked for his thoughts and perspectives about USAID today during a press conference.

Senator Lindsey Graham is senior senator in charge of the upper chamber oversight of foreign government influence operations via the “150 account” that supports the goals and objectives of the State Dept.

Senator Lindsey Graham culminates his entire political career in one brief segment of pretending not to know.

We can officially say this moment achieves ‘peak Graham.’ The part where Graham tells former USAID Director Samantha Power to “quit texting me” is epic. WATCH:

It is said that in 1860 literary master Ralph Waldo Emerson found a stargate, entered and traveled to this day in history. Upon return, he wrote:

“The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”

Every face tells a story:

Feb 12 2025

President Trump and Elon Musk Hold Stunning Press Availability During Executive Order Signing

Posted originally on the CTH on February 11, 2025 | Sundance

Earlier today President Trump and Elon Musk, head of the Dept of Government Efficiency, held a press conference in the oval office to answer questions about the ongoing DOGE review of government.

Elon Musk outlines examples of how the various government agencies spend money without any standard accounting principles that facilitate audits and reviews. In material fact the system of government that Elon Musk and President Trump outline, appears fully designed to generate fraud.

In essence, “waste, fraud and abuse” within government, is a feature of how the government systems are organized, not a flaw. WATCH:

It is amazing how the media reporters present the structure of their questions to support the waste, fraud and abusive systems within the administration of government as it is outlined. We do not dislike the media enough.

Feb 12 2025

President Trump and King Abdullah of Jordan Hold a Press Availability in the Oval Office

Posted originally on the CTH on February 11, 2025 | Sundance

President Donald Trump and King Abdullah II of Jordan are having bilateral meetings today on the Israel v Hamas war and the subsequent issue with displaced Palestinians.

During the first press availability in the oval office, both President Trump and King Abdullah delivered remarks about the regional challenges, approaches and overall perspectives on the issues. As expected, both President Trump and King Abdullah noted they await the plan from Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi who has been tasked with taking the lead on developing a peaceful solution and broader long-term plan for regional stability.

Jordan doesn’t want to take more Palestinian refugees, though King Abdullah did say he was going to take 2,000 sick children for care in the kingdom of Jordan.

President Trump has given Hamas a deadline of Saturday at noon to release all the remaining hostages or, “there will be hell to pay.” President Trump is willing to take part in rebuilding Gaza in the aftermath of the chaos and rubble as soon as Hamas is removed from the issue.

Feb 12 2025

After President Trump Talk with President Putin, Russia Releases U.S. Prisoner Marc Fogel

Posted originally on the CTH on February 11, 2025 | Sundance

It’s good that Fogel is returning, and the gesture of his release is an act of good faith between the Russian government of Vladimir Putin and the U.S. government of Donald Trump.

However, that said, Marc Fogel was not arrested and detained for some arbitrary reason. The American teacher was arrested, tried and convicted for taking marijuana into Russia. The Russian government doesn’t recognize medicinal marijuana, and they do not play around with illegal drugs or classified narcotics. It’s a big issue and considered a serious crime with severe penalties.

President Trump on Tuesday secured the release of an American imprisoned in Russia as part of a deal with the Kremlin negotiated by Mr. Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Mr Witkoff flew to Moscow Sunday for discussions with Russian officials.

New York Times – […] Mike Waltz, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, said in a statement that Mr. Witkoff, at the president’s direction, had brought Mr. Fogel out of Russia on his plane as part of an exchange. But he did not provide any details about whether the United States or an ally had released someone in return or what other steps the administration had taken to win Mr. Fogel’s release.

“President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the president’s advisers negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine,” Mr. Waltz said.

[…] the deal, in discussion for several days, is a gesture of good will for both sides, aimed at smoothing the path to talks over the war in Ukraine and potentially improving relations between Russia and the United States. (more)

All is good.

Killing stops soon.

Peace and stability returning.

Feb 12 2025

JD Vance Delivers Keynote Address at European AI Summit in Paris

Posted originally on the CTH on February 11, 2025 | Sundance

If you have followed the arc of Tech, Peter Thiel recruiting JD Vance, the creation of Palantir, the funding of Vance’s senatorial run, and eventually the roadmap to connect Vance to Trump, this is a video speech you absolutely must not miss. JD Vance was sent to the AI Summit for a reason.

JD Vance talks at the AI summit in Paris, France, about his core mission, his core purpose inside current political influence. This is the very origin of his legacy, unfolding in real time. Vice-President JD Vance talks about Artificial Intelligence, the future and the Trump administration position.

Vice President JD Vance warned European leaders against heavily regulating U.S. tech companies and said excessive efforts by the European Union to regulate artificial intelligence could stymie its growth, during an AI summit in Paris Tuesday that marks his first foreign trip since taking office. WATCH: