Today is really quite humorous.  MSM broadcasts are full of segments of falsity, fake news, and gobsmacking hypocrisy.  Temp Visa restrictions and Temp Refugee ban are two entirely separate issues.  Additionally:
♦ President Obama puts six month ban on Iraqi refugees in 2011 and media…. crickets.
♦ President Trump puts 120 day suspension on Syrian refugees 2017… media explodes.
♦ Obama selects 7 countries for enhanced visa security policy and media… crickets.
♦ Trump uses Obama law, same Obama DHS policy, and same 7 countries; for a 90-day visa suspension and media explodes.

For some reason it just doesn’t appear accidental. This parallel policy of Trump, which is almost identical to Obama policy, is too well constructed to be coincidence. This looks like a strategy and the MSM, along with all Trump opposition, are falling into a trap.
Here’s the DHS response:

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce all of President Trump’s Executive Orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people. President Trump’s Executive Orders remain in place—prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety. President Trump’s Executive Order affects a minor portion of international travelers, and is a first step towards reestablishing control over America’s borders and national security.

(more…)

While there is much pontification and opinion about a judicial ruling by New York Judge Ann Donnelly, the decision is actually quite narrow.  The judge’s involvement is specifically and narrowly only targeted to current permitted visa holders who were in the limbo zone between travel (during XO) and the denial of entry upon landing.
Despite the insufferable airport protests being promoted on U.S. MSM, there are less than 200 people nationwide who were in the limbo zone.  The ruling stops DHS from forcibly turning around a group of currently valid visa holders arriving from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  Nothing more.
NEW YORK […]  U.S. District Judge Ann M. Donnelly ordered a halt to any removal of refugees or others who hold valid visas to enter the United States—meaning those who have arrived at U.S. airports from the seven predominantly Muslim countries named under the President’s executive order can remain, for now.
The judge did not rule on the legality of the executive order, nor did she say that others who have not yet arrived in the U.S. can be allowed to proceed.  [She’s simply clearing the airports.] (more…)

Why would the text of President Trump’s Executive Order suspending travel visas be readily available on CNN (HERE), New York Times (HERE), Wall Street Journal (HERE),  but not on White House page (HERE)?
I don’t think it’s accidental.  The limiting Visa program was President Obama’s action, not President Trump.

If you review the actual text of the executive order (copied below in full) what you will immediately notice is the order doesn’t specify ANY countries to be included in the Visa suspension (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen).
President Trump is not suspending visas from countries his team selected, they are simply suspending visa approval from countries President Obama selected.  Additionally, Trump is suspending ALL visa applications from those countries – nothing to do with Muslim applications.
• In 2013 President Obama suspended refugees from Iraq for six months.  • In 2015 Congress passed, and Obama signed, a law restricting visas from states of concern; • and in 2016 Obama’s DHS, Jeh Johnson, expanded those restrictions.  …. all President Trump is doing is taking the same action as Obama 2013, and applying Visa restrictions to the nation states Obama selected in 2015 and 2016.
From the Executive order:
(more…)

President Donald Trump initiates three more campaign promises today via executive action:

♦  A five year ban on lobbying for all White House officials. An order banning administration officials from ever lobbying the U.S. on behalf of a foreign government and imposing a separate five-year ban on other lobbying.

♦  An order to begin restructuring the White House National Security Council. Aides said the changes would help the council better adapt to cyber, digital, terrorist and other modern-day threats.

♦  A request for the Department of Defense, via the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to deliver a preliminary strategy to defeat ISIS within 30 days to the President.

.
(more…)

Many people are wondering why suspend visas relating to travel from: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  Why those countries specifically?  What’s this all about.
The answer to that question and many other questions surrounding the recent executive actions of President Trump can be answered deliberately by looking forward, not backward.

Due mostly to the action of Russia, Islamic extremism is currently in retreating position from Syria.  In the weeks and months to come, radical Islamic extremists of various factions will be facing even more defeats as their strongholds  are recaptured.  In addition to their current geographic locations, where will the extremist elements go in retreat? Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Do not forget that between the November 8th, 2016 election and the January 27th, 2017 signing of these executive actions, President Trump and the incoming security/intelligence apparatus have been in contact with mid-east envoys who historically understand the predictable fall-back plans of the violent extremists within the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood is the political face of the various extremist factions. International partners for the U.S. including King Abdullah (Jordan), Fattah Abdel el-Sisi (Egypt), and Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel), hold a time-tested understanding of where the extremist elements within Islam exist and where their moves can be predicted.
(more…)

In yesterday’s executive action (full script not yet released) President Trump suspended the visa travel program with Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days in order to assess the screening process for immigrants, and visitors.
Additionally, as reported by Reuters, President Trump put a four-month hold on the State Department refugee program, while the vetting process is reviewed and security practices put into place to enhance the screening process.


The reaction from the left-wing open-border globalists was entirely predictable.  However, even though their response was predictable, it is still incredible to see the complete lack of cogent understanding within their arguments.   This quote from CAIR is a case study in abject moonbattery:

(Reuters) […]  The order seeks to prioritize refugees fleeing religious persecution, a move Trump separately said was aimed at helping Christians in Syria. That led some legal experts to question whether the order was constitutional.
One group said it would announce a court challenge on Monday. The Council on American-Islamic Relations [CAIR] said the order targets Muslims because of their faith, contravening the U.S. Constitutional right to freedom of religion.

(more…)

Kevin Appleby is a well known pro-refugee advocate from The Center for Migration Studies; essentially an advocate and lobbying group for the business end of refugee resettlement.
Most CTH readers are familiar with Baptist Child and Family Services (BCFS) and/or Catholic Charities, both groups gain hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds for their various refugee programs. “Hundreds of millions”. This is big business.
Tucker challenges Appleby on his expressed narrative, and by doing the well designed questioning approach – well, Appleby’s argument just collapsed. Watch:

.
This (also see below for data), is one of those areas where Rex Tillerson can have a massive common sense impact as *Secretary of State.

*NOTE* CTH is prudently deferring any additional research and discussion threads on the U.S. Department of State until after the Tillerson confirmation vote.

(more…)

Almost a year ago we outlined a predictable approach President Trump would take toward domestic economic policy if he were to win the 2016 election.  Almost three months after his victory we clearly see the economic approach is indeed exactly what he campaigned on.
Perhaps it is valuable to pause, look at where are today, and consider current progress against the prior prediction for where President Trump was heading …the economics.

For the first time in many decades the chief executive of the United States walked into office concerned about the fiscal stability of the average American, without a single IOU on his Oval Office desk. For the first time ever, a titan of American Main Street is in the oval office.
Do not downplay the significance of this aspect. Money makes the world go ’round.
While they may not state so openly, every single global leader and politician is reviewing the U.S. election through their own domestic financial prisms.  It doesn’t matter which country, the key prism is financial. Enter, the land of trade conversation, Samsung, Kia,  etc, and national financial interests: The EU, The U.K., Mexico, Canada, China etc.
Immediately after the election, we stated: the U.S. media will attempt to frame international conversation through the prism of defense issues: South Korea feeling vulnerable to North Korea hostilities, Europe worried about NATO, Russia gaining influence in the Mid-East etc.
However, this view is an entirely false narrative. The reason for this intentional deflection is a necessary need for western media to marginalize President Trump.  President Trump is an existential threat to years of globalist economic advancement.
(more…)

Seriously – Trump world moves at hypersonic speed.  We have to work on adjusting our schedules accordingly.  Never before have we seen so many policy issues and constructs being directed simultaneously. Newsrooms must be exhausted, and it’s only week #1.
Current News ♦ Mexican Billionaire owner of the New York Times is having a presser at 12:30pm – details unknown (link) ♦ President Trump is scheduled to speak to Vladimir Putin on Saturday (link)  ♦ New report shows Germany’s Angela Merkel also scheduling a phone call with President Trump on Saturday – unknown if before or after Putin (link)
♦ And at 1:00pm today President Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May will be holding a joint press conference to discuss their meeting. (Live Stream)
Update – Video added below:

(more…)

Crowd sizes, Russians and Torture… Oh my. {{*snicker*}} Flares. Triggers. Shiny things.
Meanwhile it takes days before anyone in the swamp, and that specifically means those who report on swamp activity, fully grasp the scope of what is actually being done. There’s a good reason President Trump put a portrait of TJ in the Oval Office:
[…] When Trump promised that as president — on “day one” — he would begin to dismantle ObamaCare, some Republicans, many members of the press and most Democrats laughed at him. They are laughing no longer because the first executive order he signed on Jan. 20 directed those in the federal government who enforce ObamaCare to do so expecting that it will soon not exist.

.

(Seven Days Ago) […] Sec. 2. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications. (XO #1 Text)

Wait, what?… hang on.. huh?
(more…)