This afternoon President Trump will participate in a roundtable discussion on community safety with law enforcement while visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Anticipated Start Time 2:30pm ET [Livestream Links Below]
UPDATE: Video Added
President Trump is motorcading to Kenosha, Wisconsin from the Waukegan, Illinois, airport. It is an approximately 30 minute ride. Accompanying President Trump for this trip are: Attorney General Bill Barr, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, Presidential Advisor Ja’Ron Smith along with Dan Scavino and Reince Priebus.
Senator Ron Johnson greeted President Trump upon arrival, and President Trump delivered brief remarks to the awaiting press pool. [Video Below]
President Trump delivers impromptu remarks and holds a press briefing as he departs Joint-Base Andrews for Kenosha Wisconsin. [Video Below – Transcript Will Follow]
The Department of Justice announces “Reform and Oversight” of the FBI [SEE HERE]
However, this ¹second memorandum is just mind-blowing from the perspective of someone around the table at Main Justice not saying to the United States Attorney General:
…Um, sir, you do realize a different set of FISA rules and surveillance regulations for politicians, advisors and their staff means you are codifying a two-tiered system within the administration of justice, right?
.
In November 2019 activist Federal District Court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled former White House counsel Don McGahn must appear before Congress; however, she also ruled McGahn retained the ability to “invoke executive privilege where appropriate” during his appearance. The central issue is separation of power.
The White House appealed the ruling to the DC appellate court on constitutional grounds, and on February 28, 2020, a three judge panel from the DC circuit agreed with the White House position. The House of representatives could have appealed the decision; however, instead, the main lawfare activist, House counsel Doug Letter, took a different approach and sought to argue the case based around their right to enforce a subpoena.
Today a politically divided DC appeals court panel ruled the House can’t go to the judicial branch to enforce legislative subpoenas because there is no statute giving the legislative chamber the authority to force the executive branch to enforce an action against its own constitutional interests.
DC Via Politico – […] “The decision is likely to spark a renewed debate over the House’s power of “inherent contempt” — its long-dormant ability to fine or jail witnesses who refuse to comply with its oversight requests.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany provides a red-pill briefing from the Brady room. [Video below – Transcript will follow]
I have a standing rule never to write about current events in a state of anger; forgive me for violating my own standard… this is infuriating (albeit not unexpected). The two-tiered judicial process to target a ‘transparently innocent’ man continues. [Links Below]
As anticipated, on the last day prior to DC Circuit Judge Griffith departure, the DC en banc panel has rejected the Flynn writ of mandamus and now sends the case back to Judge Emmet Sullivan for final disposition. One way of looking at this is the DC circuit attempting to save face for Judge Sullivan by granting him the ability to do the right thing.
Another way of looking at this is a judicial stall tactic allowing the case to drag on even further until after the election. [60-page ruling pdf here – also available here]
As expected the majority of the panel hung their argument on the fact that Judge Sullivan had not yet ruled prior to the request for the writ of mandamus; and as an outcome Sullivan should be allowed to reach final disposition. As noted: “we expect the District Court to proceed with appropriate dispatch“…
The unopposed motion to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn is now back in the court of presiding Judge Emmet Sullivan.
ODNI John Ratcliffe made an interesting, frightening & stunningly open direct statement yesterday when he described intelligence evidence that China is putting on a full-court press against governors and local officials to retain their influence campaign in 2020.
Essentially what DNI Ratcliffe described boils down to Beijing threatening economic blackmail against U.S. officials who were comfortable being reliant on local Chinese investment and purchases of U.S. companies, assents and interests.
With that stark statement in mind; and keeping the full national security ramifications in the forefront; it is worth remembering a foreboding speech given by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in February.
This is specifically important now against the backdrop of how some U.S. politicians appear to be reacting to the COVID-19 challenges, perhaps even weaponizing the virus to achieve political objectives; and with a perspective toward the way media outlets, some businesses and many politicians appear to be influenced by China. The background context for this speech takes on an entirely new dimension.
Pompeo’s remarks were made to the National Governors Association (NGA) Feb 8, 2020; and there’s an interesting segment where Pompeo reveals his awareness of a list of U.S. governors compiled by China’s communist party; and their alignment with China’s interests. A transcript of the key excerpt from his speech is provided. WATCH:
Former Acting DNI Richard Grenell appears on Sunday Morning with Maria Bartiromo to expand on the challenges facing current DNI John Ratcliffe.
From the Office of Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe appears on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo to discuss latest events amid the intelligence apparatus. Ratcliffe outlines his approach to foreign election interference as a national security threat.
Additionally DNI Ratcliffe discusses pending declassification of documents once it can be determined that such a release would not impede the investigation by John Durham.