CNN state media narrative engineers (think State Dept. in all things CNN) are running with a story to promote a new book by Josh Dawsey (Wall Street Journal – Author), Tyler Pager (New York Times – Author), Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post – Author) where they write about an audio segment by candidate Trump telling NY donors how he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping.

The leaked audio is essentially unremarkable as President Trump has told this story several times. However, the background context is more interesting when we consider the motives of the WSJ, NYT and WaPo. Here’s the segment:

The WSJ is against President Trump based on economics; WSJ representing Wall Street. The NYT is against President Trump based on DHS/DOJ domestic opposition from within DC. The WaPo is against President Trump based on the CIA position and larger intelligence community. None of the motives within these outlets are challenged by the intellectually honest political observers.

So, what’s the play here?

(more…)

I’ll put the entire cabinet meeting in another post.  It is interesting that RFK Jr. was not present (?).

For this outline, let’s focus on the issue that is exploding the MAGA and anti-MAGA universe on social media right now. President Trump and Pam Bondi’s response to a question about Jeffrey Epstein and the controversial DOJ/FBI memo that now states there is no “third party” or “client list” connected to the Epstein sex trafficking.

Obviously, President Trump is not happy with attention focused on the Epstein issues.  The most likely reason for the frustration expressed is simply that President Trump is unaware how much the Epstein issues are -and have been- part of the background focus within the base of his support.  Here’s the segment. WATCH:

First, kudos to Marco Rubio for his stone faced and remarkably unaffected disposition within the exchange.  It takes time and experience to remain stoic at this level.  Exceptional control.

Second, everyone here has a reasonable BS detector – meaning we can tell when a person is not telling the truth.  It is transparently obvious AG Pam Bondi is extremely uncomfortable with the Epstein issue, and her responses indicate she is not being honest or forthright.  You could say, she’s lying; however, the facts of her presentation are a little more complicated.

The main issue around Bondi’s less-than-fulsome response is the motive.  Is she lying because she’s just grossly incompetent about the issue, or is she lying because she is nefarious in her intent.  The Occam’s Razor answer to her obvious parseltongue is a combination of both.

(more…)

President Trump responds to Elon Musk’s ongoing outrage.

PRESIDENT TRUMP – “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely “off the rails,” essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them.

The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds! Republicans, on the other hand, are a smooth running “machine,” that just passed the biggest Bill of its kind in the History of our Country.

It is a Great Bill but, unfortunately for Elon, it eliminates the ridiculous Electric Vehicle (EV) Mandate, which would have forced everyone to buy an Electric Car in a short period of time. I have been strongly opposed to that from the very beginning. People are now allowed to buy whatever they want – Gasoline Powered, Hybrids (which are doing very well), or New Technologies as they come about – No more EV Mandate. I have campaigned on this for two years and, quite honestly, when Elon gave me his total and unquestioned Endorsement, I asked him whether or not he knew that I was going to terminate the EV Mandate – It was in every speech I made, and in every conversation I had. He said he had no problems with that – I was very surprised!

(more…)

Earlier today CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced he was declassifying an “Internal Tradecraft Review of 2016 Election ICA to Promote Analytic Objectivity and Transparency.” Obviously the CIA saying they are releasing something for the sake of “transparency” is a little funny.

The CIA review triggered by Director Ratcliffe was for the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that was conducted in the aftermath of the 2016 election. The ICA was also known as the “17 agency report” relied upon by those who pushed the Trump-Russia narrative.

Ever since the sketchy “Russian Malicious Cyber Activity – Joint Analysis Report” was originally released late December 2016 we identified both constructs, the ICA and JAR as a mostly political intelligence documents, created to justify a Russian narrative.

The Dec ’16 ICA was also the predicate intelligence report that preceded the December 29, 2016, Joint Analysis Report that claimed “Russian cyber hacking” in the election. Cumulatively the ICA and JAR formed the background for Barack Obama to expel 35 Russian diplomats.

None of this is new. CTH outlined these two corrupt Intelligence Community constructs in real time when they were released. {SEE HERE}. As time went on, and as the Clinton-Steele dossier was revealed, the 17 agency Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) grew even weaker.

In late October 2017 former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper admitted the Clinton-Steele dossier was part of the Joint Analysis Report.   Eventually, our research indicated the dossier and the intelligence report were likely the underlying evidence behind the FISA Title-1 application (and subsequent renewals) for surveillance on Carter Page and by extension the Trump campaign.  All of that was proven to be accurate.

Now CIA Director John Ratcliffe provides an independent CIA review of their organizational action at the time the Trump-Russia narrative was created.  CIA Press Statement:

(more…)

For those who have spent time in the lead up to this moment, you may remember our warning that Elon Musk would eventually take a position against President Trump and actively work to undermine the MAGA agenda therein.

Tonight as the Senate debates the Big Beautiful Bill, that does not include subsidies for his electric vehicles and green energy initiatives, Elon Musk promises to organize a third party.  This was all predictable.

[SOURCE]

The bill is imperfect, yes.  However, the BBB contains the priorities of President Trump and those priorities are the goals and objectives of the people who voted to support his vision.  Elon Musk is now actively working against the interests of the Make America Great Again movement, and he is intent on dividing the MAGA coalition.

(more…)

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis previously railroaded the nomination of USAO Ed Martin. Senator Tillis has also blocked many of the key elements of President Trump’s border effort and immigration plan, and last night he announced he will vote against President Trump and the Big Beautiful Bill.

Today, facing severe backlash from the people within his state and the larger MAGA community, Thom Tillis announces he is going to forcefully oppose the BBB and is not going to seek reelection, so there’s no political leverage against him.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Sunday he will not seek reelection, a day after announcing his opposition to President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts package because of its reductions to health care programs.

Tillis said he was proud of his career in public service but acknowledged the difficult political environment for those who buck their party and go it alone.

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” he said in a lengthy statement.

(more…)

**Bumped By Request**

I am not promoting the group, I am promoting the message within this video.  As you watch Susan Kokinda discuss the events from the recent G7, and put the remarks by President Trump into context, you might find what she’s saying sounds incredibly familiar.

This recap may sound familiar because it is almost identical to what CTH has outlined {SEE HERE} and {SEE HERE}.  So familiar in fact, it might sound as though myself and Susan Kokinda have discussed these issues; we have not.  This video is the first time I have heard of her and her group, Promethean Action.

That said, what Mrs Kokinda outlines is precisely what is visible in the details of President Trump’s activity.  While I might take exception to some of the lingo used, the substance of her explanation is spot on; particularly accurate is her overlay of how President Trump is approaching Russian President Vladimir Putin when contrast with Trump’s economic vision.  This is well worth watching.

What Susan Kokinda says about the Senate opposition to President Trump, vis-a-vis the Big Beautiful Bill, is also accurate. It is within the BBB policy legislation that we see the springboard for the American economic revival. However, the larger program for cooperative nationalism is also why the same opponents to the BBB agenda are aligned to keep President Trump and President Putin apart.

If the USA (Technology, innovation, consumer market) forms a strategic alliance with Russia (resources, capacity, consumer market), and then negotiates a reciprocal trade and manufacturing arrangement with China (transformation to a USA manufacturing return), the geopolitical world order is economically changed.  Here at home, the USA is no longer a service driven economy; a natural balance is restored.   The multinationals will fight this hard. There are trillions at stake.

Russian markets open to USA goods, technology and innovation services.  USA markets open to Russian raw materials and strategic partnerships. With expanded alternatives, China then has to compete for manufacturing etc. Controlled markets become free markets.  The focus is on expanded economics, not war and friction.

(more…)

I’m becoming increasingly convinced that people on the ConInc side of the conversation also need to pretend not to know things.

There is an increased sentiment of frustration toward President Donald Trump being espoused, and obviously that will be amplified by those who want to use a narrative of “increased sentiment of frustration toward President Trump.”

The part that surprises me is the part where people seem to have forgotten the purpose of the U.S. Senate.

CONTEXT – Currently there is a Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) in the senate, the culmination of years of work by President Trump and his team together with politicians in congress. There is no smaller BBB, there is no modified BBB, there is only one big comprehensive package of initiatives and priorities for President Trump’s agenda. One Big Beautiful Bill.

That’s it. Just this one legislative priority that has all the stuff Donald Trump promised in the 2024 election. It’s all in one bill; all of it. As a consequence, President Trump needs this bill to pass congress; there is no fallback position; there is no alternative; there is no safer option. The BBB is an all or nothing swing for the fences.

GAINING VOTES – This BBB is the legislative package approach that President Trump accepted. As a consequence whatever it takes to get that BBB legislation passed, is exactly what we should expect to see done. Remember, this is a legislative construct that only targets REPUBLICAN VOTES. Republicans control every element of this BBB discussion.

People not happy about President Trump remarks about illegal-alien farm workers. Well, President Trump is buying gaining the votes of Big Ag state senators.

People not happy about President Trump support for Israel. Well, President Trump is buying gaining the votes of Big War senators.

People not happy about President Trump support for more Ukraine weapons against a peace initiative targeting Vladimir Putin. Again, President Trump is buying gaining the votes of the defense contractor senators.

These are just a few examples of stuff in the background.  The passage of the BBB is a priority for President Trump and every Republican senator knows this.  Every single republican senator is willing to blackmail President Trump to get support for their vote.

(more…)

The Justice Department has announced that a USAID official named Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, and three corporate executives, Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland; Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, and Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, have pleaded guilty to a decade long scam involving bribery using USAID funds and awarded government contracts.

Roderick Watson took bribes and directed over $550 million to the three USAID contractors.  [SEE DETAILS HERE]

DOJ – […] According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives.

(more…)

I know no one likes to watch the Republican warmongers advocate for expanded intervention, conflict and escalated global violence as a means for them to retain power.  However, this is one of those sickening points of advocacy that need to be watched and listened to very carefully.

Mike McCaul is Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and he has never experienced a war he didn’t enjoy.  McCaul notes he is happy for the House to receive a sanction package against Russia from Lindsey Graham that will likely be voted on in the Senate tomorrow.  Last week the Senate met with Ukraine officials in a closed-door session, where the after-activity review was never outlined by media.  DC is pretending the meeting never took place.

After discussing his advocacy for enhanced U.S. conflict against Russia, the Texas republican notes he has just spent 3-days in a strategy session with the leadership of Israel, specifically Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the topic of Iran.  As McCaul notes, “there is no question in my mind coming out of that meeting, what Mr Netanyahu’s intentions are and that is to strike Iran when the negotiations go bad.”  WATCH:

.

McCaul asked Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, “at least coordinate with us if you go alone to respond to the retaliation coming out of Iran.”  In essence, it will be easier for us to convince the American people to defend you, if you at least tell us after you attack Iran.  This is nuts.

(more…)