To be fair he’s always been an idiot, and now the severe dementia doesn’t help.
The installed occupant of the White House had a horrible, terrible day with reporters at the G7. Biden was confused, disconnected, incoherent at times and struggled to read the words on his notes. Other than that, adding the creepy whisper voice to the end was apropos.
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More awkward soundbites the media is forced to ignore or justify below:
Australian Sky News pundits laugh at how the U.S. corporate media hype the JoeBama administration while the world laughs at the G7 pantomime on display.
At least one news agency is honest….
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Once you see the strings on the marionettes you can never watch the pantomime and not see them; regardless of how hard the media attempts to proclaim the contrary…
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is testifying tomorrow at 10:00am to the House Ways and Means committee; later in the afternoon Ambassador Lighthizer will testify before the Senate Finance Committee.
The New York Times has received an advance copy of USTR Lighthizer’s opening statement, and the liberal publication is apoplectic the Trump administration plans to outline an even more aggressive stance toward the World Trade Organization (WTO).
According to the pearl-clutching Wall St. class, Lighthizer is going to inform congress of Trump/USTR plans to demand tariff reciprocity; and Lighthizer will indeed raise tariffs against any nation that continues to attempt one-sided benefit. [EU will go bananas]
One method to approach tariff inequality would be for the U.S. to lower the import value threshold for non-tariff exemptions. Currently the U.S. does not apply import duties to any product valued under $800. This is a great benefit to China, southeast Asia, and U.S. on-line retailers such as ebay and Amazon; however, the zero tariff threshold hurts U.S. manufacturers because China and other nations do not reciprocate.
It is anticipated that USTR Lighthizer will inform congress the U.S. will lower that import threshold to match the same value level applied by other nations. Obviously the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Wall Street multinationals will not like this approach.
The leader of the most powerful nation in the EU, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is now in quarantine after her personal physician tests positive for the Wuhan Virus.
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into quarantine after being informed that a doctor who administered a vaccine to her has tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Merkel, 65, was informed about the doctor’s test shortly after holding a news conference Sunday announcing new measures to curb the spread of the virus, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said. He said that Merkel had received a precautionary vaccine Friday against pneumococcal infection.
[…] Merkel on Sunday thanked “the overwhelming majority” of Germans who were following rules on social distancing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
[White House] Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France. The two leaders discussed how France and the United States are working to combat COVID-19 as well as opportunities to work together to stop the pandemic. President Trump agreed to host a video-conference on the coronavirus with all of the G7 leaders early next week. President Trump and President Macron also discussed issues in the Middle East, including countering the Iranian regime’s dangerous behavior and the situation in northwest Syria. (link)
The G7 Assembly includes: U.S, Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany, U.K. and France; with the EU usually sticking their collective nose into the conversation.
Any headline that uses the phrase “France Warns” immediately requires a background review to understand the big picture driving French fears.
Just like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinking he could outwit President Trump’s policies on NAFTA trade (he failed), Trudeau’s bestie, French President Emmanuel Macron, has stupidly exhibited similar shortsightedness. In the case of both leaders their weasel moves have put their nations’ into a precarious economic position.
To consider the future for France, it would be wise to remember last year when President Trump arrived to attend the G-7 in Biarritz, France, President Macron was waiting at the Hotel du Palais to ambush Trump for an unscheduled luncheon (pictured below):
This was just one example in a series of scripted weasel-moves played by Macron in an attempt to pontificate his importance for the international audience. Another example from the same event was Macron inviting the Iranian foreign Minister to the G7 for sideline meetings unrelated to the topics being discussed in Biarritz.
In an effort to create leverage against the U.S. position, President Macron never discussed his Iranian invitation -in advance- with the U.S. delegation. It did not go over well.
The EU, and specifically France, have a dependence on foreign energy sources as a result of their ridiculous climate policies and narrow thinking. In essence the EU wants to do business and receive oil from Iran; however, U.S. sanctions against Iran forbid those business deals. Ergo Macron attempted to inject influence and position his interests.
As stated, the ambush approach did not go well, but POTUS played it cool. (more…)
Oh man, almost too much winning. President Trump Chief-of-Staff Mick Mulvaney brings the cold-fish slapper to a White House presser and pummels the narrative engineers. Cold-Fish Slapping is like whac-a-mole, only instead of a hammer you use a slightly unfrozen fish; and instead of mole-heads popping up, you get reporters stupid questions.
First, Mr. Mulvaney announces the 2020 G7 will be held at Trump Doral Resort in Miami Florida, June 10th – 12th 2020. The pearl-clutching media begin to quiver uncontrollably. Slap. Slap. Slap. More spontaneous ‘splodey heads…. more cold-fish-slapping. Repeat.
Then Mulvaney takes questions on Muh Ukraine and Muh Impeach-We-Much, and it becomes necessary for double-handed cold-fish-slapping. This is really good. WATCH:
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The White House using Trump Doral-Miami for the G7, just because it is the best place to host the G7 is epic Trump. The media go bonkers… Trump shrugs and says: when you’re done with that, fetch me a Diet Coke. LOL.
[Transcript] – MR. MULVANEY: Hey, guys. How are you all?
First thing’s first: I want to comment very briefly on Mr. Cummings’s passing. For those of you who know, I was in Congress for a couple years with Mr. Cummings, and — on the committee with him. I had a chance to work with him on a day in, day out basis. And he will be missed. He was — he was a classy guy, and I enjoyed much working with him. And the condolences from my family and all of the White House group to his family today. He will be — he will be sorely missed.
